Finally found a bottle in a store so gave it 1 spray on the wrist. Opens up like a coconut leaning Gris Charnel with a clear designer level quality and mass appeal. Creamy, cosy, nicely sweet and very wearable. Projects strong for a Valentino. Quality is good and the blend is clean, but nothing here feels groundbreaking. The closest market competitor for this would be Le Beau Le Parfum and to me PM is a dumbed down vibe, similar crowd pleasing DNA, and LBLP still comes out on top in terms of character and overall profile. I would argue that this would be a massive hit in the mainstream. Its more smooth and more wearable tha LBLP and 25 and above usually avoid jpg as its a “teen fragrance“. My prediction maybe wrong but many of us weren’t impressed with paradigme but the numbers dont lie. So the hype to me was not justified. My initial score would be a 7.5/10. If i get a sample from a purchase i might give it a proper wearing.

Good morning, Brotherhood!! Quick SOTD brought to you by Massive by Sawalef. Sawalef’s parent company is the well known Swiss Arabian, and this is their niche side of the house. As if Swiss Arabian wasn’t already putting out niche quality fragrances. Seriously, SA releases some amazing scents. Massive is primarily a woody spicy fragrance, launched in 2018. It’s absolutely gorgeous and gives off Encre Noire À L’Extrême vibes, but with a twist of dried fruit, vanilla, and dirty patchouli. And if you’ve been around me for any amount of time… you already know I love patchouli. The opening instantly grabs my attention with a strong, sharp, masculine cedar note. The dried fruits add a subtle sweetness in the background, warming up the blend nicely, especially since cedar can sometimes come across a bit bright. As it dries down, the patchouli and vanilla really ground the fragrance and complete the composition in a way that feels very high quality. Performance is still being determined, but so far it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride which I like. Something I’ll chalk up to skin chemistry. At first spray it was very captivating and masculine but then after a couple minutes, it felt weak, but maybe that was just my nose adjusting to the opening? As it transitions, you can clearly smell it move from bright cedar into warmer dried fruits, then into smooth vanilla and patchouli. Cedar wood is clearly the dominant note in this blend. Where this fragrance really shines is its sillage. Just when you think it’s gone, you’re reminded how good it is when you walk back into the space you were just in. It leaves a trail that genuinely makes you happy. Not super sweet, very masculine, and a great signature scent IMO. I would recommend this if you like cedar. Good for all seasons but beware of warmer climate as it may be too much. Have you tried any offerings from Sawalef? Have an amazing day, Brotherhood!! Off to work. Notes: • Top: Cedar, Dried Fruits, Nutmeg • Mid: Jasmine, Musk