I'm kinda transitioning from my string of niche frags over the past several days to the designer and ME frags (which I think are a blast to wear.) In my mind Terre d'Hermes Parfum is a bit of an odd duck in the designer realm because I think that the House doesn't really try to please the crowd. I understand that the House is a bit surprised at the acceptance their bottles are having within the frag community. I listened to a FOUR hour podcast on the House of Hermes. This House has a VERY rich history that goes back hundreds of years to the days of King Louis Philippe circa 1830. At that time Andrew Jackson was the President of the U.S, and 30 years away from the Civil War. The House's checking account is pretty rich too with a current market value in excess of $20 billion with the ORIGINAL family holding the controlling interest. The podcast was fascinating. Let me know if you want a link. In my not so humble opinion, the House of Hermes is what LV wishes it was. If you want to hear my case for that last comment, I'd be happy to elaborate in a chat, but I don't think there's much of a contest between the two Houses (trust me on that one.) Down to business: It's going to be in the mid 80's with sunshine today in the CA desert, so I wanted to vibe with Mother Nature. This seemed like the best option from my collection, designer or otherwise. This frag is a masterpiece with a deeper, warmer, and more substantial take on the iconic "man's relationship with the earth" concept. It's woody, earthy, with intense citrus. The top is orange and grapefruit with a less bright and more concentrated version of the OG's tart, "dirty" citrus. It has the smell of an orange peel with an earthy vibe. The mid as a mineral note that provides a dry, less earthy note compared to the OG. Base notes are wood, oak moss and benzoin (?). I would say it's the dry-down where this frag differentiates itself. It is significantly denser and warmer than the EDT/OG. TdH, the OG and the rest of the Hermes fragrance line distinguish themselves from the other designer Houses by their quality combined with their relatively reasonable price points. They're a tough act to beat.

What’s up, my fellow scent seekers!? Finishing off a decant of “Pantheon R” from the house Pantheon Roma, courtesy of a recent MaxAroma haul. This bad boy falls into the Oriental Woody camp, launched in 2021 by perfumer Arturetto Landi, and… yeah, there’s a lot happening here. This is my second wear and I’m torn. Have you ever smelled something so bonkers you don’t know whether to hug it or run screaming into the night? That’s exactly where I’m at. Before even peeking at the note list, all I can think of is spray paint, punchy, potent, slightly sweet, with a lacquer and smoky incense vibe. Turns out what smells like paint to me is somehow a mix of strawberry and rhubarb which kinda explains the weird sweet chemical energy. The base is woody and holds everything together for a bit of sanity. But bros… picture this, me, standing in a grimy Venice Beach alleyway, huffing paint next to some wild eyed crackhead lighting incense. Glorious right?! LOL. My brain’s screaming “STOP HUFFING PAINT,” but my nose thinks it’s in ecstasy. Checked out reviews on Fragrantica and people are losing their minds over this stuff. So what gives? Is my schnoz busted? Or am I just riding high on fumes from overpriced spray-paint? Again, not sure if i love it or hate it.. IM SO CONFUSED. Alright fam give me your thoughts. What’s your experience with Pantheon R? Let’s get this fragrance chat rolling!!! Top: Strawberry, Cinnamon, Rhubarb and Thyme Mid: Saffron, Iris and Jasmine Base: Leather, Incense, Myrhh, Gurjan balsam, Vanilla, Tolu Balsam, Agarwood (Oud), Sandalwood, Ambergris, Labdanum and Musk