There have several interesting threads recently about collecting fragrances and philosophies behind collections. I'm only about two years into my own journey and have been buying new bottles regularly. (I think I have 42 or 43 bottles now.) And I've been thinking about trying to design an ideal (for me) fragrance wardrobe of 28 bottles: seven for each season. So just a quick poll: what's the ideal collection size for you? And if you'd like to explain in the comments, even better. Thanks, gentlemen.

Match #41 moves us back to the second-chance bracket, where we'll stay for the next 16 elimination matches. There are some very good fragrances down here now, which means we're about to start sending some popular bottles home. Today features two beloved designer houses: Burberry Hero Parfum versus Chanel Platinum Égoïste. Burberry Hero Parfum (2024, created by Aurélien Guichard) is all about woods and earthiness, with cedar, amyris, cypriol, and incense blended into a smooth, dark fragrance. Sometimes I wonder whether I would have preferred the EDP instead of the Parfum, but the more I wear this version, the more I appreciate what it does. Hero was also the first fragrance I bought when I started this hobby, so I'll always have a soft spot for it—and probably always have some version of Hero in my collection. Chanel Platinum Égoïste (1993, created by Jacques Polge) is a completely different animal. Lavender, rosemary, geranium, oakmoss, vetiver, and woods give it that crisp, sophisticated character that still smells terrific more than 30 years after its release. It's lighter and more versatile than Hero, and I could wear it almost year-round, with perhaps the exception of the coldest winter days. This is a painful elimination because Hero means something to me beyond simply how it smells. But judging the fragrances side by side, the Chanel wins today. It's beautifully balanced, mature, and just ridiculously easy to wear. Chanel Platinum Égoïste survives and advances in the second-chance bracket. Burberry Hero Parfum—the OG of my fragrance journey—is eliminated from the tournament. That one hurts a little.