I'm really looking forward to the pile of decants & samples I have staged for the next couple of weeks. Most are niche, but there are a couple of cheapies and some Michael Malul in there as well. Fun, fun!!! After a couple of test sprays, I was excited to give Outlands a full wearing today, and it was fantastic! This fragrance has gotten lots of love in the BOS, so I had to experience it for myself! It opens very strong with a hint of oud, other woods, powder, spices and a bit of citrus. At 30 minutes it quickly becomes a medium toned, masterfully blended concert of notes, with florals adding their support and a touch of sweetness, and any edges have been rounded out. Iris isn't listed, but I'm getting a powdery texture that contributes smoothness and elegance. There is also an undercurrent of ambery richness and sweetness. Projection and sillage remain strong for 90 min before down-shifting to moderate. At 2 hrs a lighter toned wood note (birch?) becomes more noticeable, but still allows the ambery sweetness to pop in and out. At 3 hrs, the notes are still a beautifully balanced, medium toned, woody-floral, with a solid 1 ft scent bubble and steady sillage. The more time that passes, the more warm this fragrance becomes. The line between when it becomes a skin scent is pretty fuzzy, because I was still catching whiffs of it at the 9 hr mark! If I didn't wash it off for my evening scent, it would still be very much present the next morning. I'm jumping on the Outlands hype train, because it is an amazing smelling, very masculine, long lasting masterpiece. This is everything I want in a woody fragrance, and, when I slow down on testing samples, this will be a full bottle added to the arsenal.

I've had this sample for a while, but haven't put it through the paces un til today. As the winter is doing its best to stick around, I thought today would be a great day to try this one out. Otherwise it will probably wait until the fall. I have to say this one for me is a pretty steep departure from what I typically wear. Not that it's a bad thing. I am really trying to push my boundaries and try new things. This scent comes out of the gate with tobacco and leather. More tobacco forward and as I am typing this it is making me want to smoke my evening cigar right now!! But in a more sweet and subtle way. I am picking up a sweetness that is a really nice softener to the leather and tobacco with a bit of vetiver (I think). It is giving me a nice scent bubble 2-3' in projection, when I move I can definitely smell it on myself. My Honest (to a fault 😎) book keeper hasn't mentioned anything good or bad, so I wasn't called a "French Whore" so that bodes well for the scent. We will see how the longevity is, but so far the dry down has been very nice. The jury is still out on whether it's FBW or not. Hope you all have a great day!!

Think I may have just found my favourite old school scent. This is also first Chanel to break into my top five. It's name comes from the Greek demigod who drew his strength from the Earth. It was one of the first major creations by Jacques Polge, who had recently become Chanel’s in-house master perfumer a role he held for over 30 years.It arrived in 1981 at a time when men's fragrances were moving away from the fresh & light and toward the bold beastly. This is a an edt, but a powerhouse of a woody Chypre. It's loud & long lasting. It opens with a herbaceous punch.Unlike modern scents that use blue or watery notes, Antaeus hits with a dry, herbal blast. Clary Sage & Myrtle: give a fuzzy, tea like, camphoraceous start. A citrus blend Bergamot, Lemon & Lime are present, but they aren't juicy & act more like a cleaning agent to cut through the heavy base notes that sit underneath. It finishes of with a Spicey/woody coriander which bridges the gap between the fresh top the floral heart. As the herbs settle, the fragrance reveals a surprising gentlemanly core. Damask Rose, the secret weapon of Antaeus. It’s not a sweet or femine, but a dark, spicy, thorn" rose with a velvety texture. The Jasmine adds a touch of slightly fleshy sweetness. With a savoury combo of Thyme & Basil to balanc the floral notes & keep the rugged, earthy vibe. The base is the beasts lair. You get Oakmoss for that bitter, damp, forest-floor aroma. Patchouli & Vetiver which add a dry, woody, dirty root like smell. Cistus Labdanum is a sticky resin that provides a balsamic, amber like warmth, tying the animalic notes to the woods. Then the secret weapon that gives Antaeus it's growl, Castoreum, is a synthetic, originally derived from beavers, it smells like oily leather, smoke & warm skin. While the modern formulation is slightly cleaner & less aggressive than the 1981 original, due to the Restrictions of certain ingredients, it remains one of the few true 80s survivors that still rocks. Despite it's edt designation, this juice packs a mighty punch, even after wasking I can still pick it up on my skin, easily an 8 to 9 hr scent. Protection is also a big hitter, with a heavy scent bubble for the first 3 hrs and a trail to match. I'm still experimenting with this one spray wise. Less seems to be more. This is Alfa male in a bottle. More of an older guys fragrance. But I would recommend all gents to at least try this one.