Picked up some new Armani Prive fragrances that I really enjoyed smelling at the store. Also picked up a Mind Games Olfactive Calendar for the upcoming season. Musc Shamal by Giorgio Armani is a Oriental fragrance. Musc Shamal was launched in 2019. The nose behind this fragrance is Julie Massé. Top notes are Aldehydes and Citruses; middle notes are Musk, Rose and Jasmine; base notes are Vanilla, Amber and Cedar. Noir Kogane by Giorgio Armani is a Leather fragrance. Noir Kogane was launched in 2024. Top notes are Tobacco and Haitian Vetiver; middle notes are elemi and Saffron; base note is Leather. Mind Games Olfactive Calendar includes: J'Adobe, Blockade, French Defense, Queening, Opera Mate, Counterplay, Prodigy, and Mentor. I already have three of these, but for the price to be able to really test and wear 5 fragrances that I do not own, I felt it was worth it. Was looking to pick up a musk and leather fragrance and decided to go with these.

Leave It to Amouage to make a smoky citrus freshie. I've never smelled this combination before and I'm rather enjoying it. It starts with a very realistic lemon, lime and mandarin up top which was still lingering upwards of 6 hours. It still manages to be resinous and woody with a smoky vetiver and guaiac wood as well as black pepper, elemi and opoponax in the mid. At first I feel like I'm in a church in a Mediterranean village with a citrus groves all around. As the wear wore on, I was in a cigar bar deeper in town where I could still pick up the citrus but the smoke has become a little more like cigar ashes. I have a 15ml decant, so I'll get plenty of wear before I have to make a choice, but it's definitely creative. Any experiences with this fragrance?