Hey guys, Joe A. here with another one for ya’! An old cowboy saying goes..."Well, I’m from Texas, and what you think is "big" and what I think is "BIG" are two totally different "big-s"😆 So, what’s “big” depends on who you’re talking to, right? Big truck, big meal, big personality... it’s all perspective. And honestly, the same applies in the fragrance world too, especially when we start talking about price!! One guy’s “cheapie” is another guy’s “I need to think about that for a minute” bottle! And that’s what makes the term "cheapie" so dang interesting. For some folks, it means anything under $25. For others, it might be under $50, under $100 or just anything priced well below niche territory. But somewhere along the way, the word picked up a little stigma, like a "cheapie" is supposed to be “less than”... Now hombres, I don’t know about all that... We’ve all come across inexpensive frags that smell great, perform just fine and punch way above their price point. And let’s be honest, we’ve also smelled some pricey bottles that left us feeling like we're trying to rope a tumbleweed... To me, the real question is whether a "cheapie" is defined by cost alone, or by the balance of cost and quality. Because there’s a big ol' difference between something being cheap and something being a great value. If a fragrance smells good, wears well and keeps finding its way into your rotation, then that bottle has earned some respect no matter what it cost. Perspective matters here too, because every rustler’s budget is different. One man’s easy pickup is another man’s splurge, and neither one is wrong in this grand ole #Journey of ours... What say you, cowboys? What do you consider a "cheapie" (give some examples too!!)? Is it strictly about price, or do quality and performance have to be part of the equation too? And let's be honest now... do any of you have a Texas-sized wallet where your “cheapie” range is bigger than the rest of ours (no...not Joe A. here...)? Love to hear from ya’!

Hey guys, Joe A. here with another one for ya'! When my daughter was a teenager, we’d argue about how short was “too” short, but in the fragrance world, that phrase has taken on a whole different meaning. Around here, a “short list” is supposed to be that neat little lineup of fragrances you’d buy right now if the timing, the budget and the stars all lined up just right. Problem is... the more you learn in this hobby, the more that “short list” starts putting on weight. At first, it might be three or four bottles. Nice and tidy. Manageable. Respectable. Then you spend more time in the community, hear more opinions, discover more houses, learn more notes, and next thing you know your short list looks less like a sticky note and more like a grocery receipt from Thanksgiving. What started as a few “must haves” somehow turns into tiers, backups, honorable mentions and a whole category of “I’m definitely getting this one eventually.” That’s one of the funny things about this hobby. The deeper your knowledge gets, the harder it can be to narrow your wants down. It’s not always about lacking discipline either. Sometimes it’s just that your appreciation grows. You start understanding the difference between like and love, between hype and true interest, between what smells good and what feels like it belongs in your collection. Before long, the short list stops being short at all. It just becomes... The List. Capital T, capital L. A living, breathing document of temptation. What say you, guys? How long are your “Short Lists” these days? What’s keeping that list from getting any shorter... price, patience, too many great options, or just being a fraghead in too deep? Or is ol' Joe A. being too "short-sighted" and should be leaving people's lists alone? Love to hear from ya!

If there was a fire, and I lost everything, these are the fragrances I would rebuild my collection with first: 1 - Byredo Gypsy Water / Fine'ry Magical Nomad - one of my all time favorite scents and a great utility scent I can wear year round 2 - Tom Ford Black Orchid EDP or Reserve - one or the other, but not both. This one makes me feel like me. This is my "makes me feel successful and like I own the room" fragrance 3 - Jacques Fath Velours Boise - another versatile year round fragrance that's elegant, elevated, and understated. Quiet, confident, classic 4 - Mauboussin Une Histoire d'Homme Irresistible - One of the best spring fragrances on the market, and it's usually in the $30 range when you can find it. 5 - Prisma Citron - fantastic citrus summer fragrance that handles the high Texas heat well 6 - Prisma Kiss The Moon - one of the best date night fragrances ever put on the market 7 - Imaginary Authors Telegrama - the fougere that turned me around on fougeres and a great versatile office fragrance or casual evening with friends kind of thing. It's been discontinued, so my backup would be El Gonzo Friday Edition 8 - Third Eye Fragrances Iris Obsidian - masculine leather and Iris for a combo that combines everything I love about Gypsy Water with a dark leather to create a polar opposite. The two are yin and yang to each other. 9 - Mauboussin Star Pour Homme - another excellent date night fragrance that's unique and stands out for less than $35 10 - Imaginary Authors O Unknown - my favorite one from the house. It's kind of weird and unique and different, but I absolutely love it. Bonus: 11 - Akro Dark - I love the dark chocolate notes of this one. Not something for every day use, but one of those guilty pleasure fragrances that's just fun to wear. 12 - Versace Dylan Blue - one of the best blue freshies ever made, and an absolute workhorse fragrance that can be worn anywhere, anytime, and still smell good. 13 - Hugo Boss Bottled Elixir - I just like this one, and its the one that really got me excited about fragrances.

I swear the fragrance hobby is half smelling good and half mental gymnastics to justify the next bottle. I’m guilty of all of these, so I’m calling myself out too: - “If it’s expensive, it must be better.”Sometimes you’re paying for the name, the bottle, and the hype. Price can mean quality, but it’s not a guarantee. - “Niche always beats designer.”Not even close. Some designers are smooth, mass-appealing, and really well-made. Some niche is just loud, weird, and overpriced. - “Beast mode = quality.”Lasting 12 hours doesn’t automatically mean it’s good. A scent can be nuclear and still smell rough or one-dimensional. - “It doesn’t last on my skin.”Half the time, I’m just nose-blind. Or my skin is dry, and I’m spraying like it’s a science experiment. Meanwhile, other people can still smell it. - “If I can’t smell it, it’s weak.”This lie creates oversprays. Just because you can’t smell it doesn’t mean the whole room can’t. - “More sprays = more compliments.”More sprays usually equal more people suffering in silence. Compliments come from being in the right distance at the right time, not choking out a hallway. - “I need a signature scent.”You don’t. A small rotation is way better: clean/everyday, night out, dressed up, and one you personally love. - “This just needs maceration.”Sometimes bottles settle, sure. But sometimes… You just don’t like it, and you’re trying to cope. - “This smells exactly like ____.”A lot of scents share a DNA. The opening can fool you. The drydown tells the truth. - “I’ll wear it when the time is right.”Then you never wear it. If you like it, wear it—just control the sprays and match the setting. - “Blind buying is a skill I’m developing.”Nah, it’s gambling with extra steps. Decants > regret. - “I need every flanker for the collection.”Most flankers are the same movie with a different filter. You end up with duplicates and wonder why your shelf feels repetitive. - “This is ONLY for winter / ONLY for summer.”Most scents can work year-round if you adjust sprays and don’t wear a warm amber bomb in 115° heat.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” -- Steve Jobs, late Founder and CEO of Apple A master perfumer doesn’t just mix ingredients, they chase emotion. Just as Steve Jobs obsessed over the invisible details inside an iPhone, a fragrance creator obsesses over the unseen architecture of a scent: the top notes that spark curiosity, the heart that tells the story, and the base that lingers in memory. Great fragrances, like great products, aren’t made for everyone. They’re made with conviction. They challenge trends. They create identity. They make people feel something before they can explain it. When passion leads the process, whether in technology or in scent, the result isn’t just functional. It’s unforgettable. Keep moving forward and #EnjoytheJourney