Yesterday's musical smell, Beat Cafe, centred on the Folk Rock genre. It brought leather, smoke, woodsy vetiver, and oodles of Bob Dylan. Today, we have Black Powder, a spicy fruity smoky leathery scent that aims to evoke Seattle in the early Nineties, with all the grungy baggage that entails. I hate Nirvana. We'll get to the playlist later, but for now, it's all about the fragrance. Where will Black Powder sit when the dust settles? I grade fragrances simply, with three possible answers to the age-old question... is this fragrance worth a full bottle purchase? Yes, No, or Maybe. Thankfully, today's atomiser was much better than the Beat Cafe debacle, and it immediately brought the fire. There's a rich juicy fruity kick on the outset, tempered with a pimento spice but given a sharp twist with a hint of apple. It's a spicy fruit, and it's nice, but it quickly moves on to the main event... the leather. The leather is amazing. It's both warm and dark, noted in the writeup as suede, but there's nothing timid or smooth about it. It's augmented by a fine tobacco leaf accord, and strengthened with a woodsy core. I think that Leather scents are my love language, and I like them to deliver loud, from the chest. In that aspect, Black Powder delivers in spades. As the scent progresses to the base notes, its leathery core goes from strength to strength. Tonka and patchouli compliment the bubble, bringing a richness and a greenness that keeps the intrigue going. The spice is still there, the smoke is still there... even the juicy fruit lingers a touch, adding a sweetness to the dark and almost dirty profile. I get a slight hint of gunpowder too, incendiary on a number of levels. As for the performance and projection... it's fantastic. I'm currently in my 13th hour of wear, and the leather is still proud and punchy. It doesn't overpower a room, but it makes itself known for much longer than, well, grunge did in its pomp. I also listened to the scent's suggested playlist while wearing it. Again, it was a mixed bag. It was Nirvana-centric, as you'd expect, and I hate the band as their coming heralded the death knell for one of my favourite musical genres: 80's Heavy Metal. The whole grunge thing, with its slacker aesthetic and unbearable mopiness, did not inspire or enthuse. That said, the genre did produce some gems... the playlist had Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden, a legit banger that's in my Top 50 songs of all time.

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This is a heavy Cherry based scent released in 2023 by Fragrance World under the French Avenue sub-line. It seems to be quite popular as there are a few of these knocking around lately. This one seems to take inspiration from Cheey Smoke, though it carves out its own identity with a more pronounced leather and smoke profile. It does lean slightly feminine due to the cherry, but masculine in the dry down due to leather. The opening is an immediate popof juicy, syrupy cherry balanced by the medicinal warmth of saffron. The sweetness begins to fade into a tougher heart. The leather & smoke provide a masculine/edgy vibe, while osmanthus adds a subtle, velvety floral touch. The dry down is earthy & woody. The cypriol & vetiver give it a green-woody depth that anchors the smokiness. Performance ain't too bad, an easy 5 to 6hrs. Projection is real good for the first 2hrs after which it settles into a nice scent bubble. This is perfect for both cold weather & evening wear. This is an excellent choice for those who want a Cherry-Leather fragrance without the niche price tag. My Rating 7.5/10 Scent 2.5 Longevity 2 Sillage 2 Y/N 1