Gents, I am experiencing one of the hardest periods in my life. There was a saying by Winston Churchill that if you're going through hell, you should keep going. I would add - and smell good. Most of the day today was a living hell for me, but I got my first compliment for the year. Thanks to Sauvage Elixir. Switzerland is right now a frozen hell, and it was the right choice for me to try to be a dominant force again, even tough that I am unemployed and have many other difficulties.

Hey guys, Joe A. here with another one for ya’! Grab you a glass, pull up a bar stool and welcome to Fragrance Wars: The Booze Wars, where we’re putting the most boozy, barrel-aged, cocktail-inspired and barroom-souled fragrances from my collection head-to-head to answer one question: Which fragrance best captures the spirit of booze? This isn’t about chasing sweetness. And it’s definitely not about hype. This is about how booze shows up in fragrance: - Is it smooth or sharp? Sweet or bitter? - Realistic or stylized? Refined or rough? - A quiet sip… or a loud night out? To answer that, I broke this war into four archetypes, each representing a different way people experience booze and the different ways perfumery interprets it! We have "The Drinker", who lives for indulgence and smooth pours. We have "The Mixologist", who demands balance, bitterness and precision. We have "The Barrel", where time, oak and depth reign supreme. And finally, we have "The Barfly", raw, atmospheric, gritty and real. Each bracket represents one of these personalities. Each fragrance fights not just for votes, but for identity. 32 fragrances enter... Single elimination... One champion! By the end of this, we won’t just crown a winner, we’ll know what kind of drinker you really are. I’ll post the contenders and brackets soon. When voting comes, remember to cast your votes, defend your picks and don’t be afraid to stir the pot. Cheers! What say you, guys? How do you like your boozy fragrances: smooth and indulgent… or challenging and bold? What really matters more when booze shows up in a fragrance: the drink, the memory or the atmosphere? Ever had a scent instantly take you back to a bar or night you didn’t expect to remember, or maybe did NOT want to remember? As for the Booze Wars, which archetype are you voting for vs. which one do you actually wear? And finally, be honest… Drinker, Mixologist, Barrel or Barfly: which one are YOU really? Love to hear from ya’!

“Perfume is an art, but it is also a craft.” — Jean-Claude Ellena, Master Perfumer Dream big, but respect the fundamentals. Craft is what keeps art from falling apart. Fancy ideas still need solid execution. Keep moving forward, Enjoy the #Journey

“Taste cannot be taught, only developed.”— Francis Kurkdjian, Master Perfumer (paraphrased) Instinct sharpens with experience. Trust the process of learning what you like and why. Bad picks are just tuition payments. Keep moving forward, Enjoy the #Journey

To begin with, let me say I am NOT patting myself on the back. I'm not looking for praise. I've just been thinking about this group and what I've gained from it, knowledge wise. A few years ago I decided I was ready to return to fragrances after being away for a while. I walked into Ulta ... and walked back out not too long after. I had no idea what I was doing and just left, overwhelmed and frustrated. Tonight I was in Macy's in Times Square, the day after being in Sak's. Both times I walked up with confidence and made connections with people, using the opportunity to explore fragrances I haven't tried before and leave knowing more than I did. I had the clerk at Diptyque questioning her knowledge with my statements, got the attention of the one with Aqua de Parma and at Creed, had the one at Burberry asking if she could get them to hire me, because I was doing a better job of explaining things than she could, and rolled my eyes at the guy at a smaller luxury brand (don't remember what it was) explain that the best way to experience a fragrance was by spraying it in the air and waving the paper strip through it. What did this say to me? That the time I've spent here since this group started has been invaluable. Sure, it's been fun and I've loved the connections I've made here. But I've gone from being intimidated by the Ulta in a Mississippi suburb town to standing my ground in Times Square. For those of you who have posted information on houses, notes, science and experience, and who put up with millions of questions from me and people like me, thank you. I've learned far more than I ever expected when I first signed up when BoS was unveiled.