Trying another Harmonist sample today from the "free" gift pack. This is a nice cinnamon spice but very fresh and light. It gives a nice little scent bubble for me, not. huge projection but thats ok. Time will tell how the day goes with Longevity, but so far this is a great warm weather scent.

Brothers and Sisters, I don’t even know where to begin. I truly can’t put into words how blessed I feel tonight. I just came home from visiting one of my dearest friends after months of not being able to see him. What happened there was something I never expected, and honestly… it took me a couple of hours to fully process. Let me explain. As many of you know, I used to manage an LGBTQ+ bar that welcomed not just our Qmunity, but anyone who believed in friendship, laughter, and belonging. Earlier this year, my good friend—the owner of the bar—passed away. I fought with everything I had to reopen those doors. So many incredible people stood beside me, hoping we could bring it back to life. In the end, though, it wasn’t meant to be, and in May, that dream quietly came to an end. Losing my friend hit me harder than I ever let on. Over these last several months, I stepped back from my adult alternative lifestyle and even from parts of the Qmunity so I could heal. Many of you already know what became my therapy. Fragrances reminded me that healing sometimes arrives on the wings of scent. Cigars reminded me to slow down, breathe deeply, and reclaim moments that belonged solely to me. Being a Cigarlier became less about the cigar itself and more about the ritual of choosing myself for a little while. But emotionally… that was the hardest battle. The grief was mostly silent. I held myself together because of the love from my local Qmunity, from this incredible fragrance family, and from my beautiful partners, who never stopped reminding me that I wasn’t carrying it alone. Then came another blessing: leaving a job I wanted so badly to love—but only stayed in for the paycheck—and returning to a company that genuinely feels like home again. Even Superman has his moments with kryptonite. Some days left scars. Tonight, my friend invited me over for cigars. For about ninety minutes, we talked about everything under the sun—life, people, dreams, fools, kings… the kind of conversations that only happen when good tobacco, good company, and honesty meet.

Match #2 in my 40-fragrance tournament turned out to be a battle between two scents that probably won't make my long-term collection: Lacoste L.12.12 Blanc versus Ryziger Parfums The Gentleman's Code. Lacoste L.12.12 Blanc (2011, created by Olivier Pescheux) is a pleasant, clean white-floral and woody fragrance with grapefruit, rosemary, tuberose, cedar, and suede. The problem, at least on my skin, is that it disappears almost as soon as it arrives. The Gentleman's Code goes to the opposite extreme. It's bold, sweet, and incredibly strong, but there's also a sharp note that never quite works for me. It's certainly memorable, just not in the way I'm looking for. Neither fragrance would earn a spot in my permanent collection, but this tournament has to produce a winner. Since the Lacoste vanished almost immediately, Ryziger Parfums The Gentleman's Code advances by default, while Lacoste drops into the loser's bracket.