Here on the East Coast, temperatures have suddenly plunged about 20 degrees as a storm blows through. So after weeks of stubbornly hot weather, it finally feels appropriate to pull out some of the cooler-weather fragrances. Today's SOTD is my sample of Parfums de Marly Althaïr. And yes, I understand the hype. Althaïr opens a little sharper than I expected, but that doesn't last long. It quickly smooths into a rich, deeply sweet blend of vanilla, cinnamon, praline, amber, and woods. It's warm, powerful, and unapologetically sweet without becoming a mess. Performance certainly isn't an issue either—this stuff is strong and lasts. It's also easy to understand why so many clone houses have tried to recreate it. This is exactly the kind of distinctive, crowd-pleasing DNA that's going to inspire cheaper alternatives. Of course, there's always one complication with Parfums de Marly: the price. I like Althaïr quite a bit, but at PDM prices, "I like it" isn't enough. I'll need several more wears before deciding whether I like it enough to justify a bottle—especially with so many excellent fall and winter fragrances already in my collection. For now, though: Current status: Definitely staying on the "to consider" list for a future fall purchase.

Today's SOTD is Dunhill Icon, although this sample isn't really auditioning for anything. I've already managed to track down a full bottle, so I'm simply finishing the travel spray and clearing one more space in the sample box. Now discontinued, Icon opens fresh and aromatic, with bergamot and neroli providing plenty of brightness before the pepper, cardamom, vetiver, and woods begin to emerge. The drydown is pleasant and easy to wear, although there's occasionally a slightly synthetic quality that keeps me from loving it quite as much as some of my other fresh fragrances. Still, this is a very nice scent: clean, masculine, versatile, and just distinctive enough to remain interesting. Would it have become a must-buy if it were still widely available? Maybe not. But knowing it's discontinued made me happy to grab a bottle while I still could. Current status: Sample nearly finished. Full bottle already secured. No regrets.

Apparently i own 23 of these suckers. They are all slightly different in size, color, and style but its tough to remember which is which when im packing or grabbing something to stick in my pocket. So i pulled out the engraver and labeled them today. That's the best solution I could come up with. Anyone else have this problem? What do you do to keep track? Also the Travelo brand has the best quality atomizers that ive found. Any other good brand recommendations?

In the backyard tonight with a cigar going and this combo could not be more fitting. Zaharoff Tabac brings that boozy, sweet tobacco base, cognac and rum up top with honey and oud in the middle, drying into vanilla, amber, and myrrh. Warm and rich on its own. Layered on top of that is the Boond Tabaq attar, a traditional Indian tobacco attar handmade in Kannauj using old world methods, no alcohol, no synthetics. It adds a darker, smokier, more animalic edge that pushes the whole thing into a different territory. Together this is a heavier, more complex tobacco experience than either one wears alone. With the cigar smoke in the air, this pairing is exactly what tonight called for.

So I've been searching for a professional office daily driver and I found myself glued to Creed's Original Vetiver. For my taste, I dont need a lot of sprays and I can live with 6 hours of longevity. What I crave is the scent itself and the mood it puts me end. And OV was really scratching that itch for me, so when the sample I have of it ran out today, I had my first "empty bottle" experience. I've been at this hobby now for about a year and it's time to buy the full bottle.