CHOCOLATE NICHE (5) Imaginary Authors Dipped in Chocolate (2) By Kilian Black Phantom What say you, guys? Who continues to the finals? Who goes home? Love to hear from ya'!

There's a thing called "Paris Syndrome". It's a severe psychological condition that besets tourists, mainly Japanese, who, upon visiting Paris, are discombobulated when they discover that Paris and the Parisians are exponentially removed from their idealised media portrayals. Where the tourists expect courtesy and romantic interaction, they get Gallic indifference, Gitanes and shrugs. Why am I mentioning this? Because only the French would have the audacity to create a fragrance called French Leather... and then not put anything leathery in it. I adore the French and their exceptional culture. So much wine, so much cheese. Their massive antagonism towards those in power who seek to curtain their liberties is something to wholly applaud. I just think that, if your fragrance is called French Leather, it should smell like, well, FRENCH LEATHER. And I like the fragrance! It's floral, but not powdery or cloying. Rose-forward, a little citrus-spicy, and it dries down into a long lasting skin scent of petals and airiness that's very nice indeed. It leans feminine, which is more than fine with me. My wife loves a rose scent, and this one is no exception. Of course, I don't like it enough to pursue a full bottle. It's nice, but it's not for me. My wife's rose scents are omnipresent in our home already, I don't need to add some of my own. But, if you're looking for a floral scent that lasts a long while, this definitely has legs. However, if you're looking for a Leather scent, then it behooves you to look elsewhere. I'm off to eat a croissant. Allons y!

After waiting months for it to arrive at my local stores, I finally had the chance to test Torino 25 on skin, and the results were not what I expected. When I smelled it on paper and in the air last week, it seemed very promising; however, today’s skin test was a total disappointment. To my surprise, the fragrance actually triggered a migraine. The listed notes include rhubarb, grapefruit, ginger, and saffron at the top, followed by juniper, suede, and leather in the heart, with a base of amber, vetiver, and musk. Despite that profile, all I could detect was a sharp, "screechy" mix of saffron and suede/leather. While I can usually wear leather notes, this particular blend just isn't for me. I couldn't even get through a full breakdown because I had to wash it off to manage the migraine. I know some of you might really enjoy this one or may even consider it a masterpiece, but for me, at this point, it is a pass. I’ll give it one more try eventually just to ensure I wasn't already in the middle of a flare-up, but after the disappointment of T23, I’ve decided I won't buy this just for the sake of completing the collection.