What fragrance has a permanent place in your collection? Like if you used it up, you would replace it? Or if it was reformulated or discontinued you would buy multiple backup bottles. For me, that would be Tom Ford Black Orchid and Byredo Gypsy Water. What’s yours?

Match #9 kicks off the first full round of my 40-fragrance tournament, and we're starting with a heavyweight matchup: Burberry Hero Parfum versus Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Elixir. Not exactly a summertime pairing, but with gray skies and steady rain today, it felt like the perfect time to compare them. Burberry Hero Parfum (2024, created by Aurélien Guichard) is the fragrance that started my collecting journey. It's all about wood—cedar, amyris, cypriol, and incense—and it has a warm, confident character that I never seem to tire of. Le Male Elixir (2023, created by Quentin Bisch) goes in a completely different direction. It's a rich blend of lavender, mint, vanilla, honey, tonka bean, and tobacco that somehow manages to be both sweet and sophisticated. This one really came down to mood, because I'd happily wear either on a date with my fiancée. Today, though, I'm giving the edge to Le Male Elixir. It feels just a little more complex and keeps revealing new facets as the day goes on. Burberry Hero Parfum certainly made it a battle, but Le Male Elixir advances to the next round.