u/Opposite_Earth_4419

Not replying to further comments after 8pm 19 may and will archive/delete this, thanks for the engagement

—

I see a lot of people asking questions about HR process etc, I have more than a decade across several well known companies and industries. Happy to share proof of my credentials and experience to a moderator on the proviso I remain unidentified.

Nothing I write is professional advice or representative of the views of a past or current employer. All views are my own. If you require professional or legal advice you should speak to someone willing to provide that. The below is my personal opinion only.

EDIT: Wow, I didnt expect such a fast reaction. Will try my best to answer them all. I've answered one "Why do HR suck", I wont be providing a reply to anymore of these.

Another EDIT: I need to end responses for the day, but will keep it open and respond after work is finished for the day.

I'd really encourage any legitimate or constructive questions about specific workplace issues or the career.

IF you DONT WANT TO READ THE BELOW: This is the most wearable ultra-niche scent I’ve ever found. Excellent for the winter. Comes beautifully packaged. Unique, sensory, strawberry and pine scent that in my opinion is the best winter niche of all time.

EXTENDED WRITE Up:

-

I’m incredibly lucky to live in Melbourne, Australia because the fragrance scene here is honestly ridiculous.

We have access to some of the best fragrance stores anywhere in the world and there’s very little that feels truly inaccessible. One place I keep going back to is NOAH, which specialises heavily in niche perfumery. I’ll stop in every so often just to smell things and explore because there’s always something strange or beautiful sitting on the shelves.

One fragrance that completely captured me was Imaginary Authors Cape Heartache.

Funny enough, I first heard about it through fragrance YouTube. I actually think fragrance influencers matter more than people want to admit. I remember Evanscents interviewing Redolessence about the best fragrances for each season, and when winter came up, Redolessence mentioned Cape Heartache. That recommendation stayed in my head for months before I finally smelled it in person.

And the second I did, I understood it.

So many brands call themselves “niche” now that the word has almost lost meaning. Sometimes niche just means expensive designer with weird marketing. But Imaginary Authors genuinely feels artistic in concept and execution. Every fragrance is built around a fictional story written by an imaginary author, and somehow it never comes across as pretentious or gimmicky because the fragrances actually smell like ideas and atmospheres rather than just collections of notes.

To me, Imaginary Authors sits somewhere between Zoologist and Etat Libre d’Orange. Zoologist absolutely deserves respect for creativity and quality, but if I’m being honest, a lot of Zoologist fragrances feel more like olfactory art installations than things I genuinely want to wear. They’re impressive, sometimes brilliant, but not always emotionally wearable. Etat Libre d’Orange pushes provocation and personality. Imaginary Authors somehow lands in the middle where the fragrances are conceptual and atmospheric while still being genuinely wearable and comforting.

Cape Heartache is supposedly about heartbreak in the forests of the American Midwest and somehow it absolutely smells like that. The official notes are Douglas fir, pine resin, western hemlock, vanilla leaf, strawberry, old growth, and mountain fog, which sounds completely ridiculous on paper. Strawberry and pine resin should clash horribly. Instead, this fragrance turns them into something weirdly haunting.

The opening is extremely green and resinous. You immediately get this cold pine forest effect that smells photorealistic without turning into cleaning product territory. A lot of “forest” fragrances accidentally smell like air freshener or sauna oil. Cape Heartache doesn’t. The woods smell damp, cold, and expansive. There’s almost a mentholic freshness to the pine and fir without smelling minty.

Then the strawberry appears and not synthetic candy strawberry eithe!!!. It smells muted and melancholic, almost like strawberry jam eaten outdoors in freezing air. The sweetness never dominates the fragrance. Instead it softens the sharpness of the woods and gives the scent this strange emotional warmth underneath all the coldness. That contrast is what makes the fragrance special to me.

Technically, I’d classify it as a woody aromatic with gourmand facets, but it doesn’t fully sit in any category comfortably. It has resinous evergreen materials carrying most of the composition, while the strawberry accord acts almost like an emotional device rather than a traditional fruity note. The vanilla leaf in the base smooths everything out without making it creamy or dessert-like. There’s also this misty mineral quality, probably what they’re interpreting as “mountain fog”, that gives the fragrance air and distance instead of density.

Performance on my skin is actually very solid for something this atmospheric. I get around 7 to 9 hours pretty comfortably, with moderate projection for the first couple of hours before it sits closer to the skin. It’s not a beast mode fragrance and honestly that would ruin the mood anyway. This is the kind of scent people catch in the air briefly and lean in toward rather than something announcing itself across a room. I think this leads to fantastic performance actually because instead of going nose blind in twenty minutes it’s just subtlety there every hour or so wafting gently into me. Divine.

What I really love is that it creates imagery in my head instantly. Most fragrances smell good. Very few create an actual emotional setting. Cape Heartache smells like cold air, loneliness, memory, pine needles soaked from rain, and trying to romanticise your own sadness while standing in the middle of nowhere….i wear it and feel like im sitting under the stars under a tree canopy with a roaring camp fire crying my heart out.

And honestly, that’s what niche fragrance should be doing, telling a story, being unique, and also something interesting to wear

The bottle cap and atomiser aren’t the best but otherwise packaging is 9/10 for creativity

Uniqueness of scent is 10/10. Never smelled anything like it.

Value is 8/10. $200 AUD is expensive for 50ml however this is extremely niche and limited in production, making it a very expensive fragrance to produce. It is also very high quality and doesn’t smell synthetic.

Projection is low. About a foot. But it leaves a small trail and I can smell it for at least 7 hours. 8/10 for performance

Overall I think this is a 9/10. Almost the perfect niche!

Righto lads and ladies, I’ve got here what is easily one of the most interesting designer scent duos I’ve picked up in my collecting journey.

I’m reviewing these together because they are undeniably related, and while there are differences, they’re closer to identical twins born a day apart than they are regular siblings.

First off, if you’ve ever found comfort in the smell of fabric softener or the cleanest hand soap in a luxury hotel, go for this immediately. Some will argue this isn’t blind buy safe, I disagree, provided you already enjoy that kind of clean, soapy style of fragrance. The only mistake I made was getting a 50ml instead of a 100ml. Oh well.

Now, onto the fragrances themselves: Prada L’Homme and Prada L’Homme Intense.

Simply put, these are relatively unique, adult fresh-clean fragrances. If there is such a thing as smelling “clean”, it’s this. Think freshly washed clothes, crisp linens, and that refined “put together” vibe.

If I had to give them identities:

* Prada L’Homme (EDT, clear bottle): freshly washed white T-shirt and jeans
* Prada L’Homme Intense (EDP, black bottle): freshly laundered, starched white shirt — ready for work or a night out

Unless you’re particularly picky or experienced with both, they come across as nearly identical. The Intense version is darker and richer, with a smoother, more weighted feel. I do find it performs better too with longer lasting with better projection, but both are outstanding.

I’ve noticed a touch of Dior Homme DNA in the opening, but overall I still see this as a standalone style within designer fragrances.

I’ve got to give both a 10/10. Just two incredibly well-rounded, perfectly balanced scents that stand apart from most other designer releases.
From what I’ve seen, discounts are fairly limited at the moment, though you can occasionally find 20–30% off retail, especially on the EDT.

There have been whispers about the Intense version being discontinued, but for now it still appears widely available through retailers and Prada themselves. Honestly, I think it’s worth picking up even at full retail if that’s your only option.

Both sit among the highest-rated fragrances on Fragrantica, and I can absolutely see why. Outstanding releases.

Ladies and gents, today’s entry into the haul hall of fame. This is definitely the most fragrances I’ve ever bought in a single day, but a local store had discounted stock.

I’ve always preferred 100ml bottles because the cost per ml is usually better than 50ml. But my collection has now grown to well over 40 bottles, and even a 50ml bottle gives you roughly 500 sprays (sometimes many more)

If you’re averaging around 10 sprays a day, say five in the morning and five later in the day, even a 50ml bottle can last close to two months. I know plenty of people here have collections that dwarf mine.

On the “do fragrances expire” debate, I know some people stick to the 2–3 year idea, but in reality most fragrances, if stored properly, will last many years. Often 10–20 years without major issues.

That said, I’m 30, and I already have what is effectively a decade or more of fragrance even if I used them regularly. And realistically, I won’t be wearing 10 sprays a day all the time. Some days it will be far less depending on what I’m wearing.

My current thinking is this: for true daily drivers, 100ml still makes sense. If the price difference between 50ml and 100ml is small, go for the 100ml. And some fragrances only come in one size anyway, so that’s simple.

But for fragrances that are more “collection pieces” and won’t be worn often, I’m leaning toward 50ml going forward or smaller. Sometimes discovery kits will be fine too. Even if the cost per ml is slightly worse, the reality is I’m unlikely to finish most 100ml bottles anyway. Smaller bottles also make the collection more manageable and give more flexibility to rotate things out over time.

Hopefully some of you enjoy reading my write ups. I enjoy writing them. Take care.

Ladies and gents, today’s entry into the haul hall of fame. This is definitely the most fragrances I’ve ever bought in a single day, but a local store had discounted stock.

I’ve always preferred 100ml bottles because the cost per ml is usually better than 50ml. But my collection has now grown to well over 40 bottles, and even a 50ml bottle gives you roughly 500 sprays (sometimes many more)

If you’re averaging around 10 sprays a day, say five in the morning and five later in the day, even a 50ml bottle can last close to two months. I know plenty of people here have collections that dwarf mine.

On the “do fragrances expire” debate, I know some people stick to the 2–3 year idea, but in reality most fragrances, if stored properly, will last many years. Often 10–20 years without major issues.

That said, I’m 30, and I already have what is effectively a decade or more of fragrance even if I used them regularly. And realistically, I won’t be wearing 10 sprays a day all the time. Some days it will be far less depending on what I’m wearing.

My current thinking is this: for true daily drivers, 100ml still makes sense. If the price difference between 50ml and 100ml is small, go for the 100ml. And some fragrances only come in one size anyway, so that’s simple.

But for fragrances that are more “collection pieces” and won’t be worn often, I’m leaning toward 50ml going forward or smaller. Sometimes discovery kits will be fine too. Even if the cost per ml is slightly worse, the reality is I’m unlikely to finish most 100ml bottles anyway. Smaller bottles also make the collection more manageable and give more flexibility to rotate things out over time.

Hopefully some of you enjoy reading my write ups. I enjoy writing them. Take care.

Ladies and gents, today’s entry into the haul hall of fame. This is definitely the most fragrances I’ve ever bought in a single day, but a local store had discounted stock.

I’ve always preferred 100ml bottles because the cost per ml is usually better than 50ml. But my collection has now grown to well over 40 bottles, and even a 50ml bottle gives you roughly 500 sprays (sometimes many more)

If you’re averaging around 10 sprays a day, say five in the morning and five later in the day, even a 50ml bottle can last close to two months. I know plenty of people here have collections that dwarf mine.

On the “do fragrances expire” debate, I know some people stick to the 2–3 year idea, but in reality most fragrances, if stored properly, will last many years. Often 10–20 years without major issues.

That said, I’m 30, and I already have what is effectively a decade or more of fragrance even if I used them regularly. And realistically, I won’t be wearing 10 sprays a day all the time. Some days it will be far less depending on what I’m wearing.

My current thinking is this: for true daily drivers, 100ml still makes sense. If the price difference between 50ml and 100ml is small, go for the 100ml. And some fragrances only come in one size anyway, so that’s simple.

But for fragrances that are more “collection pieces” and won’t be worn often, I’m leaning toward 50ml going forward or smaller. Sometimes discovery kits will be fine too. Even if the cost per ml is slightly worse, the reality is I’m unlikely to finish most 100ml bottles anyway. Smaller bottles also make the collection more manageable and give more flexibility to rotate things out over time.

Hopefully some of you enjoy reading my write ups. I enjoy writing them. Take care.

Went into Bujairami for the first time today. Tried a range of their “inspired by” fragrances. The naming in-store is a bit confusing so I’m going off what’s printed on the back of the bottles for what each one is meant to replicate.

Prices for context (rough international conversions):

- $50 AUD ≈ $26 USD / £20 GBP
- $60 AUD ≈ $31 USD / £24 GBP
- $500 AUD (typical designer 100ml retail) ≈ $260 USD / £200 GBP
- $550 AUD ≈ $286 USD / £215 GBP

All testing was done on strips and some skin on fragrances I have used the OG for at least 2 weeks daily use.

---

### Prada L’Homme
This is easily the most impressive of the lot.

They’ve done a genuinely solid job replicating the iris here. It immediately reads as that clean, soapy, hotel-lobby DNA that Prada L'Homme is known for.

I would actually recommend this one. That said, this is also one of the easier designer DNAs to clone well. Prada L’Homme is a clean, fairly linear composition built around iris and musk, so it’s naturally more forgiving.

On strip it lasts well and stays close to the original for a decent amount of time.

---

### Tom Ford Oud Wood
I know this one very well and have worn multiple bottles of the original.

This clone opens quite harsh and synthetic compared to the smooth resinous woodiness of Oud Wood.

On strip it dropped off quickly and what remained didn’t really resemble the original in any meaningful way. This was a miss for me.

---

### Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous
Opening is surprisingly close, maybe 80 to 90 percent similar initially.

But it loses structure quickly. Within about 10 minutes it becomes very faint and powdery, and the drydown doesn’t hold the same almond leather richness as Fucking Fabulous.

This feels more like a short-lived impression of the opening rather than a full recreation.

---

### Prada Paradigme
Initial impression is again fairly close to the original DNA.

However the drydown shifts quite quickly and becomes much less recognisable. It fades faster than expected on both strip and skin and loses structure.

Not particularly convincing overall.

---

### Tom Ford Ombré Leather
This is probably the most wearable of the group.

It doesn’t replace the original but it’s ok. I got a couple of hours on strip and it maintains a general leather DNA throughout.

It is clearly more synthetic than Ombré Leather (2018), but still wearable if you don’t know the original.

---

### Overall impression
Overall, I went in expecting a mix of hits and misses and that’s basically what I got.

Rough summary:
- Some fragrances get very close on opening (especially Prada L’Homme)
- Most lose similarity in the drydown
- Performance is generally weaker than the originals
- Complexity and smoothness are noticeably reduced in most cases

The Prada L’Homme interpretation stands out as the most successful and genuinely wearable. The rest vary from “reasonable impression” to “falls off quite quickly”.

I think the main takeaway for me is that clone houses can do certain DNA structures very well, especially simpler clean designer scents. But more complex compositions or heavily layered fragrances are much harder to replicate convincingly from start to finish.

At the end of the day these feel more like interpretations than replacements, and how valuable they are depends a lot on whether you already own or know the originals.

This is all coming from someone who has 15 clones themselves now and actually really enjoys what I have bought. However, I personally will not be buying anything from this company and instead will be focusing my energy on more established clone houses such as Armaf, Rahaan and Lattafa that in my personal opinion seem to be making more considered and quality fragrances more slowly and surely many of which are not simply trying to dupe you for the opening but our fantastic fragrances in their own right and seem to be relying much more on their reputation as a fragrance house than the name of the original fragrance.

…as someone that only used to to collect TF and slowly I’ve been building more designer I’m shocked at how excellent the dupes have gotten. Some of them are fantastic. Really useful for my freshies like Pacific Chill, Greenley etc where I want that DNA but wish to use my money on prioritising quality TF or woody oud designers…

How have you been changing your collection??

Until recently, I would regularly buy hundreds of dollars worth of Amazon gift cards every month for shopping. These attracted 3 points per $1. I was easily earning 15k points a year on general household goods.

Confirmed change is they’ve removed the ability to buy these ongoing and now only during a “promotional period” will this be possible.

I noticed the same for a number of other gift cards too.

Not only are redemptions being squeezed, but day by day it’s becoming harder to even earn points…

I’ve also had a recent incident where I did click for a purchase, I got a “was tracked” email, the product arrived, it was marked as “refunded” despite me never refunding it and yet when I challenged this the points were never awarded.

I actually loathe the constant dumping on Qantas on social media but as the enshitification continues…I struggle to keep defending them.

First of all, i’m totally disinterested in anyone saying that I am using too much. I absolutely love this fragrance. It is freezing cold where I live and I love to put it on my pillow on my Hoody on my T-shirt and that’s why I’ve put such a heavy dent in it so fast.

The second as you can see, I have a wide variety of very expensive fragrances alongside much cheaper fragrances, and I also have an entire drawer of decant from niche houses. I feel I need to reiterate this because I feel most SWI glazers get accused of being juvenile, or just following hype. My collection has many scents few others use like London, Jazz, bana banana, Lhomme, and rare Tom fords that I’ve never come across anyone else wearing. I’m not against being individual. The entire PDM scent discovery, and a few others like Aesop etc. countless other fragrances I have used over the years include many other designers such as Chanel BDC, Sauvage, etc all used and abused and eventually tossed.

Nothing beats SWYI. I’m sorry but this stuff is popular for a reason. Totally disinterested that it’s mass appealing and talked about, that would be like saying you can’t listen to Beethoven because he’s too popular.

I think it’s also possible to wear year round, you just need to use far less at the office or gym, maybe 1-2 sprays max.

I have never in my life found a fragrance that is such good value, lasts for a long time, is sellable by me as well as others (I don’t go nose blind) and despite internet hype this is still slept on. Most people outside fragrance have never heard of it. It’s sweet yet but the dry down is surprisingly sophisticated so much that it isn’t fair to relegate this directly to the gourmand section. It is a unique blend and nothing else comes close.

10/10

I’ve been sitting with this one for a bit and I think I’ve finally figured out why it doesn’t click for me…

On paper, this is an easy win. It’s one of the most wearable fragrances I own. You can throw it on in literally any situation: work, gym, date, hot day, cold day, doesn’t matter. It opens with a slightly fizzy citrus thing, maybe a hint of pineapple if you go looking for it, then settles into a clean, mildly sweet, slightly powdery drydown. It’s modern without being cloying, fresh without being sharp. Performance is solid too, decent projection and it lasts long enough to not feel like a waste.

So yeah, nothing is wrong with it.

But that’s kind of the issue.

I blind bought this expecting something a bit more distinctive based on the “pineapple citrus” talk. In reality, that aspect is pretty muted. What I mostly get is a very well-blended, higher-quality version of that generic “blue shower gel” smell we’ve all come across a hundred times. It’s smooth, it’s clean, it’s pleasant… but it’s also extremely familiar.

It sits in this weird spot where it feels slightly overhyped by the people who talk about it, yet also not that talked about overall. You don’t see massive hype waves or cult status, and the heavy discounting kind of reflects that. I picked mine up for about half retail, which honestly feels like the right price.

If I’m being blunt, it smells like it could be a flanker in the Sauvage or YSL Y line. Not a bad flanker either, just one that doesn’t try to push anything forward. It plays it very, very safe…

This is probably one of the most universally “okay” fragrances out there. It’s inoffensive to the point where it’s almost impossible to dislike. Age doesn’t matter either, I could see a teenager wearing this or someone twice that age and it wouldn’t feel out of place. It just works.

But for me, I don’t really want “just works” when I’m buying another bottle.

If I reach for something, I want a bit of character, or at least something I can recognise a scent. Polo 67 never quite gets there. It’s the definition of a dumb reach, but also the definition of forgettable.

I respect it more than I enjoy it…that’s why I won’t be rebuying.

I’ve been sitting with this one for a bit and I think I’ve finally figured out why it doesn’t click for me…

On paper, this is an easy win. It’s one of the most wearable fragrances I own. You can throw it on in literally any situation: work, gym, date, hot day, cold day, doesn’t matter. It opens with a slightly fizzy citrus thing, maybe a hint of pineapple if you go looking for it, then settles into a clean, mildly sweet, slightly powdery drydown. It’s modern without being cloying, fresh without being sharp. Performance is solid too, decent projection and it lasts long enough to not feel like a waste.

So yeah, nothing is wrong with it.

But that’s kind of the issue.

I blind bought this expecting something a bit more distinctive based on the “pineapple citrus” talk. In reality, that aspect is pretty muted. What I mostly get is a very well-blended, higher-quality version of that generic “blue shower gel” smell we’ve all come across a hundred times. It’s smooth, it’s clean, it’s pleasant… but it’s also extremely familiar.

It sits in this weird spot where it feels slightly overhyped by the people who talk about it, yet also not that talked about overall. You don’t see massive hype waves or cult status, and the heavy discounting kind of reflects that. I picked mine up for about half retail, which honestly feels like the right price.

If I’m being blunt, it smells like it could be a flanker in the Sauvage or YSL Y line. Not a bad flanker either, just one that doesn’t try to push anything forward. It plays it very, very safe…

This is probably one of the most universally “okay” fragrances out there. It’s inoffensive to the point where it’s almost impossible to dislike. Age doesn’t matter either, I could see a teenager wearing this or someone twice that age and it wouldn’t feel out of place. It just works.

But for me, I don’t really want “just works” when I’m buying another bottle.

If I reach for something, I want a bit of character, or at least something I can recognise a scent. Polo 67 never quite gets there. It’s the definition of a dumb reach, but also the definition of forgettable.

I respect it more than I enjoy it…that’s why I won’t be rebuying.

I’ve been sitting with this one for a bit and I think I’ve finally figured out why it doesn’t click for me…

On paper, this is an easy win. It’s one of the most wearable fragrances I own. You can throw it on in literally any situation: work, gym, date, hot day, cold day, doesn’t matter. It opens with a slightly fizzy citrus thing, maybe a hint of pineapple if you go looking for it, then settles into a clean, mildly sweet, slightly powdery drydown. It’s modern without being cloying, fresh without being sharp. Performance is solid too, decent projection and it lasts long enough to not feel like a waste.

So yeah, nothing is wrong with it.

But that’s kind of the issue.

I blind bought this expecting something a bit more distinctive based on the “pineapple citrus” talk. In reality, that aspect is pretty muted. What I mostly get is a very well-blended, higher-quality version of that generic “blue shower gel” smell we’ve all come across a hundred times. It’s smooth, it’s clean, it’s pleasant… but it’s also extremely familiar.

It sits in this weird spot where it feels slightly overhyped by the people who talk about it, yet also not that talked about overall. You don’t see massive hype waves or cult status, and the heavy discounting kind of reflects that. I picked mine up for about half retail, which honestly feels like the right price.

If I’m being blunt, it smells like it could be a flanker in the Sauvage or YSL Y line. Not a bad flanker either, just one that doesn’t try to push anything forward. It plays it very, very safe…

This is probably one of the most universally “okay” fragrances out there. It’s inoffensive to the point where it’s almost impossible to dislike. Age doesn’t matter either, I could see a teenager wearing this or someone twice that age and it wouldn’t feel out of place. It just works.

But for me, I don’t really want “just works” when I’m buying another bottle.

If I reach for something, I want a bit of character, or at least something I can recognise a scent. Polo 67 never quite gets there. It’s the definition of a dumb reach, but also the definition of forgettable.

I respect it more than I enjoy it…that’s why I won’t be rebuying.

Photo: https://imgur.com/a/PbvF6gB

I can’t upload the rest in the main post so I’ll put another photo plus my full list (I’ve added a few more since the photos lol)

Which fragrance will you steal when I’m not looking. And if you’re in a good mood which one of yours will you gift me as a sorry (has to be one you like no secretions magnifique or SpongeBob)

Here we have the first fragrance I ever owned alongside the latest to my collection.

Yes, believe it or not until yesterday I had never smelled Stronger with You Intensely.

I didn’t really collect fragrances properly until the last few months ago. I was more just stacking Tom Ford fragrances. I finally decided to diversify and buy some more popular and well-known scents.

I think this is a great example of something being popular for a reason. It is a fantastic fragrance at an accessible price point. It smells absolutely delicious and is the kind of thing that makes me wanna cuddle my partner on a cold night and bury my face in their hoodie. Even though this is a fragrance that I think it’s best suited to cold weather, I do think that you could wear this any time and to any place provided that you made sure that on a hot day or wearing to work all the gym you sprayed this only once on skin. It is definitely a fragrance that if oversprayed on a warm day would be cloying and overpowering.

I very rarely only ever wear one fragrance. I always like to lay on my fragrances. I think that SWYI is a fantastic pairing with quite an older fragrance called Burberry London. Burberry London is a warm spicy cinnamon scent, but much less sweet than SWYI. Think pumpkin spice rather than vanilla. It is a delicious soft fragrance that sadly doesn’t perform particularly well so needs applying throughout the day. However I really enjoy the tobacco and woody accords that blend wonderfully with the vanilla toffee of SWYI.

SWYI I have to allocate a 10/10 because this scent smells wonderful, lasts all day, is widely liked, accessible, comes in a nice bottle, good atomiser, it just doesn’t miss at all. For those few who don’t have it, it is absolutely a safe blind buy as if for some reason you dislike it it can be very safely regifted. Vanilla is the worlds most enjoyed scent and therefore it is extremely safely to wear anytime, provided you only use one spray or two during the warmer months.

Burberry London is very affordable at only $35USD for 100ml but is unfortunately only a 6/10 for me as while the smell is perfect for me this isn’t a crowd pleasure and the performance sucks.

Despite what the photos suggest I only got into fragrance about a year ago. Up until then I wasn’t so much collecting fragrance as I was about collecting Tom Ford which as you can see makes up almost my entire collection. Even in the second photo we have five more Tom Ford’s. (Ombré leather and Oud Mineral have their label hidden).

I have most of the club de nuit range (EDT intense is my daily fragrance) alongside Date for Men by Jeremy fragrance. I recently ordered Polo67 EDP, and Giorgio Armani ADG parfum).

I feel a bit lost. I really enjoy woody fragrances but felt my collection lacks balance. I bought YSL Jazz because I didn’t want to get a boring one everyone else has like Y and I remembered my dad used to use Jazz when I was a kid and I would borrow it sneakily. Now I have it I do like it because it smells of my dad but at the same time..I see why people say it’s dated.

I don’t know I feel like my collection (I’m not putting it down or being ungrateful I know I have some good things) just doesn’t seem balanced. Where do I go? More designer classics like the ones I have on the way? I really want Greenley by PDM and maybe tobacco vanilla by tomorrow ford but I’m just feeling a little lost.

I’m also taking a little break because I’m buying a fragrance every other week lately and it feels like too much.

Thank you for your reading and consideration.

As a little intro I’d like to say I’m 35 I work in an office in Australia and I like to spray a lot of sprays and be nice smelling. I often take my fragrance to work and put more on at lunchtime. Of course I make sure to ask my work bestie if I’m gassing anyone and she always makes sure I don’t put too much on.

I cannot possibly pick a favourite fragrance but from my Tom fords it would be Oud Wood/Noir EDP. I collected a lot of Tom fords before the hype went insane and so those flagons were bought half empty in 2018-2019. Plum japanois is my favourite “unique” scent in the collection. It is highly sought after and discontinued.

My favourite non Tom ford scent is Burberry London which is fresh spicey and perfect for winter. Sadly it performs badly so I often use it as a pillow spray before sleep. It’s calming.

One of my favourites is of course creed aventus however I unfortunately cannot justify $550 AUD fragrances anymore that is so overdone copied by everyone and doesn’t perform.

I truly think Armaf make the best value fragrances on the planet and I will never buy Chanel Bleu or savage again because they are good however the clones are so close now and the performance of Chanel particularly is poor for the price I feel.

I am constantly ordering decanted scents and samples.

I recently tried T. Rex which I felt was absolutely disgusting and I was really surprised by that given the fact that I really enjoy smoking leathery. However, unfortunately T-Rex was simply unbearable and smelt like a burning barbecue. I felt that my most memorable fragrance of all time was secretions Magnifik. Of course this fragrance is not particularly nice smelling at all however it certainly was most memorable for me and I felt that it was a masterpiece of olfactory creation.

Attitude toward fragrances may be surprising given that I’m asking for other people’s advice but I generally don’t care what other people think about my fragrances. Despite the fact that I have a lot of expensive Tom Ford fragrances. I will happily buy a dupe of just about anything else. I think that for fragrance should be good. It must do two things: one the wearer must like it, two it must perform. If those two are accomplished then it is a good fragrance period I feel.

Thanks for reading!!