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.

I was going to wait till NYE but wasn’t sure what to expect so I test drove it today. This is one that lets people know your there, but not in an obvious way. More of a purposeful nudge. This opens with a metallic, raw gunpowder and whiskey blast. It settles down slowly to a tobacco and leather that settles on the skin. This fragrance doesn’t rush. It takes its time to settle into the sweet resinous form that hangs longer than expected. It’s a relatively simple frag that stays mysteriously complex through the wear. This gives a good 8+ hours. Perfect for cold weather. I highly recommend this, but I wouldn’t necessarily blind buy.