Wearing Himeros today. First spray was around 10:55 a.m., and about 20 minutes in it’s clearly in the mid phase. The opening moved quickly, but it was enjoyable. I initially got a cardamom-like spice impression, even though cardamom isn’t listed. Looking at the note breakdown, that makes sense. The combination of Sichuan pepper, clove, and tobacco leaf creates a warm, aromatic spice effect that can easily read as cardamom in the first few minutes. It was a nice, lively opening before the fragrance settled. Once it did, the leather came forward fast and strong. This is a very leather-forward scent in the mid. Masculine, direct, and confident. I initially thought to compare this to Tom Ford Ombre Leather, so I sprayed Ombre Leather and Tuscan Leather side by side. That comparison didn’t really hold. Both Ombre Leather and Tuscan Leather are much smoother leathers. They’re tempered by sweetness and feel more polished. Ombre Leather has a subtle sweetness that rounds the leather, and Tuscan Leather also carries a smooth, slightly sweet tone that softens the edges. Himeros is different. This feels like a more raw, unfiltered leather. Drier, rougher around the edges, and much more forward. It’s not animalic, but it’s also not suede-soft or cushioned by sweetness. The leather is clearly the focus right now. So far, the opening spice was pleasant, and the mid is very masculine and assertive. I haven’t reached the drydown yet, so I’m curious to see whether it softens or stays this direct as it continues to wear. I’ll update once it settles further. Update: As this continues to settle, about an hour in, vetiver starts to show up clearly and dries everything out even more. The leather is still present, but it’s no longer the main focus. At this stage, the drydown is very woody and dry. The best way I can describe it is pencil shavings. That clean, sharp, dry wood smell you get from freshly shaved wood. No sweetness coming back to soften it, and no animalic edge either.

This is one I sampled many moons ago, and wanted to give it a decant level look. I was off from work today, running some errands, and BIR Intense seemed like a good choice. This smells magically fantastic for the first hour and a half to 2 hrs, with its beautiful smooth, sweet, woody, floral, vanilla open with some powder, a touch of aromatics and pinch of warm spice. It settles down to a very nice, even airy, blend of all its notes, with mild, stable sillage that lasts a good 7 hours. I thought a little heat might activate the aroma, and it certainly did. It's in the 80s in South FL today, and the warms provide some extra energy to keep the sillage pumping. This fragrance is not heavy at all, and I'm curious how it would respond to even more outdoor heat? We shall see. I'm giving Haltane a first wear tonight, and I'm excited to see where it goes. Keep smelling great brothers!