It is with sad news that I report the passing of my 5mL decant of Montale's Arabians Tonka. It fell off my bathroom counter, and my floor tiles claimed their fourth victim. It joins the ranks of a 10mL of Replica Sailing Day, a 2mL sample of Imaginary Authors Whispered Myths, and a 50mL bottle of Versace Pour Homme. My entire bathroom and the towels I used to mop it up will smell like Arabians Tonka for at least the next few days. Washing the towels has had almost zero effect on the intensity, so it's just a waiting game for the oil to give up the ghost. As a review, I am not sure how I feel about this one. I had been wearing it in the evening in an effort to use it up, and I went through a long list of emotions about it. It bears resemblance to BR540 in the same way that many say Cedrat Boise is in the same family as Aventus. That is to say, I think it sits on the family tree, but I think they are like 2nd or 3rd cousins once removed. Scent: 5.5 I know people love this, but the first time I wore it I got a headache. Limiting the sprays in subsequent wearings made for a better experience, but overall, I think it's a bit too sweet for me, and I'm not in love with the BR540 DNA.. Performance: 9.0 It lasts forever, as I'm now confirming, LOL. On skin, I get about 12 hours or more on it. It is definitely a commitment. On clothing, especially towels and bathroom floor tile, it's eternal. Pulling the towel out of the washing machine, and the entire house reeeeeeks of Arabians Tonka. I have no idea how long this is going to last, but I know I'm in for it. Presentation: 8.0 I just had a decant from Scents Angel, and I love the bottles they ship their decants in. I wish those were industry standard. They are heavy and the square shape makes them less fragile. That said, mine broke, but I've dropped others that were just fine. The actual bottle is pretty cool. I like the black and gold, and the design is attractive and looks good. It' s in that Montale canteen, inspired by the French Foreign Legion to keep the contents cool and protected no matter than weather and outside conditions.

I just read the post by @Jon Jacobs about caps and atomizers and it got me thinking. If you think about it, even in a hobby where the sense of smell is primary, our other senses come into play also. We use sight (looking at the box and bottle) and touch (holding the bottle, pulling off the cap and spraying) before we even use our sense of smell which does affect our perception of the fragrance as a whole. Consciously or unconsciously, presentation is a factor in the way we judge something and the presentation is usually the first thing that is noticed, even before the first sniff.