After finally securing my 16-sample Jusbox Discovery Set from Harrods, today I wore the first: Beat Cafe. I'm running in alphabetical order, as is my system. (My favourite fragrance in the line, from testing at the counter, is Fifty Four, which is a number, but it's written out and starts with an F, so.) The house's conceit is that Music and Fragrance are interlinked. The bottle caps are faux vinyl records, each bottle is measured at 78ml (to mirror RPM on records), and each fragrance is created and named with certain musical genres in mind. There's even a Spotify playlist for each fragrance. Today's fragrance is Beat Cafe, motivated by the Folk Rock music scene. Think Bob Dylan, Janice Joplin. A stylish American Cafe vibe from the Revolution. Exciting! Top notes are a blast, mostly. The black pepper is strong, and the coriander brings an immediate herbaceous quality that's very inticing. As for the cognac, that's a little more muted, but it does bring a sweetness and an almost coffee-like gourmand edge... but the pepper is the star. As it develops down, the tobacco and leather come through very nicely, mixing with the subtle alcohol and producing a very jazz club (and Jazz Club) vibe (i.e. the place and the MM scent).I'm not much of an MM Jazz Club fan, as it smells like stale Marlboros to this ex-smoker's nose, but Beat Cafe has none of that negative connotations. It's more elegant, and blended, yet still maintaining a flick-knife sharpness through the pepper tang. Lovely! The drydown is more standard woody, still with a peppery edge, but even here there's intrigue as there's clear vetiver greenness that does fine work placing this historically. It lends an almost patchouli glow, bringing a counterculture incense sheen that's exactly correct to the musical brief. Overall, I enjoyed this fragrance a lot. Unfortunately, my atomiser on my sample was absolute hot garbage, and it was a genuine struggle to get ANYTHING onto my skin. Thus, any observations on projection and performance are redundant today. I feel that it SHOULD perform and project well, based on the amount I did manage to don, but that's just speculation on my part. Next time I'm at the counter I'll give it another full wear test spray and get back to you.

Another iconic date night fragrance, this one has a bit of a cult following and is known for its seductive/Spicey profile. Released in 2009, this Oriental/Spicey/Woody fragrance was created by Anne Flipo, Dominique Ropion & Pierre Wargnye. What they created is a tension of contrasts, balancing fresh spices with warm, sensual undertones. It opens up with Cardamon, the star of the show, it's Green/Spicey with a touch of sweetness. In contrast, you get a fresh hit of bergamot. As it develops the core reveals a woody Virginia Cedar which is paired with a Lavender note that is both clean & aromatic. At the base an earthy Vetiver pairs well with Coumarin. This is a really interesting molecule, originally extracted from Tonka bean. It can also mistakenly be found in Cinnamon which is why some incorrectly list this as base notes. Interestingly it's rather toxic and has been banned from use in goods. It's also heavily controlled in perfumery. Most likely synthetic forms are now used. This beautiful fragrance unfortunately suffers in the performance dept, whilst older formulations are said to have had some legs, the current batch gets me 1 to 2 hours before becoming a skin scent. This is perfectly fine under intimate conditions. If you require something with more lifespan, try the edp. Scent wise though this is a top shelf scent. My Rating 6/10 Scent 3 Longevity 1 Sillage 1 Y/N 1

Blind Barber began as a unique concept—a barbershop with a hidden bar tucked away behind the last chair. Since its inception, the brand has expanded to several cities and evolved from grooming essentials to include a fragrance line. I was first intrigued by their scents when @Robb Linnemann-Silverberg introduced us to Shinjuku Mood. Fortunately, Ulta recently began carrying the line in-store, allowing me to sample them in person. The 50 ml bottles retail for $98, and I found two of the three offerings to be full-bottle worthy. Speakeasy This is a sexy, "date night" fragrance. It opens with a fresh bergamot that smoothly transitions into a warm, creamy base. • Top Notes: Lavandin Oil, Bergamot • Mid Notes: Signature Tonka, Violet, Davana • Dry Notes: Vanilla, Sandalwood, Musk Shinjuku Mood I can see why this is Robb’s go-to weekend scent. The combination of black tea and cypress is incredibly unique and stands out from any other "tea freshies" I’ve tried. • Top Notes: Black Currant, Black Tea, Cypress • Mid Notes: Lavender Absolute, Resins • Dry Notes: Cedarwood, Suede, Birch Tar Only You, Babe Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. While it features an interesting red plum and star anise profile with a sweet, leathery dry down, I couldn't get past the strong licorice note in the opening. • Top Notes: Star Anise, Red Plum • Mid Notes: Clove Leaf, Saffiano • Dry Notes: Sandalwood, Musk Final Verdict: I walked away with both Shinjuku Mood and Speakeasy. I’ll provide a more detailed update on their performance and longevity once I’ve had the chance to wear them out.