Hey guys, Joe A. here with today's Scent of the Day : Louis Vuitton Nuit de Feu - Day 283. Parfumo lists notes of leather, black frankincense, Somali frankincense, Assam oud, incense resin, ambrette seed, and musk, giving it a smoky, leathery, resinous-woody profile with a dark incense backbone. This is not a casual spray-before-Target kind of fragrance — I get warm agarwood, spiritual incense, and mysterious leather, like smoky luxury with the lights turned way down. First Sniff: Like a billionaire's private chapel! Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/I4c1LjWuFNE

I have given the original a try with decants twice and for some reason I just can't connect with it despite its' almost legendary status. I'm pretty sure its the cedar in there that makes me think of a hamster cage. I actually had to scrub it off whenever I've worn it. That being said, is there a flanker I should try that you guys think I should give a shot? I'm just worried that cedar note runs through them all. 🤢

I think a lot of people unintentionally blur together three different concepts: - Projection – How far the scent radiates from your body. - Sillage – The scent trail you leave behind as you move. - Longevity – How long the fragrance remains detectable on your skin. In fragrance communities, people often use the word “performance” as a catch-all for all three, which leads to confusion. Then, because “beast mode” fragrances are usually loud and long-lasting, people start assuming that performance = beast mode. That’s not necessarily true. For me, performance simply means how well a fragrance performs while it’s alive. A fragrance can project strongly, leave a great scent trail, and only last four hours. I’d still call that excellent performance with moderate longevity. For example: * Projection: 9/10 * Sillage: 9/10 * Longevity: 4 hours I would describe that as high-performing, not weak. It did exactly what I wanted—it just didn’t stay on skin all day. Likewise, a fragrance that lasts 14 hours but sits close to the skin after the first 20 minutes has excellent longevity but average performance if your definition of performance is projection and sillage. That’s why when I review fragrances, I separate them: - Projection - Sillage - Longevity This gives a much clearer picture than simply saying “performance,” since different people mean different things by that word. So, whenever I ask if a fragrance has good performance, I’m not asking if it’s beast mode or if it lasts 12–16 hours. I’m simply asking whether the fragrance actually works—does it project, leave a noticeable scent trail, and make its presence known while it’s on my skin, even if that only lasts four hours.