It finally happened—I fell for a counterfeit. I picked up what was supposed to be a partial of Amouage Jubilation 40 on Mercari for $200, but the red flags were everywhere once it arrived: • The Cap: The edges were too rounded, and the signature jewel looked undersized. • The Magnet: Extremely weak. If you know Amouage, you know that magnetic "snap" is usually unmistakable. • The Scent: Not even close. I’ve tested the real Jubilation 40 numerous times, but a side-by-side comparison with a tester at Neiman Marcus confirmed it—it’s a total fake. Thankfully, Mercari has a return window, so I’m working on a refund. Let this be a reminder: even with "partials," if the deal feels too good to be true, double-check every detail. Stay vigilant out there!

The BOS is an endless source of inspiration and here is some of the fruit of that inspiration. @Lon Chaneyfield posted a list of luxury Arabian perfume houses that I dug into immediately. One of the top-tier houses is OmanLuxury, and I was able to get their very nice discovery set, at a good price, from Scent Angel. I also have some Scent Split decants of a few frags that I've wanted to check out, and on the right side of the third photo are some decants sent to me by @Nick Clemente ! More fragrances that I've been anxious to get my nose on for some time. Thanks Nick! All of the fun is on hold, however, due to some anosmia; a side effect of a cold that I picked up last week. Once my nose is ready to run free again, I'll be diving into all of these, and posting impressions of as many as possible. Have a great night brothers!