I make this post partially humorous but also to seriously ask you what your biggest pet peeves that beginners or people not as invested in this hobby as us are. I say outsiders carefully as not to say it in a clique kind of sense. Because I’ve unlocked a pet peeve that’s so weirdly specific, to anyone outside of the bubble, I look psycho! So asking you guys, what are yours? And do any of you relate to this specific one that I have? My biggest, most frustrating issue is so irritating to me because of how ridiculously widespread it is, and it comes with the misconception of cologne, perfume, and gendered fragrances. It strikes a positively DISSONANT chord within me when someone refers to all men’s fragrance as “cologne”. Makes me like unreasonably irritated. Crazy right! But hear me out. One of the biggest misconceptions in fragrance is the idea of A), gendered fragrance, and B), men’s fragrance is all “cologne”. Traditionally, cologne is a concentration of alcohol to oil, and actually one of the weakest concentrations. Most fragrances nowadays for men aren’t colognes at all but Eau de toilettes and Eau de parfums! They don’t wear cologne! They wear perfume! Gendered fragrance in and of itself is a western marketing construct used by companies to get men to start wearing it, to make the market less intimidating and fit in with the stigmas and social values at the time. Along with that, the word “perfume” had a largely feminine connotation, and men at the time did not feel comfortable wearing something with the name of something that sounded so well… feminine. Considering there WERE popular men’s fragrances that were cologne concentrations like from Acqua di Parma, and the word “cologne” sounded rugged, masculine, and less feminine, so it became synonymous with all men’s fragrance. Now as to why this particular stereotype and misconception bothers me so much, I’ll get into that. A), I hate the word cologne. Always have. When I bought my first Versace my girlfriend at the time was like “how’s the cologne?” And bro it bothered me. I wasn’t mad at her or anything lol, but I associate the word with the absolutely terrible chemical bomb my dad would wear with his axe body spray. So when I hear “cologne”, I think of that. Even I look at my older posts and see myself use that word and I criiiiiiinge

Good Morning Brotherhood, Another beautiful, sweltering day in the city that’s second to none. We’re halfway through the week, so it’s time to get over that hump! 😂 I let A.I. create my 30-day fragrance rotation, but it didn’t account for the heat wave we’re experiencing today. It chose Amouage Purpose, and as much as I love it, I felt it might be a little too heavy for this weather. So I turned to two different fragrance A.I. apps for a second opinion. Perfumo recommended Afnan Rare Reef, while ScentMax A.I. suggested You Or Someone Like You by État Libre d’Orange. Both were excellent choices, but I couldn’t decide… So why not layer them? Well, boys and girls, we have a winner. Hot damn! This combination is bright, citrusy, effervescent, and just slightly sweet with a touch of fresh fruit. As it settles, an airy oceanic musk begins to emerge, creating an incredibly refreshing scent bubble that is absolutely perfect for this brutal Chicago heat. I’m definitely riding this wave all day. At this rate, I’m going to have to start keeping a journal of all my layering combinations. Sheesh! Make it a fantastic day, Brotherhood. Be blessed, smell amazing, and if you’re dealing with this heat, stay cool!

Fragrances do a lot of things for me and I always talk about "The Feeling". More so than the notes of a particular fragrance. This fragrance always settles me down with a nice floral note. The name bravery is certainly the theme for today as we deal with some extended family challenges. So I am channeling bravery today for our entire family as we start to enter this season of life. Wishing you all a wonderful day!!