What a great smell, The lemon and bergamot was so refreshing. It slightly had a flowery mid note. Then …it’s gone. If only it had any kind of projection or sillage it would be a no brainer for me. However, it just doesn’t have that push. Because of that I can’t give it much more than a 7.5/10. But boy that initial smell is smell is special.

This is my first test run with this house and I was unsure what to expect. My initial sprays had me searching for what the smell I originally got was. Some people compared it to a milk to rotten milk smelll. Once that initial confusion which didn’t last very long settled in the fruitiness set in and this fragrance was of and running. The rest of the smells from mango and lime to the kid level neroli and apricot (combined with a different coconut which I feel like some people got the spoiled milk from)and finish of musk and vanilla was very pleasing to me. I really enjoyed this one and felt like it settled in my skin very nice. This one sits on the verge of my top 10. I can’t wait to try other City Rhythm fragrances. This was a 8.5/10 to me.

Training your nose is not just about smelling more bottles. It is about smelling with purpose. Start with the basics first. Learn the families: citrus, woods, aromatics, florals, amber, musk, spice, green notes, incense, leather, and sweet notes. Don’t try to pick out every single note right away because that’s where people get frustrated. The best thing I’ve found is using real-life references. Smell lemon peel, grapefruit peel, fresh basil, rosemary, coffee, cedar, leather, vanilla, incense, grass, pepper, and things like that. Then when you smell a fragrance, your brain has something real to connect it to. Also, don’t judge a fragrance by the first spray. Smell the opening, then come back 30 minutes later, then again a few hours later. That’s how you start noticing transitions. A lot of fragrances smell one way in the opening and totally different in the drydown. Side-by-side comparisons help a lot, too. Smell two fragrances in the same style and ask yourself which one is fresher, sweeter, woodier, cleaner, heavier, more natural, more synthetic, or smoother. You don’t have to be a master perfumer to notice differences. And don’t overload your nose. After a few fragrances, your nose gets tired. Fresh air helps more than coffee beans, in my opinion. The biggest thing is keeping it simple. Pick one note or one style at a time and build from there. Over time, you start recognizing patterns. You learn what real citrus smells like, what ambroxan does, what Iso E Super does, what clean musk smells like, what incense smells like, what cheap sweetness smells like, and what better blending smells like. That’s how your nose gets better. Not by pretending you can smell 40 notes in every fragrance, but by building scent memory one piece at a time. Buying small natural raw materials is one of the best ways to train your nose. You do not need huge bottles. Small samples are enough. Good places to look are Eden Botanicals, The Perfumer’s Apprentice, Perfumer Supply House, Creating Perfume, and Pell Wall. The Perfumer’s Apprentice specifically notes that essential oils and absolutes are very strong and should usually be smelled diluted, often around 10% or even 1%

I am going to do a comprehensive evaluation of online discounters, including the benefits of each discounter. all have been vetted to assure Authentic Perfumes https://www.fragrancenet.com - Pros: great deals on older designers, Pros: newer designers, you can find them every so often at a good price, not the best price. Cons: I would not search the site for Niche / Indie, as you will never get the best price. https://www.jomashop.com Pros: Here, you will get really great prices on newer designer fragrances and Middle Eastern fragrances. Ok Prices On Niche, but far from the best. Cons: You would need to check the shipping because it can take 2-4 weeks. You better believe it's going to be at the end of the 2-4 weeks. https://ediscountperfumes.com Pros: a lot smaller than the other two shops above, but they do get a great selection of niche, indie, and designers. And usually, when they have enough of it in, you will get the best prices from them. A lot cheaper than the other two. Also in the same category would be Venba. https://fragflex.com Here in the USA and in Canada http://fragrancebuy.ca. Pros: You used to get good deals on European exclusives. Fragrancebuy was the place for European exclusives, but tariffs hit. To make a long story short, they are the same company, and you can find some good deals across the board from Clones designers, Niche, and European exclusives, just not always the best deals, but I have found killer deals every once in a while. They are also very good with the Middle Eastern clone fragrances, and a lot of times will have what others won't. https://www.venbafragrance.com Great site for Niche fragrances specifically, and Great prices also, good prices on Designers, still would not prohibit me from shopping around. This has some of the best Niche Prices in the online space!!!

The scent for right in my ballpark of. scents. The sharp citrusy wood off the top gave me a professional clean type feel. It settled in nicely with a leathery, woody, and musky finish. I really enjoyed this scent and found it to be invigorating. 8.5/10