After hearing Sebastian talking about fragrances today and me being in this brotherhood, and reviewing several videos by @Antonio Centeno and Sebastian, they both have a love for fragrances and also have a wide respect and demonstrated knowledge for what they like, whether it's Niche, Designer, Clone, etc. As a member of this brotherhood, my takeaway and some knowledge for the brothers is this. The more I watch fragrance debates, the more I notice every group has its favorite defense. Clone warriors hide behind price. Niche snobs hide behind artistry. Designer loyalists hide behind safety and compliments. Clone warriors always bring up price because that is the strongest argument they have. They will say, “But it only costs $25 or $40,” as if a lower price automatically means it is equal to the original. I understand saving money. There is nothing wrong with value. But value and quality are not always the same thing. A clone can be a good deal and still not have the same smoothness, depth, transitions, or refinement as the original. And notice how clone warriors usually run straight to Middle Eastern clone houses and act like that is the whole clone world. It is not. There are better American and European clone-style houses that often do a better job with smoothness, balance, accuracy, and wearability. Houses like Montagne and Alexandria may cost more than some Middle Eastern dupes, but many times the blending, quality, and closeness to the original are better. The reason some clone warriors ignore them is simple: they do not protect the cheapest-price argument as well. A $45–$60 clone forces a more honest conversation. Now you cannot just say, “It only costs $25.” You have to talk about accuracy, quality, materials, smoothness, and how it actually compares to the original. That is where a lot of the hype starts to fall apart. Middle Eastern clones can be good. Some are excellent for the money. But a lot of them are also louder, sweeter, harsher, more synthetic, and less refined. Many chase performance and projection more than balance.

#sotd... Explorer Extreme by Montblanc... Great scent profile. Upon first wear, I get alot of the Sauvage Elixir DNA. Okay projection with really good sillage. I went 8 hours before refreshing. While this may not be beast mode or room filling projection, people will know you were in the room even after you leave. I give this an 8 out of 10.