If you want all the fine details of how Maestro by Delacroix Fragrance is put together, including the fragrance pyramid, refer to @Lon Chaneyfield's post. What I'm going to talk about is what happened when I sprayed it on my skin after my sample arrived today, because I have never experienced a fragrance that evolves quite like this one does. If you're a freshie lover, this one deserves your attention. Maestro opens brilliantly and beautifully, with the citrus freshness I love (grapefruit being the exception), and comes across as extremely bright, clean and complex. That fresh-out-of-the-shower vibe is me 100%. And then, oddly, it takes a turn in the mid. It evolves into an earthy sweet vetiver type scent to my nose, although vetiver is not in the description. I don't dislike vetiver, in fact I enjoy it in many fragrances, but the way this particular accord comes across like an earthy sweetgrass is not what I would expect from white florals. I think @Lon Chaneyfield described it as woody but I actually found it a bit unpleasant. At that point I thought it was going to die right there, along with my enthusiasm for what I had hoped might be my next new freshie. But about 30 minutes later, it came back around to something remarkably close to that original introduction. How is that even possible? I have experienced a truly linear fragrance before, in which the introduction becomes the main attraction during the wear, but have never had the introduction fade into something I didn't care for and the come back full force perfectly beautiful again. It is incredible! There is a master perfumer at work when someone can accomplish this kind of evolution. Maestro isn't necessarily revolutionary in its DNA; there are fragrances that come close. But its performance and the way it evolves are something I have never experienced before. Fellow freshies, I highly recommend you give it a try.

I saw this on an Instagram reel today and it works. I forget the fragrance creator that shared this or I would shout them out. If you go to the Penhaligon's website, do a search for samples, and then click on "view all products", you will see a bunch of samples that are available for free (you pay for shipping, however). Many samples are sold out but many others are not. It's worth checking back every so often. I ordered up a sample of Halfeti and the new Blazing Mister Sam Intense. I didn't realize that this was a thing. Check it out if you're interested! https://www.penhaligons.com/us/en/search/samples

#sotd... Terre D'Hermès Intense by Hermès... This one surprised me. Judging it by the notes, I was expecting it to be a dark gourmand scent. I was wrong... I believe it does teeter the fence between being gourmand and being clean and fresh. While keeping true to the Original DNA and adding the coffee and licorice, this is a polarizing scent to me. Right off the rip, I get hit with the coffee and a quick slight spiciness from the Black Pepper. Going into the mid, the original DNA shows up giving you the fresh and clean smell. This is where the coffee takes a seat in the background for a little bit. As the fragrance progresses into the dry down, the coffee reappears with some woodsiness. This has great overall performance. Strong projection, sillage, and longevity. I refreshed at 9 hours. I believe this can be pulled off all year long with the way it transitions throughout the wear. I give this a 9 out of 10.

Gentleman, this Saturday I will be seeing the hilarious stand up comedian Jimmy Carr. I pick up my date at 330pm, drive for 1.5 hrs. We have pre-show dinner and drinks, then stand up comedy, finally post show dessert and drinks. We should spend about 8 hrs together. Various locations. Walking outdoors and taking in indoor venues. I intend to wear a suit. Temperatures that day range between 9 - 25C (48 - 77F). ...and i want to wear one of my new frags. Looking at my options im thinking either PDM's Godolphin or Givenchy's Gentleman Réserve Privée... but Terre d'Hermès EDT could be a good choice too What would you choose?

Thank you, @Mark DiCiero, for pointing me to this artisan house. The perfumer is wonderful, and so are the prices!!! https://www.instagram.com/p/DcKIIfnh_kG/