What an interesting fragrance! Picked this up on my trip to Spain and absolutely loved it! Heavy marine vibes to start, then it goes somewhere completely different. The wood on the dry down totally takes over and is absolutely gorgeous! Very happy to have picked this one up? Thoughts?

So while I was in Spain, I had the pleasure of visiting a few niche perfume shops. First was Le secret du Marais, where I picked up Bergamotto by laboratorio olfattivo and We are the Martians by Marina Barcellina. Very cool story on this one. I'll share later when I wear it again. Then I visited Spirit of Kings and they had everything that is popular and niche. Retail plus price though... Finally, I went to a niche/artisan perfume shop and met Elena Todeschini. The perfumer behind the Hesperia line, which is the name of the shop. She was amazing! I purchased a sampler pack of 8 fragrances for 29 euros If I liked any of them, I got the 29 back as a credit for a full bottle. I picked up Nerotic by laboratorio olfattivo and her own creation, Andalusia. Both are outstanding and I'm wearing nerotic today. I'll full you in 9n all of the fragrances as inweat them. Good times for sure!!

The fragrance world is in a massive uproar as luxury distributor Nobilis Group faces a fierce boycott from the online community. The controversy erupted after the corporate entity launched an aggressive legal and digital crackdown against budget-friendly perfume "dupe" brands. To protect its high-end brand equity, Nobilis successfully sued clone giant ÉCLAT, legally banning them from using "smells like" comparisons or utilizing consumer reviews to market affordable alternatives to luxury fragrances. However, the corporate victory quickly triggered a massive backlash when Nobilis began issuing intellectual property strikes against social media influencers. The outrage peaked when popular creator Noel Deyzel's secondary account, "Noel Smells," which had 1.8 million followers, was permanently banned from TikTok for reviewing affordable clones. Other fragrance reviewers have reported content strikes and video deletions, causing a wave of censorship fear that has forced creators to actively scrub the word "dupe" from their channels. In retaliation, the online community has mobilized a widespread boycott targeting the prestigious luxury and niche brands distributed by Nobilis, including powerhouse names like Creed, Xerjoff, and Amouage. Enthusiasts and creators are rallying fans to stop purchasing these high-end scents in hopes that the luxury perfume houses will pull their distribution contracts from Nobilis over the unfolding public relations disaster. Meanwhile, support is surging for budget alternative houses like ÉCLAT, Bujairami, and Vantage. What started as a corporate legal battle over marketing definitions has officially transformed into a digital class war, pitting everyday consumers and independent creators fighting for affordable scent alternatives against corporate entities accused of greed and censorship. Share your thoughts on this and tell me if does it color your future purchases?

Well my brothers, I can't believe I'm making this post here, and apologies for my lack of a lot of engagement the last few weeks, it's been quite hectic and busy for me. As you guys know, I'm preparing to serve a mission for my church, and so as a result I'll be gone for 24 months. In the grand scheme of things, it isn't that long, but all of that being said, I'll still miss you guys a lot. I'll be able to stay in contact through email, however, so shoot me a DM and i'll be able to add you guys there to my list, and we can stay in contact there :) I just wanted to genuinely give this community my thanks and love, for being so supportive, kind, generous, and guiding me along the way. A lot of perfume collectors and communities can become snobbish or condescending, and rude to newcomers and make them feel less, but this community is the complete opposite, and allowed me to grow from inexperienced, to ambitious, to where I am now, successfully developing the tastes I've been able to have, and to the point where I've fallen in love with this hobby so much, that I want to start my own house one day. That right there is life changing, and honestly fragrance changed the course of my life, and gave me something to hope for, that I felt like I belonged in, perfectly. I've struggled to make friends a lot outside. Felt people who related to me. Felt like an oddball, like I didn't belong, and as a result I've felt so incredibly lonely and by myself, but building confidence, finding groups like this one, and ones outside in my real life have changed me so much. I know who I am now. I feel happy and comfortable in my skin. I've found my genuine style, passions, and dreams for the future, and I'm ready to start moving. So before I leave, I wanted to give you all shoutouts. To those who mean so much to me, I love you all, and I mean it. @Sean Kavanaugh, you've been such a wise and caring figure in my life, all with a strong sense of discipline, working, and hustling toward your goals. Your daily posts and quotes from Andy Frisella really helped me, and I've really missed hearing from you. Sending love and prayers, and hoping all is going well for you, my friend.

Seems to be very exciting news! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFyuEW1Xisc They'll also be at Scentexplore in NY in Nov.