I am probably going to piss off some clone warriors with this one, but so be it. I can say this because I have been there. I chased everything. I owned hundreds of dupes and clones. I chased every new “95% identical” release, every beast-mode version and every $30 alternative that supposedly made the original obsolete. But I also chased every inexpensive designer brand I could find. Rack-store bargains, discounted designers, cheapies that somebody on YouTube said were hidden gems — if it was inexpensive and getting attention, I wanted to try it. Then I started doing the same thing with niche. I chased niche brands, affordable niche, hyped niche and whatever house everybody happened to be talking about that month. For a long time, the hobby became about the next bottle. And eventually I had to ask myself a question: Do I actually love perfumery, or do I just love collecting bottles? Because those are not necessarily the same thing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying affordable fragrances. There is nothing wrong with clones either. Some are excellent, some perform better than the original, and some are incredible values. But if your entire collection is built around copies of fragrances you have never even smelled, I have a hard time calling that a deep appreciation of perfumery. Especially when those same people turn around and say: “Why would anybody pay $300 for the original?” “The clone is better.” “It smells exactly the same.” “The original is a ripoff.” How do you know? You never smelled it. Watching a YouTube reviewer tell you something is 95% accurate does not mean you have experienced the original. And this is one of my biggest problems with clone culture. Somewhere along the way, price and performance became the only measurements of quality. If a fragrance costs $25 and lasts 12 hours, it is automatically considered better than a $250 fragrance that lasts seven. That makes absolutely no sense to me anymore. Perfumery is more than projection and longevity.

Do you collect or savor? These are far from identical. In fact, there’s generally an inverse relation between the two. The more fragrances you collect, the more difficult it is to savor. If you’re looking for the next quick fragrance fix, you have little time to spend wearing and savoring a great fragrance, say, an entire week, or even an entire month. You’re collecting or, to switch metaphors, dabbling in a huge buffet rather than enjoying a savory gourmet dinner. This is not to say you can’t enjoy collecting. As the character in the movie Heat once declared, for some people, “The action is the juice.” It’s the collecting itself they enjoy, and not the fragrances as such. If you spend many years collecting fragrances as I have you might discover collecting isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. A few weeks ago Antonio posted a video declaring he’s reducing his collection from about 1000 to about 15 fragrances. Of the myriad of “decluttering” videos I’ve observed from the “influencers,” his was by far the most impressive. Why? Because he gave thoughtful, principaled, permanent reasons for retaining his 15 fragrances. He has reasons to savor, and not collect. I intentionally keep my collection at about 100 (though I actually own more fragrances than are in what I deem my collection). I suspect in 5 to 10 years that number will reduce to 25–50 and in 15 to 20 years (if I’m still alive) that number will diminish to 4 or 5. As one grows older he generally enjoys fewer things, but he enjoys those fewer things more than he enjoyed the many things when he was younger. This is true of fragrances. It is possible to both collect and savor, but the more aggressively one collects, the less one can enjoy savoring. Collect or savor. Pick one.

Happyland Moore Azul recently purchased after @Lon Chaneyfield summer fragrance review. Needed a summer fragrance other than my Versace Dylan Blue. It's my first wear and didn't want to over do it. Just a spray upper chest and back of neck and one on each wrist. A coworker leaving this morning asked where I was going looking and smelling good. I guess silage and projection is good since his comment. It's a different type of fragrance than I generally wear but one I will continue to wear.

Today I woke up and it was overcast- with Silicon Valley Temp in the low 50's I thought it was Summer? If you've been reading my SOTD posts, you know I've been on a Lataffa kick this week. Today I'm wearing something spicy with a tag team partner that tempers it out. I've also increased my aromatic presence with the Lataffa fragrances by walking out in the warm sun AND employing a month long hack to increase my sillage. Something I've kinda waited to see if if anyone would post their experience with based on the advice from one of our brothers @Mahmut Erdem Anlaş who wrote about this a couple of years ago, @Antonio Cent and legendary perfumer Roja Dove. Today, after a whole 30 days, I'm here to file my response to this video. So Habik is a striking, aromatic wear that initially gives you the spicy notes of Cinnamon, Pepper, and Artemesia (Mugworts) which is a strong herbal, earthy, and woody (cedar) note. The Sandalwood comes later, as does the Tonka Bean. It settles as a musky wear. I paired with Mashrabya which has a base of Oud Wood and Caramel, the heart beats with Tobacco and Dates, while the top note crowns the fragrance with Pink Pepper and Apple Shisha Accord,. It's a bit of sweet fragrance, but both of these are great for colder weather and looking at the weather forecast all week, I figured today was perfect for it after I confirmed the temps last night. With both of these, it's created a great fragrance wear with the Cinnamon wafting throughout my movements during my lunchtime walk. The Tobacco is evident as well, with the sweet of the Apple Shisa Accord pairing nicely with the woody notes of both fragrances. Together is the only way I can enjoy Habik as I wore Mashrabya one night at my cigar lounge and it was working great with the weather, but not so much with the smoke of the tobacco. The temps are lower now than when I wore it before; teaming with Habik, I'll give this combo another wear soon.

A solid, affordable take on that rich, spicy-tobacco luxury vibe, and one that punches well above its price point. Released in 2023, and as is standard with Fragrance World, no individual perfumer is credited. it’s an in-house creation, purpose-built as an inspired alternative. Point of interest: this sits squarely alongside French Avenue’s After Effect as a budget-friendly interpretation of Initio Side Effect. Where the original costs a fortune, these dupe-lines strip it down to the core DNA, bright spice, saffron/tobacco warmth, smooth woody dry-down and deliver it for a fraction of the price. It opens with that fresh, spicy brightness, sharp, aromatic, and instantly attention-grabbing. No sweet overload right out the gate; just crisp, zesty spice that feels polished. That bright top note doesn’t linger long, it’s there to set the stage, and the heart quickly takes over: saffron, warm spice, and tobacco. This is where the scent finds its identity. The saffron adds that luxurious, slightly honeyed spice, tobacco brings a soft, earthy, smoky richness, and the blend wraps around you like a well-worn leather jacket. It’s warm, aromatic, and undeniably evening-ready. Then the dry-down: sandalwood and smooth woody warmth. Creamy, refined sandalwood anchors everything, rounded out with soft, lasting woody notes that leave a clean, elegant trail. No heavy resins or cloying sweetness, just a smooth, unisex base that lingers comfortably. On skin I’m seeing 5 hours solid longevity, which is respectable at this price. Projection is moderate for the first hour or so. people close by will definitely notice. Before it settles into a refined, intimate scent bubble that holds steady on clothing. Best used in autumn, winter, cool evenings. Works well for dates, dinners, drinks, smart casual nights out. It will struggle in high heat — the spice and tobacco can turn heavy and flat in sunshine. The catch? It’s derivative, if you’re chasing total originality, this isn’t it. But if you want that luxury saffron tobacco sandalwood profile without dropping €200+ on the niche inspiration? This does the job cleanly, reliably, and very well.