First time growing the stache. This is a week of not shaving. Any tips to maintain it and what type of products to use? Thank you!

Not a huge fan of vanilla in fragrances unless it’s done right and Eav Des Bavx is one of the few in my collection that does it right. Beautiful smoky amber vanilla fragrance that is warm and spicy. It opens up with some nice cardamom and incense, along with some dry woods but the dry down is where that vanilla becomes prominent along with the cinnamon.

Very masculine and old school. It’s a shame L’Occitane rebranded this, made the bottle smaller and raised the price. Performance is moderate, usually get 6 to 7 hours of total longevity.

This one is a fall and winter staple for me. If you can still find this in the brown bottle for a decent price I would highly recommend it.

Finally getting around to trying Street Origins, the sub-brand of French Avenue. Purchased off FragFlex for $30. Love Daze Santorini stood out to me based on the notes.

This fragrance is definitely in the Percival/Fierce/Kaaf DNA neighborhood. When comparing to Kaaf and Montblanc Legend EDP, they are very similar in the air. Where Santorini differs compared to those 2 is the freshness and citruses. Santorini feels slightly more citrus forward and more aromatic. Super clean, a little synthetic and mass appealing. This isn’t a DNA that will knock your socks off. You’ve smelled this before, but the quality is good and the performance is outstanding.

First wear I was getting whiffs of it all day, with strong projection for the first 2 and a half hours or so and lasting throughout my 10 hour shift.

My biggest complaint is with the bottle lol.. it looks cheap and tacky. Atomizer is also decent but not pressurized. For a $30 fragrance though, it’s performance and scent profile outshine the presentation.

This isn’t something you need in your collection if you already have any of the aforementioned fragrances but it is nice for what it is. An easy to wear, mass appealing freshy with great performance.

Finally ran through my bottle of YSL Tuxedo and as much as I love that fragrance, I can’t justify dropping that much for a new one currently. Now I’ve had my eyes on Moustache for years now but never pulled the trigger on it until now. Was able to get this 125 mL for $24.

What a bang for your buck this is. The quality is fantastic. Very well blended and feels a lot more expensive than what it is. The vanilla and benzoin dry down here is really nice.

When I think of a gentleman’s fragrance, this DNA pops into my head immediately. Perfect for special occasions in the fall and winter.

Performance seems to be in the 5 to 6 hour range which is what I usually got from Tuxedo. I know you can get a Middle Eastern dupe of Tuxedo with better performance than Moustache but none of them will come close in terms of scent quality.

Was intrigued about this one more than Nava Sol since I’ve never smelled the OG before. It’s almost impossible to get at the moment and way overpriced but I do enjoy a lot of Carolina Herrera fragrances.

Cedrus Blanc is a very clean and aldehydic fragrance. Hints of citrus, some florals and soapy notes. In the dry down you do get that cedar along with musk. IMO very inoffensive fragrance and easy to wear. I’d say it does lean slightly feminine but well within the realm of unisex. For some reason, and it may just be my nose, this fragrance reminds me a little bit of Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous.

I’ve seen some people say already that the performance sucks. Idk how many times this needs to be said, but for these Middle Eastern dupes, they need time to mature. For me, the first wear performance was actually decent. About 6 hours total longevity. Projection was actually pretty strong the first hour before it settled into a more close scent. I still got whiffs of it throughout the day.

In conclusion, one of my favorite Rayhaan releases this year. They’ve dropped a lot of mid this year but Cedrus Blanc is one of the best. I’m sure all the other ME brands are getting ready to drop their version of this now so let’s prepare ourselves lol..

Have heard in the fragrance community how great the OG Terre D’Hermès is. Never got around to trying it until now. Saw it for $55 at Marshall’s and decided to scoop it up.

Now I see why this fragrance is so praised and considered a masterpiece. It just exudes class.

If you want to smell clean like you just got a fresh cut in a crisp white tee, Amber Pour Homme fits the vibe. Amazing fragrance. I’ve owned both the Puig (Spain) and newer France batches. There are subtle differences but nothing major. Truthfully the performance on both batches is around the same for me.

L’Homme Intense goes without saying. Absolutely beautiful scent. Not pictured was the OG L’Homme which I just ran out of but will be getting another bottle soon.

These just came in today and I’ve had all day to test both on each hand.

Starting with Karus Gold Absolu, I’ve never smelled Bal D’Afrique Absolu before but it seemed like a DNA I might like. KGA opens up fruity and sweet from the candied lemon. On the first blast I thought it might lean a little too feminine for me. However as it dried down, I got some earthiness mixed with the creamy praline that made it a little more masculine. Musks and white florals accompany this, with the musk being most prominent. To my nose, this smells a bit like BR540. Certainly will have to give it a full wear but it’s by no means a bad fragrance.

Performance wise, I sprayed it 2 times on my left hand. It’s been on for about 7 hours now and I still smell it a little bit as of this writing. Seemed to die down drastically around the 2 hour mark.

Initial first rating - 7/10

Mykonos Glitch was the one I was more excited to try. This is apparently a twist or mix of Aventus, Hacivat and Anelo. On the first spray, you get hit with that familiar pineapple amongst other fruits. It is a little smoky but to me this fragrance doesn’t resemble Aventus that much. I don’t get any Hacivat from this either, and I’ve never smelled Anelo so I can’t say. Glitch is just a nice clean pineapple forward scent. Reminds me a little of 9 PM Rebel but blended better. I really do enjoy this one.

Performance wise, I sprayed it 2 times on my right wrist. Projection seemed decent for the first hour and half. Behind that, remained closer to the skin but still had some staying power. Could see myself wearing this one quite a bit as a daily driver.

Initial first rating - 8/10

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Velixir Asteria (LV City of Stars dupe) - $50

Bois Blanc (Bois Imperial Twist) - $40

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Just in today is the brand new Nava Sol from Rayhaan. I have the OG Mojave Ghost but have yet to try the Absolu version so I can’t say how close this is to that.

It opens up with that very familiar Mojave Ghost DNA. If this supposedly what the Absolu smells like, it seems very redundant to the OG. You still get that airy, floral scent of the OG. The notes on this Rayhaan version, particularly the sapodilla and magnolia, seem a little more amplified. That’s really the only difference I can tell right now. Currently in the dry down phase of the fragrance and it’s very musky and clean smelling. Perfectly unisex just like the OG.

This left a nice scent bubble around me for the first 2 hours I had it on. It’s now in hour 5 and while I can still smell it, it has gotten much closer to skin.

As with most Rayhaan’s, some shelf time should probably help with the performance. Overall, a very easy to wear fragrance. If you’re a fan of the Mojave Ghost DNA, I’d give it a try. Would like to eventually pick up a bottle of the Absolu but will probably settle for a decant to test with this Rayhaan version.

Initial first impressions - 7.5/10

My second Velixir fragrance was delivered yesterday. Picked up for $40 from a reputable seller on Mercari. I’ve always said Meteore is better than Imagination so when I saw they had a take on Meteore I had to give it a try.

I’m really not the biggest fan of Khadlaj’s Shiyaaka Snow. Something in that one is just too off-putting to my nose. I’ve tried various times to give it a chance but it’s just way too sharp and rough. Uranus is much smoother and less harsh, especially in the opening. You still get the baby wipes type of feel but that’s just how this DNA is. Citrusy clean and easy to wear.

In terms of accuracy to the OG and performance, I’d say it’s very close to Meteore. The LV does have a little bit of a different dry down, whereas Uranus smells pretty linear throughout. Performance is also on par with the OG, about 7-8 hours of total longevity.

As with most of the other Velixir fragrances, the bottle and box are beautiful. Great atomizers and quality juice.

I do plan on trying Meteorite by Montagne next so I can do a comparison to Uranus. Montagne usually has more hits than misses for me so I’m expecting good things.

I also would like to give Velixir Ares (Chanel AHS Superleggera) and Velixir Astoria (LV City of Stars) a try as well but I refuse to pay these outrageous prices people are charging for a clone fragrance. If I see them in the $40 range I’ll get them but I’m not paying anything higher than that.

Initial first rating - 8.5/10

Fresh out of the mailbox today was the new Khadlaj Shiyaaka Sky. Ordered from Beauty House and got it quick in 2 days. This is Khadlaj’s take on the very expensive Guerlain Herbes Troublantes. Now I’ve never obviously smelled that so I’ll just share my initial thoughts on the scent profile.

This is a very fresh and green scent. Slightly powdery, slightly herbal. Florals coming from the orange blossom. It’s a very pleasant scent overall. Just smells clean. It reminds me of something that I can’t quite figure out yet as of this writing. Initial impressions are positive though.

It’s been on skin for about 4 hours now and it’s a bit closer to skin. Solid projection in the first 2 hours. We’ll see how long it lasts but feels like it will sit in the 5-6 hour range.

Fragrance Notes:

Top - Mandarin, Verbena, Bergamot

Mid - Orange Blossom, Green Accords, Neroli, Geranium

Base - Musk, Ambroxan, Sandalwood, Vetiver

Initial Rating - 8/10

I have never smelled Bóis Imperial before so I have to start by saying I have no clue how close this is to it. I have seen though that Bóis Blanc is a more light, fresh and mass appealing take on Bóis Imperial. Arabiyat Prestige is becoming one of my favorite ME houses though and Bóis Blanc is another great addition.

This opens up quite fresh thanks to the citruses here. That’s the most prominent note in the opening, almost like a sparkling citrus. I also get some pepper mixed in with some green notes. After a minute or so, the woody notes start to settle in nicely. Perhaps it’s just my nose but the woody notes give me little hints of Santal 33. I’ve seen people say the woods here remind them of pencil shavings and I can see where they are coming from. To me it’s not off-putting but I can see some people not liking it. Overall, I’d classify this fragrance as fresh green, woody, a little spicy and a bit mineral.

Perfectly unisex but leans masculine. This just smells like a man who has his shit together. It’s a beautiful DNA and since the OG isn’t crazy pricey, I will explore getting a decant of that before getting a full bottle.

Performance is very very good off the rip. 8+ hours on first wear. Strong room filling projection in the first hour. Wore it to work and heard a few people say that it smells good in here.

The bottle is absolutely beautiful. Great pressurized atomizer as well. Looks great on the shelf.

Overall, I’m a really big fan of this scent. Usually I give ME fragrances some time on the shelf to mature but right from the start this has good performance and smells well blended. If you can get your hands on it, I would recommend it. Sample first if you can as always.

Initial first rating - 9/10

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100 mL 2015 batch of La Nuit De L’Homme about 80% left. Noticeably stronger than current formulations.

Asking for $115.

No box but will ship with extra care.

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2015 batch of YSL La Nuit De L’Homme 3.4 oz - $115

Givenchy Pi EDT 3.4 oz - $35

PHOTOS

I was able to get Morpheus during the Velixir restock on Beauty House the other day. Picked this up for $57. Most of them sold out right away so I got lucky. I wanted to see what all the hype was with Velixir because you can barely get your hands on one of these.

So Morpheus to me is more of a twist on LV Imagination rather than a 1:1. To my nose, Morpheus is very similar to Aqua Dubai. Picture Aqua Dubai with a much more prominent cinnamon note. I feel like Morpheus does lean more into that soapiness feeling like Aqua Dubai does.

Longevity is definitely impressive, as first wear got me 7-8 hours with strong projection in the first 2 hours.

I will say I do love the box and the look of the bottle. It gives me niche vibes. Atomizer is pressurized and the bottle overall is quality.

Now my thoughts on Velixir is still somewhat negative and there’s one main reason. I feel like they are purposely sending limited stock out to hype the brand and cause a demand. I’m also sure they paid a lot of these content creators to help build that hype and demand by glazing these fragrances.

I can only speak on this fragrance because that’s all I’ve tried from the brand but it is a good fragrance. Not a 1:1 to Imagination but still close enough and has great performance. However due to it being hard to get, I’d say save a little money and just get Aqua Dubai until the hype on these die down and they become more accessible.

This one came and went when it released back in 2013. This is definitely a mature man’s freshie. Opens up pretty fresh and clean with some light spice but the dry down is where this fragrance really captivates me. There’s a nice subtle leather note, along with some musk and woods.

Overall, a slightly green leaning aquatic with pretty decent performance. A shame it never really caught on because it is a great, unique fragrance. Discontinued but can be had for around the $80 range if you look in the right places.

Probably the most classy fragrance I own. I usually reserve this for the fall but I made an exception today for the rainy weather. This smells like old money. Fresh, woodsy, spicy. The juniper, cedar and fir really stand out here. Just a beautiful and very slept on fragrance.

Thinking of also picking up Chanel Pour Monsieur when I get a new bottle of PE since I’ve never tried it

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❌ SOLD 2015 batch of YSL La Nuit De L’Homme 100 mL - $100

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PHOTOS HERE