

Guerlain Santal Royal (Les Absolus d’Orient)
Bought from fragrancenet. As far as I can tell, everything checks out, including the atomizer which matches the style of my bottles of Guerlain Habit Rouge and Nerolia Vetiver.
If anyone has a bottle to compare to or is otherwise able to tell, it’s much appreciated.
Thanks in advance :)
Martini paired with my dad’s favorite movie
I wasn’t expecting Hitchock’s North by Northwest to be on TCM tonight (for the 5th or 6th time just this year) or I would have bought some cocktail onions to drink along with Roger Thornhill and Eve Kendall while they have Gibsons during the train scene, but a classic olive-garnished Martini shall suffice.
2.75:1 Tanqueray:Boissiere Extra Dry, stirred with ice until properly chilled and diluted, strained into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnished with a whole Castelvetrano olive.
Highly recommend this amazing movie for those who have never seen it!
Had a fun (Chanel focused) shopping excursion yesterday
Good morning :)
I was at Short Hills mall (NJ) yesterday shopping for a gift for someone and had some extra time so I decided to smell some fragrances I’ve been meaning to try and wanted to share some takeaways of a very enjoyable afternoon with the sub.
First, I popped into the Chanel beauty boutique because I wanted to smell Pour Monsieur. It’s a delightful, timeless woody aromatic.
I started chatting with the sales associate about the Les Exclusifs. I feel like every time I try the line I grow more fond of it.
Today I was particularly enamored with Comete and Bois des Iles. Comete actually reminds me a little bit of Tom Ford Lost Cherry but I like it a lot more. It’s a really soft, semi-sweet powdery iris with almond. Bois des Iles is a very pretty creamy sandalwood. I also gave Cuir de Russie a quick sniff. I liked it but my nose was starting to get fatigued at that point so I’ll have to revisit it for a more thorough impression.
Coromandel, however, remains my favorite from the line and the lovely sales rep picked up on that and offered me a sample, unsolicited. Made my whole day!
It’s a rich, earthy, white chocolate-y patchouli with a brilliant glamorous sparkle. At times, it kinda reminds me a little of TCA (cork taint for those unfamiliar, often described as smelling of basement/wet cardboard) and that used to put me off slightly but for some reason now I’ve come to embrace it and feel like it adds to the charm a bit?
The only non-Chanel fragrance I sampled was Amouage Rose Incense. I spritzed the back of my hand a couple times, which was way too much. The rose is really pretty but I think it’s a bit too smoky for me. Oddly I enjoyed it much more after I tried washing it off, so maybe I’d like the base more? Amouage is a house I really want to adore but just haven’t been able to get on fully with most of what I’ve sampled, though I plan to continue to explore their catalog.
Anyway, I’ll probably treat myself to a bottle of Coromandel for my birthday in early September.
Happy Monday!
Event in NJ for anyone who might be interested
I hope this is allowed! If not mods feel free to remove.
There’s a new-ish restaurant (Italian steakhouse) in Morristown which is not too far from me and I follow them on Instagram. The restaurant is called Masseria.
They posted this ad the other day for a “sip and spritz” event where you can make your own perfume and take it home with you. I’m not sure how advanced or involved the actual fragrance element is, but wanted to share here in case anyone in the area might be interested.
It’s July 23, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. According to the flyer it “includes Aperol spritz and take home your own creation.”
Not sure if I’m going to be able to make it, but if anyone goes let me know how it goes!
Favorites from my collection
Hi everyone! I thought I’d share some of my favorite/most worn fragrances in my collection. There’s really no particular theme or aesthetic; I enjoy all sorts of different notes and styles. I’m a 33 year old guy for whatever that’s worth.
Dior - Bois d’Argent
This is one of my favorite fragrances, if not my absolute favorite. I’ve been wearing it for years and it’s my most worn so I bought the 200 ml bottle. It’s dry and woodsy in the opening with iris and incense, drying down to a sweeter honey and vanilla.
Dior - La Colle Noire
I was tempted to try this one when I saw someone on a Reddit thread somewhere spot it on LeBron’s dressing table. Turns out I loved it. It’s got a fancy shampoo type vibe for me with fresh rose and tart berry fruits. I’d say it’s pretty unisex, though some reviewers seem to disagree.
Guerlain - Habit Rouge EDT
This was actually a blind-buy. Its reputation precedes it in the sense that it’s one of Guerlain’s most influential masculines. It’s become a favorite of mine with a sparkling citrus opening alongside rose and patchouli in the heart and vanilla and leather in the dry-down.
Floris - Neroli Voyage
I don’t think Floris gets enough love - they have some wonderful scents in their lineup. This one starts off with salty marine citrus with the namesake neroli and later softens into a really pretty mix of florals. It’s very fresh, bracing, and invigorating I love putting it on after a long, hot shower.
Guerlain - Nerolia Vetiver
I first smelled this at the Guerlain boutique in Epcot and instantly adored it. To me, it is a bit sunscreen-y but also very verdant. The neroli here is a bit on the sweeter, fruitier side.
Acqua di Parma - Colonia
This is a benchmark fragrance in its genre. Like many from the house, it smells very natural and seamlessly composed with timeless charm. I believe I read somewhere that it was originally conceived as a product to scent handkerchiefs. Citrus and lavender dominate here. It hits perfectly after a flawlessly close shave and hot shower.
Frederic Malle - Musc Ravageur
To me, this isn’t nearly as dirty or challenging as some make it out to be, though many suggest it has seen changes since its original release to make it more easygoing. Whatever the case may be, it kicks off with a bit of orange zest accompanied by warm and cozy vanilla spiced with clove and cinnamon. I remember wearing this one year while I was Christmas shopping and it just felt so perfect.
Celine - Black Tie
This, like Bois d’Argent (and the original Dior Homme I believe), was composed under the creative direction of fashion designer Hedi Slimane. Following a slightly smokey introduction, vanilla and iris are showcased here in perfect harmony, managing both density and airiness.
Creed - Royal Oud
As many have pointed out elsewhere, this doesn’t smell all that much like oud, at least not the oud with which I’m familiar. It smells like very realistic, spicy earthy roots and soil with a heavy dose of cedar. The dry-down is beautiful, with the salty-sandalwoody ambergris style accord Creed does so well.
Penhaligon’s - Halfeti
There’s a lot going on with this fragrance, which the brand apparently uses as the ambient scent in its boutiques. Lots of cedar and sandalwood, a rich melange of spices, and deep, dark rose. It manages to be both unique and interesting but also crowd-pleasing and easy to love.
Hope everyone is having a delightful, fragrant day!
Happy belated National Martini Day (United States) and World Martini Day
I mostly drink my gin in Martinis. This past Friday was National Martini Day (June 19) in the US and this past Saturday was World Martini Day (third Saturday in June). Bless the Martini loving soul(s) who bravely declared these two most sacred of observances.
I was on vacation this weekend in Florida and the ABC store had a vermouth I don’t often spot here in NJ, Gonzalez Byass Vermouth La Copa Extra Seco. It’s the same producer responsible for the highly regarded Tio Pepe Sherry brand. The vermouth is made from a base of Fino Sherry.
The official website lists it as “elegantly dry and aromatic, infused with wormwood, chamomile, cinnamon, and raspberry, delivering a crisp and refined profile” and further down the page as “bright, dry and delicately bitter, it offers subtle herbal notes, citrus hints and a refined saline edge.” That’s pretty accurate in my estimation; I also experience a bit of a very dry cocoa sort of characteristic? Kind of odd and unexpected but maybe it’s just me; nonetheless it’s really nice and, I’d expect, very nice on its own over ice or with some sparkling water.
I paired it with Boodles, a very traditional London Dry Gin at 45.2% ABV, showcasing powerful juniper with the notable omission of any citrus in its botanicals (the distillers insist any proper gin drink should include “a slice of lemon or lime”). Per the website, other botanicals include nutmeg, sage, and rosemary.
It was a very enjoyable, if not unconventional and unique, combination. The Gonzalez Byass, as one might expect with the Sherry base, has rather pronounced flavor intensity in comparison to the likes of decidedly more traditional Martini vermouth such as Dolin or Noilly Prat. I like my Martinis fairly wet, and a wet spec worked well here given the intensity of Boodles, but a drier spec, particularly with more restrained or subtle gins, would certainly not be out of place.
Recipe:
-2.5 oz Boodles London Dry Gin
-1 oz Gonzalez Byass Vermouth La Copa Extra Seco
Preparation:
Stir ingredients with ice until properly chilled and diluted, strain into a chilled cocktail/Martini glass, and garnish with an olive (in this case Mezzetta Super Colossal Spanish Queen with the Pimento stuffing removed).
Very excited for this!
Warmest greetings from a gorgeous northwest NJ Spring evening.
I photographed and posted before getting started so I can enjoy the moment once I light the cigar.
The cigar is My Father Churchill ‘Le Bijou 1922.’
For the pairing, I’m going to start with Valdespino Single Vineyard Fino Sherry ‘Inocente’ and follow up with some of one of my favorite bourbons - Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (Batch C922).
Cheers and happy Wednesday ☺️!