Tonight's selection was specifically chosen in honor of my friend and brother @Thomas Chavez and his new status in this community as a Level 9. In my opinion, this selection exemplifies the essense that I believe is personified by our fellow brother and gentleman. It is a classy, timeless and pleasing fragrance that has endured and has been appreciated for decades. We all know the name Lalique as the pinnacle and benchmark in the fine crystal industry. We also know that Lalique does not play off the status of their name as others have, but instead simply focuses on providing top-notch quality fragrances at prices accessible to all. Lalique Pour Homme, often referred to as the "Lion" is a classic woody, aromatic fragrance launched back in 1997 and crafted by the renowned perfumer Maurice Roucel. It's a scent that embodies a sense of timeless, understated elegance and quality far exceeding its typical price point. This fragrance offers a beautiful and sophisticated journey of notes from the opening to the dry-down. The initial spray is a bright, aromatic burst of citrus and herbs. Notes like lavender, rosemary, bergamot, and mandarin provide a refreshing and slightly spicy kick that quickly transitions to the mid. The mid introduces a refined floral-woody accord. You'll find a dry, cedar mid balanced by the powdery touch of iris and maybe a little hint of jasmine. This is where the scent gains its classic, "gentlemanly" character, sometimes referred to as a "barbershop" frag. The base/dry-down is deep, warm, and comforting. It includes a blend of oakmoss, sandalwood, patchouli, vanilla, and amber for a lasting base. The vanilla is dry and ambery, not overly sweet, giving it a sense of sophistication and maturity. The overall aroma is complex. It evolves from fresh and zesty (love that word) to a dry, woody, and slightly smoky finish (my favorite) which is often compared to Creed Bois du Portugal, and much like Lailique, our brother @Thomas Chavez, both are classy yet unpretentious.

I think this is what Pegasus should have been. I love the sweet, spicy, woody and almond. There is a subtle floral to soften it up. The center was colored in because the coating was chipped when it the original owner received it. The bottle does not come that way. Just wanted to put that out there. This came from a very reputable and backed source, so I didn't trip off it.

Not usually my cup of tea, but the name really stood out and it’s rated highly on Fragrantica with a 4.37/5. Plus the perfumer is Antoine Maisondieu so expectations were on the higher side. So here’s what I think. It opens up super bright, almost like a flashbang of citrus and spices, with lemon, bergamot, saffron, and pepper (even though pepper is listed as a mid note). After a few minutes, the citrus brightness mellows and the spices and aromatics take centre stage. Nutmeg and clary sage come through, then leather makes a grand entrance. It’s a black leather, reminiscent of the luxurious dashboard of a high-end car. Very unique in my opinion. I’m usually not a fan of leather notes, but this one really appeals to me. As it fully dries down, the citrus disappears, spices linger faintly, and sandalwood and patchouli take over the final phase. The blending is superb for a fragrance at this price point. I’ve never tried any of SF’s offerings before, but they seem underrated. This one feels best suited for older, mature men. It works well both casually and dressed up, but leans more towards cool or cold weather. Performance is the underwhelming part. I sprayed nearly 1 ml, yet it didn’t last longer than 6 hrs. Projection was about 1 ft for the first hour before it gradually became a skin scent. In a way, that’s not a bad thing. It gets noticed without overpowering anyone nearby. It lasts nicer and longer on clothes. I do wonder if the sample I tried affected performance, so a full bottle might bring at least a 30% boost. If you love leather fragrances, definitely sample this one. While many call it a blind buy, I’ve seen reviews saying it develops very differently on each person. For me, it’s a bright citrus, fresh spicy, clean leathery scent. It’s a really nice fragrance. I don’t love it because the opening gives off a slight mothball vibe, but if I had to pick a leather-forward scent, this would be my choice. I excluded performance from the score since it might be sample-related. Based on profile, blend, versatility, and price, I’d give it an 8.2/10. If I get the kind of performance others claim, I’d bump it to 8.5/10. I might pick up a bottle if I find it for under £50.

Good evening, Brotherhood! Man, today had me running around like a caffeinated squirrel, but I finally carved out some time to tap in with you all. First off, huge honor hitting Level 9, not because the number looks cool, but because it’s a reminder of how much I’ve learned, how much I’m still learning, and most importantly, the connections made along the way. That alone is worth its weight in protein powder, creatine, AND a full tub of pre-workout! So today I dove into a few samples from the House of Dastan, and the one I landed on was… You? Who, me? No no… YOU? Yep, the fragrance is literally called “YOU?” According to the brand, this one is inspired by “discovering who you are and who you aspire to become.” And honestly, with a note list longer than my holiday shopping receipts and some wild, unexpected ingredients, I’m convinced this one is meant for you to interpret however your nose wants. It really leans into that “define what makes you, YOU” vibe. This is a Floral Fruity Gourmand from 2024 by Richard Herpin. The opening hits you with this waxy fig citrus combo dusted with cinnamon. It took me a minute to figure out what I was smelling, had me questioning my entire olfactory education. I had to keep re-spraying just to wrap my head around the opening because it doesn’t stay long before shifting into a smooth, milky, slightly vanillic, creamy phase with a woody base. On skin vs. clothes? Night and day.On skin, that milky vibe hangs around like it paid rent.On clothes, the jasmine, bergamot, and brighter florals take over and stay lively. Later in the dry down, the white chocolate makes an appearance, and surprisingly… it’s not bad. Actually, kind of unique. Overall, this is a very distinctive unisex scent definitely one of those “your nose tells its own story” types. For me personally? A bit too milky. Not quite my jam. But my wife? She’d absolutely rock this one and probably smell amazing doing it. Performance is above average still catching whiffs 6–7 hours later. Projection is just under an arm’s length, and the sillage is present but not beast mode.

Today I went shopping at one of the districts not too far away from me. I hadn’t really gone before so I decided to take advantage of my proximity and check it out. I’d been told that the Sephora over there had some Creed and Killian scents, so excitedly i went over to check it out. Sadly, no Creeds, and the only Killians they had were either basic or the tacky ones. BUT nonetheless, i walked around and ended up checking out this super cool cosmetics store, which happened to have a very good collection of Tom Ford Private Blend, BDK, and Parfums de Marly! Anddddd not only that, but also they let me have a bunch of free samples. Literally as much as i wanted. Anyways, i felt guilty asking for too many, so i just got three samples lol. The ones i got were: Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille Tom Ford Ebene Fume BDK Gris Charnel Extrait all for free! i’m super excited to test these bad boys out. I always think of that quote from Avatar the Last Airbender when Uncle Iroh says, “the only thing better than finding something you’re looking for, is finding something you WERENT looking for at a great price!” and in my case… free! what a blessed day indeed!