Purchases are now slowing down, with me slowly sitting down, feeling very content with where my small collection is at. Sadly, there is another bottle I was really waiting for that didn't get in time to my freight forwarder to be able to include it in this haul, so it'll take still a couple of days. Thameen Carved Oud: oud notes don't particularly move me, with exceptions so far being Brioni EDP Intense and TF Oud Wood. Carved Oud gets labeled here and there as "the better Wood Oud", which made me curious enough to decant it. A single wear of the decant immediately sent me looking for a bottle! That amazing cardamom blended with the non-intrusive or intense oud, over the base of warm amber and sandalwood... incredible. And also considerably cheaper than TF Oud Wood. Performs by my little experience with Oud Wood considerably better. Got a 50ml, as it should be sufficient, and was at a great price compared to what I could find for a 100ml! Mancera Soleil d'Italie: Recently reviewed by @Edward Mooney , had a bottle already on it's way. My initial impression back in the day (August 25) was positive, but the powderiness I got from it was a bit of a turnoff. Fast forward to today, I had the chance to try it again a few weeks ago, and understood the fragrance much better. Powderiness is there, but cannot deny how amazing the citrus and aquatic blasts blend with this somewhat floral powderiness once it dries down. It was also at $68 at aura, so had to go for it. Boss Bottled EDT: There. It was a complete sin for me not to have the OG EDT in my collection, with how legendary it is, how much it takes me back, and how much I like the line. Timeless fresh, spicy fruity fragrance for the win! Oh, got a 100ml tester for $32. Expected no cap, as everyone shows pictures of Boss Bottled testers with no cap. It came with the cap! If only the Intense flankers were still around though. YSL LNDL EDP (2019): Had to get one of this line. After testing all of the readily available flankers, this one was it. Keeping the EDTs signature cardamom was what sold me in the end. Le Parfum was great, but strayed away too much from the OG. Bleu Electrique I was finally able to try a few weeks ago, loved it and definitely my favorite, but completely unavailable.

Hey guys, Joe A. here with today's Scent of the Day : Starry Nights by Montale - Day 312. Parfumo lists it opening with lemon and bergamot, moving into Bulgarian rose, jasmine, and patchouli, and settling on white musk, amber, and vanilla. I wanted to roll my eyes at how loud and synthetic it is, but it somehow keeps pulling me back in for another sniff. Like a Van Gogh painting, it's a mishmash of different pieces that come together in a weirdly enjoyable fashion. First Sniff: Like a rose put on too much confidence and somehow pulled it off. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Pe8p-saXcv0

Part of Memo's Graines Vagabondes collection, Ithaque was released in 2023 and created by perfumer Marypierre Julien. Named after Odysseus’s legendary island home, it’s built around the theme of a long journey ending. The bright, sunlit arrival giving way to warm, solid ground. One point worth noting, it’s listed as a Chypre, but forget that heavy, old-school vibe. This is a thoroughly modern take, with bright citrus, tart fruit, and clean woods, with a subtle cinnamon twist you rarely see done this well in fresh fragrances. It opens crisp and vibrant, bergamot and bitter orange give a zesty, sun-ripened start. Timut Pepper brings that distinct grapefruit-zest kick without heat, while juniper adds a cool, green-herbal lift. And that cinnamon bark, well that is the masterstroke. It’s soft, warm, and gently spicy, never festive or cake-like; just enough to wrap the citrus in a golden glow and stop it from feeling generic. As it settles, the fruit takes centre stage: blackcurrant bud is rich, tart, almost vinous, elevated by that extra-special Cassis Celestedeeper. Redcurrant keeps it bright, and jasmine absolute adds a quiet, refined polish to round the edges. The dry-down is clean, cedarwood provides dry, sturdy warmth, while patchouli heart adds just enough earthy depth to ground it. Performance is around the six hours on skin with a polite, refined trail; it projects nicely early then settles close, clinging on longest as cedar and currant. This is absolutely made for warm weather—spring, summer, daytime, office, casual evenings. In cooler months it feels a little too light; it doesn’t have the backbone to carry winter days. The cinnamon-citrus opening is what makes it special—you’ve smelled bergamot and pepper a hundred times, but you’ve rarely smelled them paired with cinnamon this tastefully. It’s not the most complex Memo release, and it won’t blow the room away. Just excellent craftsmanship that delivers exactly what it promises. My Rating 7/10 Scent 2 Longevity 2