Taking a chance in building my Autumn/ Winter aromatic wardrobe… I’ll let you all know if it’s a fake or real. So far, SHIEN hasn’t let me down. Also, I don’t gatekeep! https://onelink.shein.com/46/5xsh6wzwbvgg?shc=2_RXo5ErNMQl1

Purchases are now slowing down, with me slowly sitting down, feeling very content with where my small collection is at. Sadly, there is another bottle I was really waiting for that didn't get in time to my freight forwarder to be able to include it in this haul, so it'll take still a couple of days. Thameen Carved Oud: oud notes don't particularly move me, with exceptions so far being Brioni EDP Intense and TF Oud Wood. Carved Oud gets labeled here and there as "the better Wood Oud", which made me curious enough to decant it. A single wear of the decant immediately sent me looking for a bottle! That amazing cardamom blended with the non-intrusive or intense oud, over the base of warm amber and sandalwood... incredible. And also considerably cheaper than TF Oud Wood. Performs by my little experience with Oud Wood considerably better. Got a 50ml, as it should be sufficient, and was at a great price compared to what I could find for a 100ml! Mancera Soleil d'Italie: Recently reviewed by @Edward Mooney , had a bottle already on it's way. My initial impression back in the day (August 25) was positive, but the powderiness I got from it was a bit of a turnoff. Fast forward to today, I had the chance to try it again a few weeks ago, and understood the fragrance much better. Powderiness is there, but cannot deny how amazing the citrus and aquatic blasts blend with this somewhat floral powderiness once it dries down. It was also at $68 at aura, so had to go for it. Boss Bottled EDT: There. It was a complete sin for me not to have the OG EDT in my collection, with how legendary it is, how much it takes me back, and how much I like the line. Timeless fresh, spicy fruity fragrance for the win! Oh, got a 100ml tester for $32. Expected no cap, as everyone shows pictures of Boss Bottled testers with no cap. It came with the cap! If only the Intense flankers were still around though. YSL LNDL EDP (2019): Had to get one of this line. After testing all of the readily available flankers, this one was it. Keeping the EDTs signature cardamom was what sold me in the end. Le Parfum was great, but strayed away too much from the OG. Bleu Electrique I was finally able to try a few weeks ago, loved it and definitely my favorite, but completely unavailable.

Mirror Image Fragrances is one of those clone houses built around giving collectors almost unlimited choices. The house offers mirrored inspirations, hybrids, community collaborations, original creations, and its more expensive M-Line Collection. The catalog is enormous, and although that gives customers plenty to explore, it also creates questions about consistency and how much individual development can realistically go into every release. I will start with what Mirror Image does well. The house understands the fun side of clone collecting. There is always another fragrance or combination to try, and some of the hybrids take familiar scent profiles and put them together in ways that can be genuinely enjoyable. For someone who likes experimenting and wants strong fragrances without paying designer or niche prices, I understand the appeal. The fragrances are hand-blended to order in Texas, and performance appears to be a major part of the brand’s identity. Many of them are concentrated, loud, and designed to make an immediate impression. When one of the hybrids works, it can give you recognizable elements from two different fragrances without having to layer them yourself. However, my main issue is that quantity seems to be the biggest attraction. When a house releases hundreds of mirrored fragrances and hybrids, I question how much refinement, testing, and quality control can go into every individual composition. It starts to feel less like a carefully curated fragrance house and more like an enormous fragrance menu where almost every possible combination is available. The compositions can also have that familiar clone-house structure. You may recognize the intended DNA immediately, but that does not mean you are getting the same texture, depth, or transitions found in the original fragrance. Some openings can come across sharp, oily, or overly synthetic before settling into a strong but fairly familiar woody-amber, sweet or musky base. Performance may be good, but projection and sillage alone do not automatically equal quality. A fragrance can last all day and still smell flat, harsh, or unfinished.