As I explained last night, my X-Men (my Xerjoff collection) were victorious as my SOTE in a surprise victory over any selection from the Dark Empire (Amouage) as I selected XJ 1861 Renaissance for my dinner out last night. Tonight was a diffferent story. The plans included a summer party with a couple hundred people, so I had to play it a little safe. Nothing too forward, nothing too heavy - a real crowd-pleaser Afterall, I'm in the desert and it's about 70-75 degrees tonight and I'll be around a lot of people. Again, one of my X-Men seemed like a good choice. Maybe a little Torino21 or possibly a little Erba Gold would be in order. However, an unstoppable force spoke to me and guided me to a dove, and not just any dove, a Roja Dove. Specifically the Roja Dove that resides at 18-19 Burlington in London, England. One quick test spray of Roja Burlington 1819 and every single X-Man in my collection was toast. Burlington 1819 is a perfect summer fragrance that (IMO) may actually be worth the price of admission. The opening is a bright citrus blast of lime, grapefruit, and a very subtle mint. The quality of the ingredients are unmistakable and the skill of the blending is quite impressive. The mid continues with a clean and green vibe with a beautiful edge. At the base you MAY pick up some light tobacco, but the soft woods and musk were unmistakable. As I'm sure you know, this is an upscale creation but it's no beast. It's not particularly deep or heavy, and it's certainly NOT of an Amouage-level performance. The projection is moderate but unmistakable. It's a reward to those that choose to be physically closer to you, and believe me, they'll want to be physically closer to you (based on my experience tonight.) I would say the sillage is refined and polite, but it's there... This is a great choice for a nice summer evening and probably be a good choice during the day too depending on your situation. This is the sort of fragrance that gives Roja it's well-earned reputation as a top-tier niche House.

What to say in your intro? Share where you're from, your reason for joining, perhaps your favorite fragrance, watch or a picture of you dressed sharp! It's a small action, but a HUGE step in you getting value from this community becasue you go from being a lurker to an ACTIVE member. In fact men that introduce themselves are 10X more likely to the actions to becoming their best selves. Bonus Point - By introducing yourself you're guaranteed to level-up. Seriously, you'll get at least 5-20 likes/points (oftentimes more) which will move you to level 2 and possibly level 3. And just like that you have access to more of this community!

Happy Sunday Brotherhood! “Rockin” pacific rock moss today with this amazingly great weather. Not too hot, not too cold… just right like this amazing fragrance. It’s zesty, aquatic, slightly floral, clean and fresh. First spray offers you a burst of watery lemon rind and juice which comes across slightly bitter which I loves. It dries down to a bright smooth mossy note with a slight touch of woodyness that makes it a beautiful composition. It’s perfect for a day like this where you want to smell fresh and clean. Funny thing… Wifey just walked into the room and said, “ooh that’s pretty strong. Smells Like something I would wear with the florals”. Wait she smelled floral?!?! I sniffed again and dang she’s right! I guess she’s more hip to the geranium and sage notes than I am. At least she likes it and that’s all that matters. Performance is pretty good at around 5-6 hours of longevity with a projection of 2-3 feet for the first hours of wear. Sillage is present and lets people smell the freshness that are in close proximity. I recommend this for someone looking for a clean fresh mossy feel. It’s smooth and zestyyyyyy. I stick to my original rating of 8 / 10 for this bad boy. Have a great day hood and stink good today, you deserve it.

This is still a high ranking in my top 10. Released in late 2024, BB Absolu was a big shift for the brand. It is best described as a "designer gone niche" because it moves away from the safe, mass-appealing sweetness of the original DNA toward something much darker, smokier, and more sophisticated. The highest concentration and IMO the best in the line, Absolu was released in late 2024, created by Annick Menardo, the legend behind the original Boss Bottled & Bvlgari Black, with Suzy Le Helley. This was the third and most intense chapter in the trilogy of Intensity, following the EDP and the Elixir. Upon the first spray, you aren't met with the typical apple-pie sweetness of the original Boss Bottled. Instead, you get a bold, roasted signature, with notes of Incence and a Leather accord. It is smoky, dry, & masculine. The incense has aa textured, charred quality in contrast to the smooth, refined leather. As the initial smoke settles, the fragrance becomes denser and more resinous, with core notes of Patchouli essence & Myrrh absolute. This is where you start to notice the Niche quality. Whilst the myrrh adds a balsamic, slightly sweet warmth, the patchouli gives an earthy, soil-stained depth that keeps the scent grounded. As you move into the drydown, the fragrance settles into a cozy, woody base that lingers on the skin, with Cedarwood and Davana. The secret weapon here is the Davana, it adds a subtle, boozy, dried-fruit sweetness. Think of almost like rum-raisins. Which rounds out the sharp edges of the cedarwood. For a designer scent this is no doubt a beast mode scent. I get an easy 9+ hrs with a fairly heavy projection for 2-3 hrs. It creates a noticeable scent bubble that "cuts through" cold air effectively. Leaving a dense, woody trail. It is not a "skin scent" until very late in its life cycle. This is a perfect Winter scent. Best for those formal events, date nights, or when you want to project an aura of authority. It is a mature scent, best suited for those us older guys. So if you are a fan of the original Boss Bottled’s fresh apple & cinnamon, be warned: Absolu is a completely different beast. It trades office-friendly for commanding presence. You also get Niche quality for designer price.

Working on a few big professional and personal projects today and I wanted to feel like a boss, so I generously applied some Dior Homme 2020 and hit the ground running. Have you guys tried this? It was love at first sniff for me, one of my first bottle purchases (which I ordered almost immediately after getting a decant to test). This has a very bright tangy open - citrus, pepper and resinous elemi with a hint of Vetiver. It’s very dry with almost no sweetness but I really dig it. Into the mids it stays tangy but I get more smooth woods coming out and it’s clearly lifted on a cushion of pleasant dry musk. I get really good projection for several hours, and at about hour four it starts to soften so that it’s just a slightly tangy smooth woody skin scent by hour six. But man this is just a fantastic scent. I find it to be super versatile year round, although it leans a bit more dressy to me - perfect for the office or daytime event, and perfectly fine to throw on even if going around town - maybe not in a T-shirt and jeans, more like a polo or untucked button down shirt and khaki shorts or pants. I don’t think this is a scent profile that teens would gravitate towards, but 20’s and up should enjoy it (and especially umm us more mature guys). I can’t stand Iris and was so happy to stumble on this branch of the Dior Homme line. The Homme Sport 2021 is very very similar to me - a bit more citrusy, a bit less tangy, a bit more soapy/aldehydic instead of musky — but between the two I slightly prefer this one. And yeah I feel like a boss wearing it.