My Initial Thoughts on Thriller by Cal Cologne

Shout out to

for the fantastic decants he sent over. One of them was the extremely hyped Thriller fragrance, and I had to see what all the noise was about.

On paper, my initial reaction was not great. The opening came off sharp and a bit screechy, which honestly turned me off. But I’ve learned not to judge too quickly, so I went to skin with two sprays on the back of my hand and let it settle.

Much better.

On skin, the opening is citrus forward with a noticeable spicy punch. After that first minute or two, the sharpness smooths out and it transitions into something more earthy and woody without completely losing the brightness from the top. In the base, I’m getting a dusty, musky leather laced with sandalwood. It reminds me of an old worn leather belt with a wooden buckle—rugged, slightly dry, and nostalgic.

For this initial test, I’m landing at a 7.5. It’s a good fragrance to have in a collection, but for me, it’s not quite worth all the hype at current prices. Maybe—and that’s a big maybe—I’ll consider picking it up once the hype dies down and the market adjusts.

Always grateful for the opportunity to test before buying.

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