Hey Brethren, Happy Day 11 of Fresh Start October and thank you @Lon Chaneyfield for the theme this month! Today, let’s dive into the fragrance houses that have captured your heart the most and why. Maybe it’s their unique scent profiles, the way their bottles look or feel in your hand, those crisp, satisfying atomizers, or a personal connection that makes the house special to you. Share your story; what makes these houses stand out in your collection and your journey? I’ll kick things off with my two favorites: Day Three Fragrances – This Phoenix-based house is a local gem that checks every box for me. Their scent profiles are high-quality and truly unique, the presentation is stunning, and their atomizers are hands down the best I’ve ever used. What sets them apart even more is my personal connection with the perfumer, Michael Paul. From the moment I stepped into their boutique, Michael treated me like a friend and not just a customer. I’ve even been lucky enough to get early access to their last two releases, Desert Rain and Midnight Raspberry. As a family-owned business, Day Three has my full support, and I’m proud to sing their praises. I currently own 10 bottles and can’t wait to preorder my 11th next week! Zaharoff – My journey with Zaharoff started with their jaw dropping bottle and box designs: pure artistry. I traded locally for Seraphim Red, but it didn’t quite vibe on my skin. Curious to learn more about the house, I joined the Zed Lounge, their Facebook community for fans. In my intro post, I mentioned my experience with Seraphim Red. The next day I got a personal message from George Zaharoff himself offering to trade my Seraphim Red for Seraphim Blue. I wasn’t even a customer yet, and George went out of his way to ensure my first experience with his brand was unforgettable. That gesture hooked me, and I immediately ordered CoCoLoCo, which I’d had my eye on. The storytelling, artistry, and community in the Zed Lounge, combined with George’s passion for his craft, make Zaharoff feel like more than a brand; it’s a vibe. I now own 21 bottles and have three more preorders lined up next week!

Ok, so I know that if you've been reading my posts, you've probably noticed that I recommend aurafragrance.com a ton. I promise that there's zero affiliation (otherwise there'd be a code..) Those of you that are familiar with this site know that their stock is usually pretty limited. However, there are two great things about this site.. First, when they do have full bottles in stock, there is no beating their prices. Also you can sign up for email alerts when those fragrances that you're looking for come in stock. Second, their decants are all 15ml and priced at about the same price per ml as most discounters sell the full bottle so you can have much more at a much better price than most decants and get much more juice to experiment with, so you can have a better feel on if you'd like to purchase a full bottle. I don't know about you, but sometimes I don't care for a fragrance too much the first or second time that I wear it and end up loving it later. I've been able to try ton of different niche fragrances this way and if there were some that I like but didn't consider them regular wears, I could still have multiple applications to use for just special occasions and not have to buy a full bottle. I now have 78 decants from them and I couldn't be happier with the selection that I have to choose from. How many of you have experienced this?