1. Spray the back of your neck. This creates a scent trail behind you and helps with sillage without constantly putting the fragrance directly under your nose. This is one of those little tricks that can make a big difference, especially with a fragrance that has decent projection. When I spray the back of my neck, I’m not putting the scent right under my nose where I’m constantly smelling it all day. That helps cut down on nose-blindness, which is one of the main reasons people think a fragrance has disappeared when everyone else can still smell it. The other thing I like about this placement is the scent trail it creates. As you move around, the fragrance comes off the back of your neck and follows you instead of just sitting in front of you. People walking behind you or passing by can catch it, so you get better sillage without adding a bunch of extra sprays. For me, it’s a better way to use the fragrance you already put on instead of just overspraying because you can’t smell it anymore.

There is one major development this week that absolutely clears the bar: Roja London has been acquired by Middle East-based Extravaganza Beauty, announced September 18. Financial terms weren't disclosed. Founder Roja Dove is stepping away from day-to-day ownership/operations and moving into a consultancy role, while CEO Audrey Minard remains in charge. Extravaganza says the investment will fund international expansion plus new product development across Prestige, Elysium, Aoud, Isola and Art. This is particularly interesting because Extravaganza already has relationships with houses including Amouage, Ex Nihilo, Nishane, Maison Crivelli and Marc-Antoine Barrois. Buying Roja outright takes it beyond distribution partnerships and further into ownership of high-end niche perfumery. There's also a meaningful raw-material development: Symrise completed its acquisition of Floral Concept, the Grasse natural-ingredient specialist. Floral Concept will be combined with Lautier 1795 to create a dedicated natural-perfumery hub specializing in materials including rose, jasmine, orange blossom, ambrette and blackcurrant bud. That's important upstream consolidation in the supply of premium naturals used by fine-fragrance perfumers. One more trend is worth keeping on our radar: the International Perfume Museum is opening a six-month exhibition devoted to contemporary Asian fragrance brands on September 26, in collaboration with Cosmoprof and Esxence. That's another institutional signal supporting what we've been discussing about Asia becoming an increasingly important source of original niche/artisan perfumery, rather than merely a market for Western houses.

I’ve organized my 2 ml samples and discovery sets into a fragrance library. For me, these samples aren’t something to spray once and forget about. They allow me to study fragrances, improve my nose, prepare for reviews and understand what another brother is describing even when I don’t own the bottle. A 2 ml sample generally provides around 20-30 sprays, although smaller sample atomizers may produce closer to 30-40. I usually plan on approximately 25 usable sprays, since an atomizer may need one or two sprays to get started. Here is how I use them: First impression: 1 spray on cotton I begin with one spray on an organic, hypoallergenic cotton round. This lets me follow the opening, heart and drydown without my skin chemistry affecting the fragrance. I return to it after 15 minutes, an hour and several hours to see how it develops. Cotton is also useful for building scent memory, but it cannot tell me everything. It won’t accurately show how the fragrance projects, performs or reacts with my skin. First skin test: 2 sprays If the fragrance interests me, I use one spray on each forearm. I don’t rub it in. I check it throughout the day to see how it develops and whether anything becomes unpleasant, disappears quickly or improves in the drydown. Controlled wearing: 3 or 4 sprays Next, I give it a realistic wearing: - One spray on each side of the neck - One spray on the chest - An optional fourth spray on the back of the neck Now I can evaluate projection, sillage, longevity and the overall scent bubble. Final wearing: my normal spray routine Before considering a bottle, I wear the fragrance the way I would actually wear it. I test it in the appropriate weather, indoors and outdoors whenever possible. That is especially important here in Arizona, where extreme heat and dry air can completely change how a fragrance performs. A complete evaluation may use approximately 10-15 sprays: - 1 spray on cotton - 2 sprays for the first skin test - 3-4 sprays for a controlled wearing - 4-6 sprays for a full wearing

I had a great day. The Nordstrom’s event was a blast. They handed out a ton of samples, and I was given a really nice gift certificate that I’m thinking about using to pick up something nice. Combined with the 15% discount it would go a long way towards the smaller bottle of PDM Dorval or the new Maison Margiela release. The samples include a bunch of designer stuff - Issey Miyaki, Givenchy, Estée Lauder Chanel, mark Jacobs, polo 67, Hermes Twilly, Creed Iris Debonair. I spent a portion of my budget on Andrea Maack Flux. I used up my sample last fall and it’s been burning a hole in my brain ever since. It’s blueberry and woods that combine to smell like a forest in winter. That doesn’t do it justice. But it is one of my favorite fragrances and I am so happy to finally have a bottle. And I got it at a price that I couldn’t pass up and was well within my budget. My best friend got me Jo Malone sea salt and bergamot. This is my first Jo Malone so i am excited to give it a wear. Roberto Cavalli Marbleous Cypress. This was a gift from my sister. I’m not familiar with the brand so I’m excited to try this out too. Imaginary Authors Complete Works. This was from my mom. It has a sample of their entire lineup which is awesome. It comes with a pen and a book about the fragrances. Hermes Oud Alezan. It’s the 15mL size. I can’t afford the 100mL but used some of my budge to get the 15mL which will last me for a long time. It’s my favorite from the Hermessences line. And last, I picked up 4 samples from a house I’ve just come across called Damask Haus. I grabbed 4 of their top scents - je nails se quas, amber exhale, ambrosial orris (inspired by Iris ganache which has long been discontinued), and obscura. I am really excited to try these out

BOS crew, here are a few standout posts from the BOS community this week. 👏 Big shoutout to @Jordan Filley for “A New Crown Jewel In My Collection 👑💎” and sharing the excitement behind finally adding Dior Homme Parfum 2014 to his collection. His detailed enthusiasm made it a great conversation starter for fellow fragrance collectors. Post: https://www.skool.com/bos/a-new-crown-jewel-in-my-collection 👏 Shoutout to @Edgar Mertins for “Adding staple Niches to the collecction!” and explaining the thought process behind adding long-delayed niche and designer staples despite import costs. It offered a useful, honest perspective on collecting strategically. Post: https://www.skool.com/bos/adding-staple-niches-to-the-collecction 👏 Shoutout to @Lon Chaneyfield for “The Bottles Are the Collection. The Samples Are the Library.” and sharing his intentional system for using samples and discovery kits. It gave the community a smart framework for exploring fragrances beyond simply accumulating bottles. Post: https://www.skool.com/bos/the-bottles-are-the-collection-the-samples-are-the-library 👏 Shoutout to @George Hernandez for “Fragrance Review Methodology Explained” and clearly walking members through the evaluation points behind his reviews. Sharing a repeatable process helps make fragrance discussion more thoughtful and useful for everyone. Post: https://www.skool.com/bos/fragrance-review-methodology-explained 👏 Shoutout to @Stephen DeMent for “300 Slays” and celebrating his 300th tracked scent wear while working through his samples. His goal-focused approach inspired conversation about enjoying and using what is already in the collection.