I'm really looking forward to the pile of decants & samples I have staged for the next couple of weeks. Most are niche, but there are a couple of cheapies and some Michael Malul in there as well. Fun, fun!!! After a couple of test sprays, I was excited to give Outlands a full wearing today, and it was fantastic! This fragrance has gotten lots of love in the BOS, so I had to experience it for myself! It opens very strong with a hint of oud, other woods, powder, spices and a bit of citrus. At 30 minutes it quickly becomes a medium toned, masterfully blended concert of notes, with florals adding their support and a touch of sweetness, and any edges have been rounded out. Iris isn't listed, but I'm getting a powdery texture that contributes smoothness and elegance. There is also an undercurrent of ambery richness and sweetness. Projection and sillage remain strong for 90 min before down-shifting to moderate. At 2 hrs a lighter toned wood note (birch?) becomes more noticeable, but still allows the ambery sweetness to pop in and out. At 3 hrs, the notes are still a beautifully balanced, medium toned, woody-floral, with a solid 1 ft scent bubble and steady sillage. The more time that passes, the more warm this fragrance becomes. The line between when it becomes a skin scent is pretty fuzzy, because I was still catching whiffs of it at the 9 hr mark! If I didn't wash it off for my evening scent, it would still be very much present the next morning. I'm jumping on the Outlands hype train, because it is an amazing smelling, very masculine, long lasting masterpiece. This is everything I want in a woody fragrance, and, when I slow down on testing samples, this will be a full bottle added to the arsenal.

Alright guys... the dust has settled, the votes are in and The Gourmand Wars have officially reached the Final Four!! We started with a full field of sweet heavy hitters, dessert kings and edible-smelling troublemakers, and now only four remain. On the vanilla side, Giorgio Armani Stronger With You Intensely pushed through the designer bracket with that rich, sweet, crowd-pleasing swagger, while Parfums de Marly Althair stood tall in niche with its smooth, luxurious vanilla game. Over in chocolate, Guerlain L’Instant EDP kept things classy and refined in the designer lane, while By Kilian Black Phantom came through the niche bracket like a dark, boozy menace with zero interest in playing nice. That means the road to the crown now looks like this: Vanilla Final (3) Giorgio Armani Stronger with You Intensely vs (1) Parfums de Marly Althair Chocolate Final (2) Guerlain L'Instant EDP vs (2) By Kilian Black Phantom At this point, there are no weak links left. Every fragrance still standing has earned its place, and now it comes down to what kind of gourmand experience hits hardest for you. Do you want smooth modern sweetness, upscale vanilla luxury, refined cocoa elegance or dark decadent danger in a bottle? What say you, guys? Which Final Four fragrance has the best chance to win it all? Which matchup feels tighter: vanilla or chocolate? And which fragrance that got eliminated are you still defending like it got done dirty? Love to hear from ya'!

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