Part 2: The Slow March to the Shelves Hey guys, Joe A. here with another one for ya’! Well, the bottles are officially making their way onto the shelves, and I can already tell this is not going to be a one-afternoon project. This is less like cleaning a room and more like relocating a small, well-scented civilization. Bottles are coming out of drawers, boxes, cabinets, and whatever random little hiding places they’ve been living in like scented fugitives. Now that the shelves are getting loaded, I’m also getting some real-world engineering feedback. Word of the week: deflection. In simple terms, deflection is how much a shelf bends under load. A fully loaded shelf is deflecting about 3/4 of an inch, which is enough to make the bottles want to creep forward in the acrylic tiered displays. Thank goodness those acrylic shelves have a front lip, because without it, this post might have been called “The Great Bottle Avalanche.” The deflection also showed me that the overhanging shelves want to rotate over the end of the metal bracket. In plain English: the front wants to dip, the back wants to lift, and gravity starts acting like it has a management position. So I made an adjustment. At the back of the shelf, closest to the wall, I replaced the wood screw with a through bolt that goes through the shelf and tightens directly to the metal bracket. That clamps the shelf down and helps resist that tipping action. Between the heavy brackets, the stud connections, and the through bolts, these shelves aren’t going anywhere. The deflection is still unnerving, but the engineering side of my brain is calm. The fragrance side is holding a bottle and looking nervous. There’s also been some cabinet strategy happening. I relocated and re-shelved the taller mirrored cabinet over the weekend to better fit the new layout. The smaller mirrored cabinet is staying in the plan too, at least for now. That one is currently holding the Xerjoff collection, which feels appropriate, because Xerjoff bottles already act like they need better lighting and a private dressing room. The plan is to find that smaller cabinet a proper new home somewhere else in the garage office.

Straightforward, no-nonsense amber vanilla here. Released roughly 2021–2024 depending on region, it's the norm with these ME houses not to credit a perfumer. Reef describes this as a collaborative effort between Arabian and French perfumers, blending Middle Eastern warmth with modern European precision. Its also said to be a slightly more masculine e take of the popular Baccarat Rouge 540. Not a direct clone but in that style. To be honest I've neither worn nor had my nose on said fragrance, so I'll leave it up too those whom have to make that comparison What I do get is a very simple three note trick. Nothing fancy or clever, just three simple notes that work well. Opens straight away with saffron, bright, spicy, slightly metallic/honeyed, that unmistakable expensive warmth. No citrus, no fruit, just saffron cutting cleanly through. Within minutes it softens into amber, for a rich, resinous, golden warmth that wraps around you like a blanket. This is where it feels most luxurious. Its smooth, rounded, no sharp edges. Then the dry-down hit with vanilla. Creamy, sweet, but not food-sweet — soft, comforting, and incredibly persistent. That's it. No tricks, no hidden complexity. Just a straight line from spice → warmth → sweetness. And honestly? It works. Beautifully balanced, the spice keeps the vanilla from cloying, the amber ties it all together. Reef 31 is said to have a rap as a powerhouse. But I just don't get it. Goes well for between 4 & 5hrs, then settles into a warm, noticeable scent bubble that clings impressively to clothing. Best wear? Autumn through spring, evenings, dates, dinner, anywhere you want to smell warm, expensive, and put-together. It reads as luxurious, which is funny given the price. The catch? It doesn't smell like itself. If you want something original, this isn't it. But if you want that saffron-amber-vanilla vibe that everyone loves, at a price that doesn't hurt? This delivers. Rating: 5.5/10 Scent: 2/5 Longevity: 2/3 Sillage: 1.5/3 Would I rebuy? 0/5