Evening gents, a brief background; I have been interested in fragrances for as long as I can remember but could never afford the hobby! In recent years my income has increased so last year, I went with the layman classic Creed Aventus. It was the first high-end fragrance I have ever had and I loved it! With the bottle almost empty, I am eager to draw on this community's experience and expertise to find out if there are better alternatives. Creed is a very expensive - and from what I gather from the community, fairly overpriced - fragrance with the same quality ingredients and combinations found in less expensive 'niche' brands. I'm looking for good quality ingredients that last. I don't mind paying a higher price if what is in the bottle is good stuff! Any suggestions are welcome and hopefully, this post can help other newcomers to find where to start when it comes to quality.

As I sit here today I think about my past posts, and how I love how the creator of this group had a very great Idea of starting this brotherhood with a very clear mission. Putting together a group of like-minded enthusiasts or individuals with a love of the same hobby was brilliant @Antonio Centeno !!! Now I look at the direction and I can see the growth. My vision and I hope it is shared, is for this to be the best brotherhood it can be and for us all to benefit from the combined wisdom and knowledge of the group. Together we can achieve this. In everything we do in life, some things make us grow and things will hinder our growth so to achieve goals similar to what we have learned in the classroom there needs to be systems and accountability. I understand that everyone wants to get to the top level and yes, it is okay to hit the top level. Part of getting there is participation and getting likes. A lot of the brothers know that the first one to respond gets the most likes and can help you move through the levels quickly. Once you reach let's say Level 9 you should have interacted and built up your collection and should have a thorough knowledge of how to do a review. How to post a SOTD. Where to find answers to difficult questions. Which brother to direct someone to if you don't know the answer? How to copy and paste someone else's suggestion or review by utilizing the search function so we are not inundating the board with useless chatter or rather comments. I think of this as more of a family or even a structure like in business when you don't know something you ask your older brother or your colleague who has been through it before you. As a Level 9, There is a certain responsibility to your fellow brothers. At this level, since the goal is hit you should not be scouring the board to post just to get likes. You should be interjecting from time to time to help younger brothers grow. or to give or rather pass down knowledge that you should possess by moving up the ranks. I would personally be embarrassed if I could not post something helpful or ask a question to help you grow in this hobby, we all love. We all know who knows what we watch the group grow and pay attention to everything. including who moves up who reads and studies, who has huge collections, and who has great reviews. You would be fooling yourself if you felt this wasn't the case. To dominate a post or to Be the first one to reply or to scour the Brotherhood pages and put your name on every post Especially if you know nothing about the fragrance or to post just to post especially as you have hit the goal or are in the upper tiers of this brotherhood shows that you are Selfish!!! If this is you, please stop! No one wants to embarrass you in public. But the DM never stops so don't fool yourselves, you will never be respected. As I get closer to my goal, I want to be the guy who can provide valuable information to questions you may ask, and yes along the way I too will Learn lots of new things but I will not be dominating the board with random replies for likes!!! I also may like your post but will not be taking up valuable real estate as one of our brothers once put it. It takes too much time to get the information you need. To just post, I have never tried this Fragrance. The fun stuff is great and I sure as heck enjoy it but we have to be mindful there is a place for this and then there is a place not to. So be mindful and use common sense So yes have a good time Laugh be silly and be helpful. Let's make this a great thing!!! These are my opinions on what I see and I am not specifically signaling out any specific brothers.

Hello to all the brothers in our community. 20 (current 37) years ago I left my country Romania to look for a better life. In my suitcase there was a pair of shoes, pants and a sweater, but the most valuable thing I had was Dior Fahrenheit EdT. I had been in Spain for 2 years when one night I went out to the club and met the woman of my life 💛. a blonde girl of 1.60 meters and 40 kg. That night I was wearing my favorite perfume of all time. I asked her what brought her to me... among others, she answered, your smell. For me there is no more elegant, sensual, sexy fragrance than Fahrenheit etd. thank you all for reading this port

I wanted to save this doozy for the end, as this might trigger some gents in the room, but it’s time to address one of the biggest myths in the fragrance world: the notion that Creed equals quality. The truth is far more complex and unsettling, revealing a history of lies, deception, and unethical practices by Olivier Creed that have unjustly inflated industry prices. In “The Ghost Perfumer,” Gabe Oppenheim uncovers the reality behind Creed’s illustrious facade. Despite what the brand claims, Creed’s supposed heritage and craftsmanship are largely fabricated. As Oppenheim puts it, “Having received a bit of attention in a small subculture, Olivier couldn’t help but lust after considerably more. He’d had a taste. Now, he had a craving. Olivier Creed: In the 1980s and 1990s, a charlatan; at the turn of the Millennium, a man desperately chasing the dragon” . Creed’s marketing cleverly constructs an image of historical prestige, but the reality is that many of their scents, hailed as timeless classics, were actually crafted by other perfumers like Pierre Bourdon, who received little to no credit. Bourdon, known for his legendary creations like Kouros and Cool Water, was exploited by Olivier Creed, who took credit and made fortunes off the hard work of real perfumers. This deception is not just an isolated incident but a systemic issue within the Creed brand. They’ve consistently misrepresented their history and products to create a false narrative of exclusivity and quality. For instance, perfumes like Green Irish Tweed and Aventus, while popular, are not the unparalleled masterpieces they are marketed to be. Instead, they are overhyped and overpriced creations that benefit from Creed’s storied (and largely fictional) legacy. The astronomical prices of Creed fragrances are a direct result of this inflated reputation. The brand has successfully positioned itself at the luxury end of the market, charging exorbitant prices for scents that are neither unique nor exceptionally crafted. This practice has contributed to the overall high pricing in the fragrance industry, setting a precedent that affects all consumers.