this is a question i’ve seen bouncing around on different communities and reddit, so asking the og’s here that same question and hoping we can have a fun little exchange of ideas and discussion on this. by bottle design, this is a pretty big term, and everyone has individual preferences, so asking you guys, how important is it to you? if so, what kind of design and aesthetic do you prefer? do you prefer boldly artistic and statement making designs, like xerjoff, roja dove, or jpg? do you like a wide range of assortments ranging from colors to shape? or a more minimalist, uniform, simpler bottle design? like dior privee, le labo, replica, or tom ford private blend? or perhaps something in between? or do you guys just like a wide range? for me personally, i like minimalist, uniform designs that go well together, yet a slight influence of classical, artistic design that gives a quiet luxury vibe, with the artistic integrity being more scent-focused. it’s one of the reasons why i love tom ford private blend so much. other good examples of this are BDK, Dior Privee, YSL’s Private Line, Givenchy Gentleman Boisee and Reserve Privee, and replica and le labo, although those last two are a bit more minimalist leaning, they still look good in the collection, because the design fits within the spectrum. that being said, i do like a blend of some artisinal qualities in the design too, but this is less frequent in my collection habits, and more of a “crown jewel” piece in stuff i’m looking for. roja dove and creed are good examples of this. the main reason i go for this is because i like a very uniform yet diverse, aesthetic look in both my living spaces, clothing and of course, grooming habits. i pick body washes, hygienic products, and hair products that match under this umbrella too. i like a quiet luxury vibe, and more importantly, i like being able to see how coordinated everything is. i’m a little weird for that lol, you can think so, but that’s just me. i like diversity but also uniformity, like how you layer fragrances. they have different profiles, but they still need to work together and fit under a collection or spectrum.

When I heard that the perfumer for my beloved Outlands, Cecile Zarokian, was also behind Creed’s Oud Zarian, I wanted to get my nose on it. Sniffed it off paper strip in a Bloomingdales —> loved it. Got a decant of it —> two test wears later, ordered a bottle. Today was my first full wear from my new bottle. There are definitely some similarities to Outlands — not necessarily that this smells like Outlands, but it absolutely reminds me of it, and certainly many of the notes and overall vibe that make me love Outlands make me love this one too. Honestly, my nose isn’t refined enough to pick out individual notes in something blended this well - what I can say is it’s just a deliciously warm rich spicy scent, with a hint of a refined non-stinky oud note (and no, I don’t care if it’s real Oud or not, let alone some alleged 80-year-old rare oud variety). Compared to Outlands, I’d say it is more elegant, doesn’t have some of the screechy edge that Outlands can have (which I think it might be from an incense note), and it’s certainly more linear — but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There is a hint of a licorice note in here that I’m also enjoying – I think it goes well with the spice blend. I am shocked at how beastly the performance is. I applied nine hours ago and I am still getting whiffs of it - and for the first five hours this thing was radiating off of me like crazy. I’m not sure this is office safe, but at least compared to Outlands I’d say it is more versatile in terms of being more wearable by day or in warmer weather (I would not wear this in the heat of summer though). I’m absolutely happy with this purchase (only possible because it was at steep discount, of course) and to have this in my small collection. I know this offering got a lot of hate, but I’m really enjoying it. Cecile is batting 1000 in my book. It’s probably redundant versus my Outlands, but I love them both enough to make an exception and I think there are definitely different occasions where I can wear them. And I can still use Rayhan Terra to scratch the itch in between so that I don’t burn through those bottles.