For anyone who hasn't yet seen the news, Chuck Norris passed away today. I met him once back in 2012. He was a genuinely nice man and loved his fans and had a great sense of humor. A friend of mine opened a coffee shop called Kick Butt Cafe and he decorated it with tons of images of Chuck and had posters and photos of him everywhere. Chuck was kind enough to sign an autograph and mention the place to his fans, and it made my friend's entire year. So in honor of the man, the myth, the legend, I'd love for anyone who was a fan to 1). Post what you cologne you think he would have worn (I don't know if he did or not, but I'm guessing that his natural body scent was it's own perfume) 2). Post your favorite Chuck Norris joke. He was known to tell a few of his own and enjoyed hearing good ones, so I don't think it would be disrespectful, and it's a way to honor him and the joy he brought to millions of fans over a lifetime.

I did well on the fragrance front today… 100ml 1 Million Lucky 100ml Montblanc Explorer EDP (tester) 8ml Stronger With You Spices travel atomiser Discovery set for L’Occitane En Provence Definitely can’t complain.

I'm really looking forward to the pile of decants & samples I have staged for the next couple of weeks. Most are niche, but there are a couple of cheapies and some Michael Malul in there as well. Fun, fun!!! After a couple of test sprays, I was excited to give Outlands a full wearing today, and it was fantastic! This fragrance has gotten lots of love in the BOS, so I had to experience it for myself! It opens very strong with a hint of oud, other woods, powder, spices and a bit of citrus. At 30 minutes it quickly becomes a medium toned, masterfully blended concert of notes, with florals adding their support and a touch of sweetness, and any edges have been rounded out. Iris isn't listed, but I'm getting a powdery texture that contributes smoothness and elegance. There is also an undercurrent of ambery richness and sweetness. Projection and sillage remain strong for 90 min before down-shifting to moderate. At 2 hrs a lighter toned wood note (birch?) becomes more noticeable, but still allows the ambery sweetness to pop in and out. At 3 hrs, the notes are still a beautifully balanced, medium toned, woody-floral, with a solid 1 ft scent bubble and steady sillage. The more time that passes, the more warm this fragrance becomes. The line between when it becomes a skin scent is pretty fuzzy, because I was still catching whiffs of it at the 9 hr mark! If I didn't wash it off for my evening scent, it would still be very much present the next morning. I'm jumping on the Outlands hype train, because it is an amazing smelling, very masculine, long lasting masterpiece. This is everything I want in a woody fragrance, and, when I slow down on testing samples, this will be a full bottle added to the arsenal.