OK... the name of this has been something that's been on my mind for a few years, and just to confirm the timeline on this, I looked back in the group's history and found it under eight entries total from two of our brothers - @Devin Christensen and @Jd Hazel convinced me to finally pull the trigger, and I did. Last week my ScentBird order arrived, and besides the sales, specials, and deals offered from the site, I also got my monthly order. While the monthly order arrived yesterday, I picked up two exclusive specials for me. I'll start with a review of this fruity, tea-driven fragrance from Arquiste called Indigo Smoke. While no real formal review has been done on this fragrance, I'm happy to be the first. Created in 2022 by Calice Becker, the French master perfumer and director of the Givaudan Perfumery School. The top notes are tea (Lapsang Souchong) Vetiver, Bergamot, and Mandarin Orange. The heart has fruity, warm notes of Apricot, with Bourbon, Guaiac Wood, and Carrot. The base contains strong notes like Mate, Pine Tar, Cedar Leaves, and Incense. What I'd like to state about this fragrance is the way it made me feel: like a refined elder statesman (I'm 57) who carries wisdom and maturity on their shoulders. Think of the fragrance as a quiet, wise, and reserved entity- a person who doesn't waste energy on anything that isn't beneficial. You know whom I refer to: the favorite uncle you share secrets with, the quiet and assured person in a bar full of rowdy patrons, or, if you smoke cigars, the one who looks as if the lounge was built around them as plumes of smoke surround them. That is the fragrance with the visuals and impressions. From the drydown, there is a sense of wisdom present, with the tea coming through as it emits a smoky, almost lactonic aroma. While reviews on this relate the Apricot fruit, it's not a heavy note, but what it does is cut through the liquor and incense, bringing a full-bodied heft to the mix. Definitely a cigar fragrance; I can also state that it would make a great tag team with someone smoking a pipe, preferably with either Baker Street, English Oriental, or English Tweed. All three with this fragrance cast one hell of an aromatic aura.

At a finance conference in Miami and needed to do better than all the bankers running around in their dark navy and gray suits. It’s hot and humid and might be my last chance to wear a freshie before heading back to clammy Seattle. I went with Hellenist Les Dieux Aux Bains — IMHO this is deserving of all the hype it got, it’s a beautiful citrus aromatic with an electrifying vibe from juniper berries and mineralic notes coupled with an effervescent fluffy vibe from eucalyptus. I had to re-apply a few times over the course of the day - I went light on the sprays so as not to choke anyone out in the crowded event space It was fun to stand out a bit from the drab crowd. I only smelled one other person wearing a fragrance today (and I’m pretty sure it was Sauvage 🤦‍♂️)