Hey good people, I just received this super interesting fragrance! If you like sweet, sexy and compliments, this is it. Gourmand fragrance, if I can compare it to something already in the market? I’ll say Bianco Latte (not 1-1) with Hard Candy Elixir background. Honestly, sweet perfumery done to perfection! A must try.

Hello, darkness, my old friend... The second semifinal in the winner's bracket is a heavyweight battle in every sense, pitting two cold-weather behemoths against each other: Tom Ford Ombré Leather versus Boss Bottled Absolu. Bottled Absolu has been one of the biggest discoveries of this entire tournament for me. Incense, patchouli, myrrh, leather, and woods combine into something dark, smoky, rich, and incredibly powerful. It projects like crazy, lasts forever, and becomes even more interesting as it develops. When the weather finally cools down, this is going to get plenty of wear. But Ombré Leather is formidable competition. Leather is obviously the star, but it's the way that leather blends with cardamom, amber, patchouli, jasmine, and moss that makes the fragrance so compelling. It's dark and powerful without becoming harsh, and the drydown is beautifully smooth. Performance is every bit as impressive as the Boss. So we're basically choosing between two fragrances that do exactly what I want a great cold-weather fragrance to do. I suspect I'll get some raised eyebrows for this decision, because Bottled Absolu has developed a pretty formidable reputation. But side-by-side, there's something about the smoothness of the Tom Ford—and especially that gorgeous leather note—that wins me over. Tom Ford Ombré Leather wins Match #72 and advances to face Terre d'Hermès Eau Givrée in the winner's-bracket final. Boss Bottled Absolu drops into the second-chance bracket. I've said it before during this tournament: Tom Ford really knows how to do leather. Ombré Leather is superb, and F*cking Fabulous is another wonderful example. And now our winner's-bracket final is set: bright, sparkling citrus versus dark, luxurious leather. That should be interesting.

Both my wife and I are fragrance people, I however am more of the "nerd" and she is more of the "free spirit" which means I like everything stored orderly and in a vice view so I can see how the collection is going and what inspires me from day to day. She however, just keeps them in wicker baskets and some of her Hermes samples are still in their sided little dust cover!🙄. How can you possibly know what you have??? (Read how do I KNOW what you have that I may want to try 😜) Apparently my wife has 5 or 6 little Hermès 15ml in a secret stash that is no longer secret!! 😎 So naturally, I did what any reasonable husband would do… I raided it. She found out as I made no secret about my discovery and her face was priceless!! 😂 Today’s discovery is Iris Ukiyoé from the Hermessence collection, and this is my first proper wear. My initial impression is that it is very fresh, light and easy. There is a soft floral quality to it, but it never feels heavy or overly powdery. It just feels clean and polished. Projection is definitely on the quieter side, which actually works really well today. It sits close enough to be office-friendly, but I still catch little reminders of it throughout the day. And with the cooler, breezier weather here in NY today, it feels almost perfectly matched to the mood outside. Nothing loud. Nothing complicated. Just a fresh, elegant fragrance that makes the day feel a little better. Not a bad reward for discovering the secret stash. 😎

Finally made it to Denver and got the fragrances on the shelves. Love my wife for building a great area for my craziness.

“The best thing to do to enhance our appreciation of fragrance is to smell it! The more you smell more you develop your sense of smell.”— Olivier Cresp Your senses get sharper through attention and repetition. Keep showing up, stay present with what is in front of you, and trust that each intentional practice is building a stronger instinct for tomorrow. Enjoy the #Journey. Love to hear from ya’!