I’m fairly new to the fragrance world. I like many started out by purchasing more fragrances than I probably should have. That being said I’m trying to get my hands on more samples and or decants. What would be your best suggestion to accomplish this task. I was thinking of purchasing the Sephoras best sampler that offers a bottle of which ever you find works best for you. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ahead of time.

I recently came across this video from Robin James, which i’ll attach here https://www.youtube.com/shorts/H1jslzwZT8E In the video he points out something that i find a bit alarming, which is the increase of ai usage in advertising, particularly in this video… Pengaligon’s They took it down quickly but have already faced immense backlash from it, i think. But the time it was up there already has made comments and got people talking about it. And it isn’t just Penhaligon’s, i’ve found Memo Paris, and even Xerjoff have started using AI for their images and videos, although they’re not as widespread, they’re still there. Now Robin expressed dislike and disapproval of Penhaligon’s usage, especially considering how quickly they took it down. It’s almost like they were experimenting and dipping their toes into the water, to see if they could or not. I myself am not the biggest fan of this either, and it’s for a few reasons. You can disagree with me on this if you want, and if you do, i’d love to hear your perspective on the matter. Now a disclaimer before we talk about this, i want to make it clear that im not some gigantic ai hater who goes seething at the mouth whenever i see its usage. There’s tons of brothers even in this community, myself included, who enjoy using it for visuals and such, and there’s no problem in that. It’s a quick and simple way to add fun visuals to your posts and illustrate your points better. There’s no problem in that. For individual use, i think it’s perfectly fine and quite fun to use! Number two, i don’t want to come across as like a virtue signaling “look how correct I am, let’s CANCEL these guys” or whatever lol. This is just my opinion personally. Now with that being said, id like to explain my reasoning on why i’m kind of disappointed in these brands for using AI. The biggest reason for me is in the same realm for why I disapprove of communities like fragrancetok, the huge rise and over saturation of clone houses, and a boom of constant advertising on social media…

When I started collecting fragrance as a hobby my main goal was to understand fragrances. What I like, What others like and why, and finally how the scents change the way people feel. I live in the heart of Pennsylvania. I hour away from Philadelphia and 1.5 hours from New York City. I visit each of these cities multiple times a year. I see there is a Fragrance Conference in NYC this fall. I’m not sure if this is a way to learn or if anyone else has some references that you light feel is helpful. I watch all the YouTube videos which help me with much but not the number one took when it comes to picking out fragrances…smell. I am open to any suggestions and I must say I’m loving this group. Thank you all for being so inviting. Hopefully one day I can pass on my knowledge to others.

Cobalt Électrique, released in 2022, took the evolution of the original Bad Boy line in a new direction. Moving away from the heavy, gourmand sweetness of its predecessors, Cobalt is more of a Woody Aromatic fragrance that focuses on a mineral sexiness. It was composed by Domitille Michalon-Bertier, with a concept of electric freedom. Housed in the iconic lightning bolt bottle & rendered gradient of cobalt blue. The opening hits with a crisp, invigorating blend of aromatic lavender & a zesty pink pepper, creating a fresh, spicy electric start. As it transitions into the heart, the fragrance takes an unusual turn with the inclusion of black plum, which adds a dark, fruity sweetness that is balanced by the floral greenness of geranium. The base is where the scent grounds itself into its signature mineral character; it features an earthy truffle accord with a smoky Haitian vetiver, reinforced by the clean, dry woodiness of cedar and oak. Performance is ok, nothing special, I'm getting about 5hrs on skin. Projection is moderate for the first 90m before it retreats into a close scent bubble. I would consider this more green than cobalt, think they messed up there, it is however wellsuited for Spring & Autumn, though it performs beautifully on cooler Summer evenings. Would have loved for that plum note to stand out more My Rating 5/10 Scent 1.5 Longevity 1.5 Sillage 1.5 Y/N .5