Kicking the year off with a great start, now before anyone starts shouting. yes rhis is the dreaded 2025 formulation. I checked the batch codes and this was all they had in stock. I had my nose on the edp and this one which was a touch sweeter. I could have gone for the intense, but there was no tester and at these prices I'm not taking risks on something I have. No experience with. So this is another Francis Kurkdjian effort after the eau forte and the limited €15000 Sauvage fiasco's I should have ran away. But it's actually not a bad fragrance to be fair. Ok fans of the original formulation might be pissed, I believe the old one was and Iris/leather base which I would love to try whereas the new 2025 is a warm amber based scent So there is still Iris in the opening, it's strong, powdery and clean, but alas, it fades away rather quickly. There is also an Orange note in there plays a nice support role in the opening and could easily be missed. At the heart, the Amber accord takes over the show and it dominates. This is were the sweetness and warmth come from. This is designed totally with the Amber in control, the base has Coumarin, Patchouli and some Vetiver and a Hay Cut? Which gives an overall earthy/woody foundation to anchor the sweetness of the Amber. I won't even try to make comparisons here. From what I've read this is a totally different fragrance and in all fairness should have been given it's own line name. But the money men rule the roost right. This may be a cash in, but it's a good one imo, I quite like this and it makes me want to explore at least the others, definitely want to try the intense and if I can find an old formulation of this, Iris and leather sound amazing. I've gotten a solid 6 hrs with this, it's consistent for the duration. Projection is good for the first 2hrs, before settling into a moderate, refined scent bubble. Like most of my collection I tend to be drawn towards the Autumn/Winter fragrances and this is no different. I'd say this will appeal to the masses as it's quite versatile and could work just as well in the office as on a date night. If you haven't already tried it, give it a go, just judge it on its own merits and don't make comparisons. This is a Dior Homme in name only. It could have easily been named Pour Homme or Homme Amber?

Like many of us here, my fragrance journey didn’t start with a plan, it started with curiosity, excitement, and a whole lot of bottles. Over time, that curiosity turned into learning, experimenting, and figuring out what this hobby truly means to me. I started 2025 with 475 bottles. A lot of designers, a lot of Middle Eastern dupes. Tons of variety, good quality… but honestly, a lot. I made the decision to declutter. I started by selling most of the Middle Eastern bottles, letting go of easy-to-move designers, and decanting the harder-to-sell ones. With that money, I shifted my focus toward quality over quantity, chasing better bottles, hunting discontinued gems, and diving deeper into niche houses. I was truly inspired by many of our brothers here in BOS: @George Hernandez , @Lon Chaneyfield , @Ben E , @Raul Olveda, @Julio Gutierrez, @Fernando Mendoza, @Jonathan Ventura, @Henry Clay, @Frank Barnett, @Renato Carotti @Stephen DeMent, @Edward Mooney, @Raymond Reeves and many others, who pushed me to stay curious, explore more, and slow down the journey. Today, December 31st, I’m under 250 bottles. Still a lot, but much more intentional. My goal for 2026 is to continue decluttering and keep only the fragrances that awe me every time I smell them. Have an amazing 2026, brothers and sisters. I hope 2025 treated you well. Let’s keep smelling great and, most importantly, enjoying the fragrance journey.