Sauvage Extrait - Really synthetic smelling and sort of dirty floral/green earthy note on strip. The smooth Lavender of the Elixer was toned down and I think an almost lactonic animalic leather note trying to assert itself. I think I'm going to have to give this one another. Try on another day as it may have just cooked my nose because it was too strong and I may need to spray it on strip and wait 30 minutes to even get to know what it's like. Again, it felt really jumbled and almost chaotic and again that might have been overspraying the strip. Given how aggressive and rough it was I didn't want to put it on skin unless I was going straight home. This one is getting a pass for now with a caveat that I'm going to smell it again on another day when it's not as warm. Armani I Will - This one seems intriguing. Smelled after the one above it sort of was washed out and again one that I think I'm going to sniff again. Maybe in slightly cooler weather because the woodsy vanilla got sort of washed out in the same way that BDX Vanilla Caviar is one I love in the winter but just falls flat for me when it's warmer. Again, another one that is getting a curious to try again. Ralphs Club New York Parfum - Of the three I tried today this one was the initially most pleasing, opened with a very satisfying, spicy warmth. This is the only one I kept the card from to get a sense of how it smelled throughout and my only critique is once that initial warmth and spiciness wore off as it was sitting in a fairly warm car while we ran errands. It filled the space quite nicely, but also in the base was sort of sweet caramel that reminds me of a lot of other sort of designer fragrances like the Most Wanted, etc. So in the end my initial take was it smells really nice and is very pleasing, but I'm not sure if I don't already have a few that smell just like this in my collection. I often say that though about Ralph Lauren fragrances, especially Polo 67. If it was my first fragrance. It's a banger if it's your 50th or 60th likely isn't going to move the needle. Much in the safe designer space. But like all the Ralphs club very well constructed for what it is. It's very smooth. And the sort of sweet caramelly base is probably one of the smoothest and best blended of all of the designer fragrances that kind of sit in the same scent space.

A beautiful warm Saturday here on Long Island today, so I reached for something that feels fresh enough for an 80-degree afternoon but still has a little character behind it — Wilde by Floris London. I’ve developed a real appreciation for Floris. There is something about the house that feels very traditionally British to me — understated, polished and never trying too hard to announce itself. Wilde is a particularly interesting one. Created as a tribute to Oscar Wilde, the fragrance opens with bergamot, citrus blossom and a touch of marine freshness. But pretty quickly the personality begins to show itself with ginger, green carnation and white jasmine, eventually settling into sandalwood, olibanum and benzoin. What I enjoy about it is the balance. It’s bright and fresh enough for a warm summer Saturday like today, but there is a spicy, slightly warm and woody quality underneath it that keeps it from becoming simply another citrus fragrance. And perhaps appropriately for something bearing Oscar Wilde’s name, it has a little individuality to it. 😎 It isn’t loud. It isn’t trying to dominate the room. But there is enough going on that I keep catching little changes throughout the day — citrus, spice, florals and eventually that warmer woody base. That has become one of the things I enjoy most about this hobby. Sometimes the fragrance I choose in the morning becomes another small part of how I experience the day. Today it’s Floris Wilde. Fresh, refined, a little unconventional…and very easy to enjoy on a beautiful Saturday. 🌞