As I explained last night, my X-Men (my Xerjoff collection) were victorious as my SOTE in a surprise victory over any selection from the Dark Empire (Amouage) as I selected XJ 1861 Renaissance for my dinner out last night. Tonight was a diffferent story. The plans included a summer party with a couple hundred people, so I had to play it a little safe. Nothing too forward, nothing too heavy - a real crowd-pleaser Afterall, I'm in the desert and it's about 70-75 degrees tonight and I'll be around a lot of people. Again, one of my X-Men seemed like a good choice. Maybe a little Torino21 or possibly a little Erba Gold would be in order. However, an unstoppable force spoke to me and guided me to a dove, and not just any dove, a Roja Dove. Specifically the Roja Dove that resides at 18-19 Burlington in London, England. One quick test spray of Roja Burlington 1819 and every single X-Man in my collection was toast. Burlington 1819 is a perfect summer fragrance that (IMO) may actually be worth the price of admission. The opening is a bright citrus blast of lime, grapefruit, and a very subtle mint. The quality of the ingredients are unmistakable and the skill of the blending is quite impressive. The mid continues with a clean and green vibe with a beautiful edge. At the base you MAY pick up some light tobacco, but the soft woods and musk were unmistakable. As I'm sure you know, this is an upscale creation but it's no beast. It's not particularly deep or heavy, and it's certainly NOT of an Amouage-level performance. The projection is moderate but unmistakable. It's a reward to those that choose to be physically closer to you, and believe me, they'll want to be physically closer to you (based on my experience tonight.) I would say the sillage is refined and polite, but it's there... This is a great choice for a nice summer evening and probably be a good choice during the day too depending on your situation. This is the sort of fragrance that gives Roja it's well-earned reputation as a top-tier niche House.

I’m not going to throw anyone under the bus, but a brother reached out to me directly and said he was tired of certain posts and certain people. He asked me how I could keep engaging with a particular brother and even suggested I should boycott that person’s posts. I ignored the message, but I want to say this publicly: This is a Brotherhood of Scent, not a gang. I am not here for followers, I am here to exchange opinions and knowledge. If I want followers, I can start a YouTube Channel !!! I’m not participating in cliques, group pressure, or ganging up on individuals. I’m here for one reason only: the shared love of fragrance. Looking around, it’s obvious there is sometimes an “us against them” mentality here, and it’s a shame. You can see it in the posts, the comments, the likes, the alliances, and the way some people purposely ignore others. It happens to me, it happens to others, and it happens more than some people want to admit. It's even more ironic that the person who reached out to me is one of the biggest offenders. I can’t tell people how to think, but if this is your mentality, you may want to re-examine your values. I will engage with anyone here, whether I agree with them or not. If someone disagrees with me, I’ll either re-examine my own point of view or I’ll respond respectfully. That is how discussion is supposed to work. As the saying goes, you like what you like. In my world, I’m always searching for the very best, whether that means the best clone, the best niche, or the best designer. That’s how I enjoy this hobby. Differences of opinion are not a problem for me. They are welcomed, respected, and worth exploring. A lot of times, hearing a different perspective has taught me something valuable or even changed my direction. I would much rather someone challenge my fragrance selections or disagree with me in a real way that helps me grow my collection! rather than just being a yes man. If you give me input, or I give you input, and it goes against either one of our opinions—whether it is about quality, value, or fragrance selection—it is welcomed. My response is not going to be hurt feelings. My response is going to be: " Why do you feel that way? You are not going to hurt my feelings. Either the conversation helps me grow my fragrance knowledge, or I stay the course because it is simply something I want to do. Either way, it is not going to make me lose sleep, and it is definitely not going to make me lose interest in the group.