My previous post as practically a love-note to Armani SWY Absolutely, especially as my cold weather signature scent, still stands. While I sadly have to put it away until Autumn rolls around (and either Hawas Tropical or Lattafa Qaed al Fursan dominate my summer), I recently acquired a sampler of Powerfully. Cherry fragrances intrigue me, especially paired with orange, and thought it would be an interesting twist on the SWY DNA. While it's sadly still not summer-friendly, figured I'd give it a try. It's nice... but Absolutely still wins by light years to me. I guess I'm just a sucker for more gourmand fragrances as I count the days until the first leaf change, dancing downward in the gilded earlier sunset on a crisp breeze. That, and ASWYA has the davana flower to add that personalized chameleon note, along with the seemingly ever-lingering balsamic note I still smell on my saxophone neck strap since March. As a final note, maybe it's just my nose, but I smell the Mandarin orange far more prominently than the cherry note. Maybe that's a good thing, as many cherry fragrances lean too sweet, like candy. Whereas this cherry is a heavier undercurrent. Thoughts?

New Summer Signature Scent (NSSS)/SOTD and a story to go with it: Lataffa Qaed Al Fursan. Also, this is now an extremely close contender for my previous favorite summer signature (Hawas Tropical; which I layered with this yesterday - LQAF on my torso and shirt, HT on the back of my neck and wrists). Sometimes, more than a shiny new fragrance, who it was gifted from, how many likes you get for posting it, the conversations it sparks, or how good it makes you feel, truly doesn't hit as hard as a story surrounding it. Our olfactory senses are one of the strongest tied to memory. While I'm grateful to my fellow fragrance fiend father-friend (say that 5 times fast) for this astonishingly affordable fragrance (only $20 on Amazon), yesterday shall forever tie such a memory to this scent. First, the obligatory fragrance break-down of Lataffa Qaed Al Fursan: Top: Pineapple, saffron Middle/Heart: Balsam Fir, jasmine Base: Cedar, amber, agarwood (oud) Scent classification: Oriental, spice, fruity, smoky. Clone: Cited as a combination of Creed Aventus and Baccarat Rouge 540. Season: Any! Though best for Spring/Summer. I plan to layer with gourmand fragrances when the weather cools down again. Verdict: Amazing pineapple smell! Not like synthetic candy, but actual pineapple. Some say the opening is a bit sharp, as is common among middle-eastern fragrances, but I like it. Probably that Persian ancestry deep in my genetics, along with my love of spice. I adore the combination of pineapple with saffron, and how it settles into the pineapple lasting a surprisingly long time as it blends into the sweeter and smokier heart and base with a hint of floral.

Wearing this tropical banger on the Friday before a week off for me. I’ve loved this scent since I first smelled it. I didn’t expect to be so into the coconut sweetness, but I really love the way it’s balanced out in this one. I would find myself smelling “ghost notes” of this one on days I didn’t wear it, like my brain was wishing that I was. Have a great weekend everyone!

Brothers, here are a few standout posts from the BOS community this week. 👏 Shoutout to @Lon Chaneyfield for "Does the Original Fragrance Deserve Credit?" — a strong integrity call reminding the community that before posting about a clone, a quick search reveals the inspiration. Elevated the conversation from "what smells good" to "let's honor the art." Post: https://www.skool.com/bos/does-the-original-fragrance-deserve-credit-and-my-feelings 👏 Shoutout to @Bill Hertzing for bringing science into the chat with "GLP-1 Users' Fragrance Obsession" — linking medication to a deeper interest in perfumery, with a real article and his own experience. Cross-domain thinking that got 24 comments going. Post: https://www.skool.com/bos/glp-1s-unintended-side-effects-will-fuel-new-beauty-products 👏 Shoutout to @Tony Carril for sharing his first niche fragrance story — "Mancera Intense Cedrat Boise," a Christmas gift from his parents that launched his journey. Hundreds of bottles later, he still comes back to that sillage. Every collector has a "first love" bottle. Post: https://www.skool.com/bos/mancera-intense-cedrat-boise-3 👏 Shoutout to @Dave Curtis for the hands-on "Asad Zanzibar Limited Edition by Lattafa" review — real-world testing, real opinion, exactly the kind of practical content that helps members decide what to try next. Post: https://www.skool.com/bos/asad-zanzibar-limited-edition-by-lattafa-review 👏 And shoutout to @Calvin Ng for kicking off a nostalgia trip — "Your First House That Began Your Fragrance Collection." Calvin Klein was his. 24 members sharing their origin stories. If you haven't chimed in yet: what house got you into this?

Second summer scent of the day, but not a signature; just a nice alternative or for layering. This finally arrived in the mail as a gift set from my cousin for Father's Day; Armaf Club de Nuit Sillage. I wasn't aware they made such gift boxes, but that's pretty cool. Said it was on sale for $30, originally $50. When I checked on Amazon, the fragrance itself is only around $35. Gift set came with: Fragrance, body spray, shampoo, and body wash. Fragrance notes are in the second pic below. FYI: This is considered a clone of Creed Silver Mountain Water. Verdict? Have to say, it's the most unisex fragrance I now have; very feminine. Very floral first, and citrus second in the first 20ish mins. Then it settles into a nice musky floral scent that smells more masculine. It lasts quite a while; after 3 sprays in the bathroom, I could still smell it 8 hours later. I would not wear this as a sole fragrance. I sprayed once on my torso, then added Hawas Tropical to my neck (front and back), and wrists. Makes a really nice floral addition to the coconut, fig, and tonka bean of Tropical. The shampoo is a very nice quality. Generally, the bathing products don't particularly have a strong scent (as compared to Cremo Golden Amber or Spice and Black Vanilla as my default, or the OGX Coconut Coffee scrub/wash), but I do feel rather clean. The body wash and shampoo have a flowery inky smell. It's very fresh, just not much of a fragrant wow factor.