After an amazing weekend in the city with my wife shopping. We went to buy some fragrances (Shocker) 😜. While we may or may not have gone a little overboard which we are prone to do we had an amazing time! All of this to be said, we have been making relationships with some sales people and when we were discussing our collection and what we were about to add. The manager came out and presented us with this Armani/Prive Lacquered display box!! They said these are very hard to get and that they have only had 1 or 2 come in, but they knew we were the right people to have it. They gave it to us for free! Not something I had expected or even knew existed. This is one of those things that keeps me buying from an actual store with an actual person. Even though I may be able to get a "deal" somewhere else. I prefer the relationships. Now I Just have to put my bottles in. I have 2 open spaces to fill. But probably not for long!! 🤣

Brothers, I’ll be honest—oud was one of the hardest fragrance styles for me to understand when I first got into cologne. I kept hearing people talk about how rich and luxurious it was, especially Middle Eastern oud, but when I actually wore it, I realized there’s a big difference between that and the oud you usually find in Western fragrances. Traditional Middle Eastern oud is intense. There’s no easing into it. It’s smoky, woody, sometimes almost funky or medicinal, and it lasts forever. One spray can easily stick around all day and into the next. The challenge for me is that it doesn’t always fit normal day-to-day life. Wearing something that strong to work, running errands, or going out casually can feel awkward. It’s like wearing a tuxedo to the grocery store—it smells amazing, but it can feel out of place. Western Oud Feels Safer and Easier Western oud fragrances are way easier to wear. They usually smooth everything out with sweetness, amber, vanilla, or other woods. You still get that dark, rich vibe, but it’s cleaner and more familiar. The downside is that sometimes it doesn’t really feel like real oud. It smells good, but it can feel watered down compared to the bold stuff. If you’ve tried authentic oud oils or Middle Eastern blends, Western oud can feel like a toned-down version meant not to offend anyone. Another thing I learned is that Middle Eastern oud seems made for heat. In warm weather or outdoors, it actually smells better—richer and smoother over time. But in cooler weather or indoors, especially in an office or tight space, it can feel heavy fast. Western oud works better in air-conditioned rooms, offices, and close-up situations. It doesn’t push as hard and feels more “normal” around other people. Projection Is a Real Issue Middle Eastern oud doesn’t care about personal space. It projects, it announces itself, and it sticks around. That’s cool when you want to make a statement, but it can also make you self-conscious if you’re worried about overwhelming people.