Travel day vibes: Arizona to Oregon via California connection, all planes and airports. I wanted some holiday smell good vibes so I decided to spray on Addicted from the house of Aaron Terence Hughes. It went on at 8am this morning and has been the perfect cozy companion in the dry, recycled cabin air of an airplane and the neutral smell of the airport. Addicted opens with a rich, boozy cognac kick that’s both warm and inviting, like sipping something indulgent at 30,000 feet. It then settles into a delicious honeyed cinnamon with hints of chocolate. The drydown is a creamy chocolate vanilla tonka, smooth and comforting without being cloying. Beast mode performance as expected from ATH, which I’ll admit I was a bit worried spraying on as I knew it would still be projecting hours later. It’s Christmas season, however, and I effectively turned my cramped cabin seat into my own little cinnamon gourmand bubble. No complaints from row mates or those seated in front or behind me on either flight, but did get a subtle “you smell great” from a flight attendant during boarding. Success. For those that may not be familiar with Addicted, let me draw a couple comparisons to other fragrances you may be more familiar with. Addicted shares the boozy cinnamon gourmand DNA with Angels Share (that iconic cognac, cinnamon, and praline vibe), but feels less oaky and nutty and has more chocolate in the mid and dry down. Versus PDM Oajan, it’s less heavy on straight honey osmanthus spice and more chocolate forward in the base, with cognac adding a liquor edge that Oajan hints at but doesn’t fully commit to. Overall I’d say this is a solid choice for winter and holiday travel. It’s warm, uplifting, and very addictive indeed. Be warned, however, that the frag will stand out if you’re wearing this fragrance, especially if you choose to wear it while cramped in a metal tube at 30,000 ft. It may not draw a ton of comments, but rest assured it is very pleasant and everyone around you will smell you.

Amouage isn’t known for their fresh fragrances. But they’re known for their beast mode scents. And I was very excited to find out that they do have some solid fresher fragrances from the house. I was always curious about beach hut man. I purchased a sample due to my area not having many options to find and purchase/sample. After first smelling it I instantly fell in love! I love green fragrances and it’s 100% up my ally so I decided to pull the trigger on a full bottle. This stuff is really strong and will last all day which always seems difficult to find in a fresher scent profile. It smells like very realistic lime and mint being muddled to make a mojito. It has some nice woody notes to balance it out. It’s a more mature type fragrance… say, easily 30’s+. But it doesn’t smell “old”. I’m not the best at picking out notes but it just smells very fresh and green and woody and kinda soapy, minty but a very realistic mint leaf that’s perfectly balanced. This stuff is very well blended and if you haven’t tried it before, you must get your nose on it!