This was the second free sample Joe A.'s Decants included for me, and I really appreciated him giving me the opportunity to try something I otherwise probably wouldn't have encountered. The opening on this one is BIG. It reminded me of Inis in that respect, but the fruit here takes it in a completely different direction. Italian orange, lemon, pineapple and blackcurrant come at you all at once, with cardamom adding a little spice. To my nose, it smells like the bag of freeze-dried Skittles I keep on the counter for when my grandson visits. Very fruity, very sweet and very noticeable. While the opening tries to classify itself as fresh and invigorating, the base is supposed to bring in caramel and amber, but on my skin it never really gets there. Caramel in particular is probably the least noticeable part of the fragrance and it's presence really would have helped it a lot. Instead, that loud fruit introduction simply becomes quieter as it dries down and eventually settles into a skin scent where you can still pick up pieces of what was there in the opening accompanied by a bit of amber in the base. The other surprise is the performance. This is an Extrait de Parfum, so I expected considerably more. The opening has strong projection and sillage, but it dries down quickly and then gently disappears. Longevity is surprisingly weak. Joe, thank you again for the generosity. I really do appreciate getting the chance to experience fragrances I otherwise might never get to try.

This is not my first experience with Xerjoff, but I have to admit that I haven't found one yet that has led me to complete satisfaction. Erba Pura is no exception. That said, I find this one really interesting. The top notes are: Sicilian orange, Calabrian bergamot and Sicilian lemon followed by a Mediterranean fruity accord in the mid, and a base of white musk, amber and Madagascar vanilla. The dominant accords are fruity, sweet, fresh, musky, citrus, vanilla and amber. And yes, this is VERY fruity. It opens with loud, almost tropical fruit, but as the drydown begins, the fruit becomes creamier. The musk remains subtle, but I think its presence is important because it carries the fruit through its transformation. What starts as very tropical fruit eventually reminds me of a frozen tropical cocktail. And there is an appeal to the creaminess of that. This is the point at which, if this vibe was your thing, it could become addictive. The softer it gets, the more approachable it becomes, but it never stops making its presence known from a distance. I can see this being perfect after you've decided you've had enough of the beach, take a refreshing shower and reset on the pool deck for happy hour. This doesn't ask someone to come closer. Instead, it seems to say that if they choose to, they'll find someone who is confidently fresh. I also don't think this is trying to make a man smell traditionally masculine. It's unapologetically fruity, and I think the guy wearing it has to be comfortable with that. Xerjoff describes it as a fresh, fruity fragrance inspired by the Mediterranean at golden hour, moving into the evening, and I can absolutely see that image. Performance is definitely part of the story. Projection and sillage are strong, and I'm expecting very good longevity from the way this is wearing. It's an interesting fragrance, and I can appreciate why people love it. But after trying several Xerjoffs, I'm still waiting for the one that gives me that feeling of complete satisfaction. Erba Pura isn't that one.

I've been intrigued by Sartorial for a long time, and it all started with a description that I couldn't get out of my head when I heard a brother here describe it as a freshly pressed white business shirt. I've been trying to find a decant for quite a while, and thanks to Joe A.'s Decants, I finally got the chance to wear it. And now that I have, I understand why that description stayed with me. Sartorial is immediately fresh, crisp and airy. The lavender and aldehydic character gives it that almost freshly pressed quality, while beeswax, leather, woods and a soft muskiness give it warmth and depth as it develops. The closest I've ever come to the image I get with this is Prada L'Homme. Unfortunately, L'Homme is very iris forward, and I've never been a fan of iris. Sartorial gives me that same image without the iris getting in the way. There is something very masculine about it, without it being dark, loud or aggressive. And the musk is important here. The freshness gets my attention, but that soft muskiness is what keeps drawing me back to my skin. It gives the fragrance a warmth and sensuality that I really enjoy. As an EDT, it projects predictably in an alluring way. The sillage is moderate and noticeably softer as it dries down. The longevity is more about how it returns to you in your own scent bubble with a muskiness that give hours of pleasure. A genuine thank-you to Joe A.'s Decants for helping me finally get my hands on this one. I've been chasing Sartorial for quite a while, and Joe came through when I couldn't find it anywhere. He was also generous enough to include a couple of other samples which I will also be posting about after the wears.

Has anyone else experienced falling out of love with specific fragrances? Not necessarily fragrance fatigue as a whole, but fragrances that you genuinely loved at one point and now just don’t feel the same about. Maybe you’ve overused them, your taste has changed, or you’ve simply started noticing something about the fragrance that you didn’t before. Have you ever managed to fall back in love with a fragrance after that happens? If so, what worked for you? Did you take a break from it, try wearing it in a different season or setting, layer it with something else, or just accept that the fragrance had run its course? Would be interested to hear what actually worked for people.

Strong as all hell. I just got out of the shop after the lady was nice enough to spray some on a strip, and then on my hand. It’s about to be released on Tuesday so they didn’t have it on display just yet. Remember the following. The projection from this is insane. It’s on my forearm and I’m walking down the street and I can smell it like I sprayed it on my neck. I have a scent bubble around me from my goddamn forearm. It’s very spicy, very woody, tad sweet. I gotta explore it some more but goddamn.