A few things came in this week, two based on recommendations. Thanks to @Stephen DeMent and @Lon Chaneyfield for recommending Une Histoire d'Homme Irrésistible, not disappointed at all. It really smells way more expensive than the price tag. I also picked up Perverso from Baruti (sample) based on a YouTube influencer's recommendation. The jury is still out on that. Enegizer, second time I purchased it, this time it's a keeper.

You can definitely tell it’s warming up in the valley of the sun by my wear patterns. Snuck a few non freshie bangers in there, Vanilla Mudslide is 🔥. Been also layering Red Fever with Absolu Aventus. The Oracle is quickly shooting up my list of favorite Zaharoff frags. For my wardrobe it’s a modern masculine with just enough fresh at the top to pull off in the warmer weather and enough warmth to carry itself into a masculine date night vibe. Already worn it out on a date and to church. Scarlet Sands was the new pickup or the week.

It's been a while since I heard about Chris Collins, but I never stopped to explore the house, until recently. I saw the sample set on sale at Sephora and picked it up, and I was impressed by the quality of the fragrances. That convinced me that it was time to dive in. So I did by starting with a blind buy. Savant Manhattan Cherry was not among the samples. I did a quick test spray and I am feeling good. I think I may wear it tomorrow.

This is the start of busy season for me, and god knows I need it. I hate being idle, and sitting on my hands is never good for my bottom line (LOL). So after a very long weekend working SXSW events, weddings, and an a cosplay shoot that involved some serious set construction, it was nice to come home and find this in my mail box: Item 1). TPG Scent Club Kit 018. I used a $10 discount for filling out a survey from them to purchase this kit. I was mostly excited about The Hellenist Le Bras de Morphee (The arms of Morpheus). I tried it at the Scent Room in Dallas back in February, and was really impressed by it. I think, for me, it was overshadowed by L'ombre d'Artemis, but it's a solid violet, orris, hazelnut with a woody, creamy dry down. I can tell it's going to be a favorite. Sarah Baker's Va Va Vanilla is a nice surprise. I wasn't really interested in it, thinking it would be a vanilla bomb, and it kind of is at first, but transforms into a rum and cherry fragrance with a hint of coffee and smoke. It's a vanilla for the over 40 crowd. L'Orchestre Liqueur BPM is interesting, too. Tobacco, leather, vanilla, and patchouli. I'm looking forward to wearing this later when I haven't blown out my nose on the other two. Item 2). I got the cover of one of my favorite publications - Bachelor Pad. It's a retro pin-up magazine in the style of early vintage men's magazines. It's very tongue in cheek, and the editor pushes a 60s - 70s Playboy aesthetic but without the nudity. I'm including the cover here, but will refrain from posting the interior since it might not be appropriate for everyone. Anyway, I'm quite proud. It's my 15th cover for the magazine and my 25th feature, and marks me as the photographer with the most covers that they have published. The fragrance next to it is Anfar Mistral Earthy, which was a gift, along with some other items that I can't show, from the publisher. On first spray, I think it's in the same vein as Althair / Liquid Brun, though it seems to be its own thing. I'm not familiar with the brand, but will follow up on it.

Shoutout to @Mark DiCiero for helping me spend my money recently 😁 I did a poll asking if I should buy PDM Sedley or Lorenzo Pazzaglia Summer Hammer and left it open until 7:30. It was tied at 7:30 and Mark recommended I grab this one so I used it as a tie breaker 😁. Total blind buy for me. Full review coming in a few days when it warms back up! The note breakdown is so extensive it took 2 screenshots