I went to the mall yesterday to smell the Le Labo City Exclusives, and I will be going back again today because I don’t believe in making a final judgment from one quick visit—especially with fragrances carrying this kind of price tag. Unfortunately, the clerk told me he had already sprayed all the card stock that morning on SHIU 25 and would not let me spray fresh ones myself. That made absolutely no sense. When I told him, “All I’ll be able to smell is some of the drydown,” he just looked at me with a blank stare. If I am evaluating an expensive fragrance, I want to experience the opening, the development, and the drydown. Smelling a card that was sprayed several hours earlier only gives me one piece of the fragrance. In some cases, the opening and transition are what separate a good fragrance from a great one. The entire City Exclusives concept is built around scarcity. Each fragrance is attached to a particular city, available there throughout the year, and then released worldwide during a limited annual window. That naturally creates anticipation and makes people feel as though they need to make a decision before the opportunity disappears. But does limited availability automatically make the fragrance better? Absolutely not. Some of the City Exclusives are beautiful and distinctive. Gaiac 10, which I already own, is probably the best example for me. It is quiet, smooth, woody, and musky, but it has a presence that keeps pulling me back. It does not scream across the room, yet there is something addictive about the way it sits around you. I was also very impressed by Cedrat 37, the Berlin City Exclusive. I have now experienced it properly on skin, so this is no longer an impression based on an old test strip. It opens with bright, slightly tart cedrat citrus mixed with ginger and a touch of candied sweetness. As it develops, the woods, musk, and ambergris give it more body than a typical fresh citrus fragrance. It also has good staying power on my skin, which is important when we are talking about a fragrance at this price. Cedrat 37 stayed fresh without becoming thin or disappearing quickly, and the drydown maintained enough substance to keep me interested.

#sotd... Cedar in Acacia by Scents of Wood... This is my first love from the house of Scents Of Wood. Cedar In Acacia is a warm, resinous, and woody fragrance. This has a touch of freshness, spiciness, powderiness, and woodsiness all in one. From start to finish, I am absolutely obsessed with this scent profile. To me, this is a masterpiece that I will always have in my collection. The sad news is that this is being discontinued. I have secured 2 backup bottles for myself. As for performance? This has good projection and great longevity. I have been able to push this to the 10 hour mark before refreshing. This is an easy 10 out of 10 for me. If I had my way, this would be a fragrance that I would keep in production.