My trip to Handsome scent yesterday included a fresh travel size of Friday Night Leather. But when I got home, I discovered that I still had some of the last left, so I'm using that up today. Paul Anthony is the in-house line from Handsome Scent — and with Friday Night Leather, there’s no guessing the inspiration. It’s a direct, clear homage to Tom Ford Ombré Leather edp, a fragrance I own in both EDP and Parfum formulations, alongside a solid collection of leather-centric scents, Released in 2023, and like most of the Paul Anthony lineup, no individual perfumer is credited. The buy in oils from France, don't say which supplier and do the blending & bottling in house, so It's almost an Irish brand. It opens exactly as you’d hope bright, aromatic cardamom and crisp violet leaf, fresh, green, spicy, and instantly captivating; a refined, elegant opening that sets a polished stage without feeling sharp or thin. The heart is where it hits its stride: smooth, well-rounded leather and rich jasmine sambac, that jasmine adds a soft, sensual, slightly honeyed floral lift that wraps around the leather perfectly, creating that signature warm, sophisticated, quietly sexy core that made the original so famous. The dry-down anchors it all beautifully: amber, moss, and patchouli; the amber adds smooth warmth, moss and patchouli give it that earthy, lasting depth, leaving a rich, satisfying trail that lingers comfortably. It’s a clean, well-balanced & faithful to the inspiration, well-executed, and easy to wear. This one had big shoes to fill and to be fair, it does a solid job. It’s modeled on the Tom Ford Ombré Leather EDP to a tee — the DNA is all there, the balance is spot on. The only noticeable difference I could detect is a slightly tighter scent bubble and a faster fade compared to the original, not a dealbreaker, just a slight step down in pure longevity and projection. For the price? It’s outstanding value. if you’re chasing that luxury leather-jasmine-amber vibe without dropping big money on the og this is absolutely worth your time.

That was a productive day, One bottle ticked of the bucket list @arnottsdublin. Was a struggle to make a choice but finally went for the Bvlgari. Also changed my opinion of the new Sauvage extrait. Then had my nose on almost every Tom Ford not already in my collection. The Black Lacquer is very interesting.was surprised they did not have the new ombre reserve in stock. Oh and a return to @handsomescent for a new selection. I picked up a couple of their Ouds, a leather, a lemon hello and Wild Atlantic Way. Their an Irish house, they buy their oils from one of the big French suppliers. Then add the alcohol and bottle in house. .Sadly @parfumarija & @cloonkeen were closed. Will need plan better the next time 🙏

There have several interesting threads recently about collecting fragrances and philosophies behind collections. I'm only about two years into my own journey and have been buying new bottles regularly. (I think I have 42 or 43 bottles now.) And I've been thinking about trying to design an ideal (for me) fragrance wardrobe of 28 bottles: seven for each season. So just a quick poll: what's the ideal collection size for you? And if you'd like to explain in the comments, even better. Thanks, gentlemen.