Match #38 is a study in contrasts: Versace Eros Eau de Toilette versus Tom Ford Ombré Leather. Eros (2012, created by Aurélien Guichard) was one of the first bottles I bought when I started this hobby two years ago, and I still enjoy it a great deal—although these days I prefer the Parfum flanker. It's unapologetically sweet and youthful, with vanilla, mint, green apple, and tonka bean creating that instantly recognizable Eros DNA. Tom Ford Ombré Leather (2018, created by Sonia Constant) operates in an entirely different world. Leather dominates, backed by cardamom, jasmine, patchouli, amber, and oakmoss. It's dark, smooth, sophisticated, and simply stunning. For me, this isn't particularly close. Ombré Leather is one of those fragrances that makes me look forward to cooler weather and date nights. I'd even wear it in the heat and humidity of Asia—although I'd definitely cut way back on the sprays. Tom Ford just gets leather fragrances. Ombré Leather advances to the quarterfinals, while Versace Eros drops into the second-chance bracket.

I’d acquired a sample set for this house a while back, and decided to give this one a try. It definitely isn’t something I expected it to be, aaaaaand I probably should have checked the notes better or like, tried it on paper before testing this one on my skin. This fragrance is definitely unique, but also probably isn’t something I’d personally wear again. Now that being said, taste and smell does vary from person to person, so if this one intrigued you, it’s still absolutely worth a try, and the superior blend quality is there. To sum it up, I personally don’t enjoy the profile, but I absolutely appreciate the artistic work and craftsmanship behind it. The opening spray is strong, intense, and spicy, and to me, it’s almost a bit fizzy. You’re blasted with a combination of citruses, florals, and petitgrain, which, combined with the heart of cherry, orris, and other florals and the touches of vanilla, gives it almost a root beer like quality to me. Particularly the opening sparkle combined with the cherry and orris. The initial fizz eventually tones down, and you’re left with a powdery, slightly lipstick-like combination of that orris and cherry heart. There’s that slightly medicinal sweetness from the cherry, which give a spicy, syrupy edge to the orris, which stay throughout, until a drydown of amber and sandalwood. Overall, I’d personally say I’m not going to wear this one again. Or maybe I’ll like it more in the future. But personally, I don’t really love this one. The heart in particular kind of rubs me the wrong way, and I’m not really a big fan of cherry fragrances in general, mainly because they’re a bit medicinal in my opinion, and combined with the orris, kind of makes it a bit too lipsticky for my taste. I do like powdery fragrances usually, but this combination just kind of has this cherry play-doh like scent. A very expensive play doh to say the least, but still… lol. Now that’s just my opinion here, and I think this scent profile, combined with the insane price tag, gives it a lower rating for me. I do appreciate the storytelling and artisinal accountability behind this, but I personally wouldn’t really wear this one again.