Friday, December 27, 2019

FragComm Fridays: Solano




Greetings, everyone! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season with their loved ones and got some really good smelling stuff. I took a little break to come up with some ideas for 2020 and simply because I was busy.

This week I am continuing FragComm Fridays with another Youtuber. He has been around for a little while and he likes covering indie scents from time to time, so I enjoy his content. His name is Solano and I will leave his channel down below. Let's get into it!


The Interview 
1. What is your favorite fragrance?

My favorite fragrance is Cool Water because that was the first fragrance that I received. It's what introduced me to the fragrance game. 

2. Why did you start your Youtube channel?


I started my YouTube channel because I want to help people discover new fragrances. Also, there are some people that I know personally that don’t know very much about fragrances. I love discovering new fragrances. 

3. What fragrance inspired you to start collecting?

The fragrance that inspired me was Creed Aventus. At first, I thought that was all I needed then I found out there were more out there, so I had to try them all kind of like Pokémon. Lol

4. What fragrance do you love that most people dislike?

I am not sure. That’s a hard question. Maybe Joop or Cool Water because they’re old school. Funny story actually, I remember when I did my first video on YouTube and I had put Joop on my fall list people on this site called boxden.com straight bashed me for putting Joop on my list. I still read the comments on the boxden thread to remember how bad and negative some people are. 

5. What are your favorite fragrance notes?

My favorite notes are coconut, amber, vanilla, and chocolate 

6. Do you have any plans for your channel that you can tell us about?

Yeah, I have some new plans I’m thinking about. For my channel, one is starting this series called "Fragrance 101" which explains what most people don’t know about the fragrance game. For example, one is how to spot a fake fragrance. Another explains where to buy fragrances. And another might explain what are the good gray market sites to buy from. Stuff like that. Things that new fragheads don’t know about. 


7. What is your favorite thing about the FragComm?

My favorite thing about fragcomm is meeting new people. That and I enjoy the same passion as you and discovering new fragrances. Also, meeting reviewers like myself that are willing to help each other out and becoming friends with them. 


8. What is your least favorite thing about the FragComm?

My least favorite thing about fragcomm is the stupid drama, trolls, the he said she bs, and all the negativity. They give you for liking a certain fragrance 


9. How many fragrances do you own?

130 something. I am not sure, but I’m trying to trim down lol. Like that is an easy task. 

10. What is your favorite fragrance house?

My favorite fragrance houses are Initio and Davidoff


Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this look into Solano's thoughts. Go throw him some love over at his Youtube channel. We all need to help out the smaller reviewers when we can. Last time I checked, he was only at 300 or so subs, which is a shame since he has been reviewing for over a year now. So, do me a favor and go throw him a sub when you get some time.

Remember to be positive, spread love and kindness, and to keep being wonderful people. Until next time, keep smelling and being amazing.

Solano's Youtube

I started up a Facebook page for my blog. It would be awesome if you could go give it a like, review, or rating. Feel free to be honest if you think I can improve! Link


Want to learn how to support my work? Click here

Want insider news as to what I am working on? What I am testing? Any giveaways I might hold? Want to decide what topics for me to cover on my blog? Then join the Musings of the Fragheads Facebook group here! I also post every article I write in here, so that might be an easier way for you to see every post I do!

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Sunday, December 8, 2019

Some Good Fragrances for Winter

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Hey, ladies and gentlemen! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day. I am glad that you stopped by once again. I hope the holiday season is full of joy for you so far.

So, as a few of you know from our Facebook group, I have decided to stop doing top 10s because I think it's just played out and kind of clickbaity right now. Let me be clear though, I have no issue with people doing top 10s and such, but personally, I want to be different. I am already a bit different since I choose to blog over Youtube. I don't care about my views or follower count. I am more concerned with producing quality content that is a bit unique, even though I did set a personal goal of 100 followers this year, which I haven't met yet. That is totally okay though. It doesn't mean much to me. I have produced some articles that really helped and touched people and that means much more to me than any amount of views or subscribers will ever mean. That is why you are going to see a lot more indie and classic reviews going forward. I am still going to review some clones and modern designers, but I am going to focus more on doing things that no one else is doing.

At the end of the day, the fragrance reviewing game is saturated. Which isn't a bad thing. There are a lot of reviewers now. In the last 6 months or so there has been a massive influx of them, which is good for the community, but sometimes it can create repetitive content. Especially when a lot of the top reviewers are reviewing the hyped stuff ad nauseam and they all basically say the same thing about them. It gets a bit monotonous. I have stopped watching a lot of Youtubers, but I still support them with subs and likes.

I just want some refreshing content that isn't about compliments, beast mode performance, and the newest Parfums de Marly fragrance. Early on into my reviewing journey, I wrote some articles like that, which you can still see if you look at some of my earlier reviews. Some of them aren't very good, but I have left every review up there, so I can see where I came from. It's good to be able to look back and relearn from mistakes.

Sorry for the long introduction. I want to be transparent about this. I am not trying to down any reviewer for what works for them. I am glad it does. I just want to do what makes me happy and in turn, I think it will make my readers happy as well. Writing these articles is therapeutic for me and that is why I do it. To be able to pen my emotions and thoughts on paper(figuratively) is an honor. Having people enjoy those sentiments is a bonus. It makes me proud to get messages about how people enjoy my articles and resonate with them. That people trust my opinion and nose. It's humbling. So, thank you all for that. I like to think you folks are helping me as much as I help you. It's amazing.

This article is going to be about some winter fragrances that I think are good. You might not be familiar with some of these, but others you will be. These fragrances are listed in no order. This is simply me talking about some winter fragrances I love. This is not a top winter fragrances list or anything. This is simply me sharing some fragrances I love and why I think they are good for this time of the year. There are no clones on this one. I will do a clone one later this month. I hope you enjoy it! Let's get into it!

Note: None of the purchase links in this article are affiliate links. I get nothing from you purchasing from these sources. I simply did the work and tried to find the best legitimate deal I could from various retailers.


Mugler Pure Malt



Key Notes: Whiskey, peat, fruity notes, and patchouli

Buy Pure Malt here (This fragrance has been popping up at several brick and mortar discounters for 40 bucks, so I advise checking there first)

Pure Malt is one that will be on a lot of people's lists. It's on mine too. This semi-sweet boozy bomb with a slightly smoky and earthy touch is masculine to its core. It's still unique, as most of the fragrances in the A*Men are. The new formulation isn't quite as good as the original, but it's still a must-have in my collection and I love it.


Zaharoff Signature



Key Notes: Lavender, myrrh, incense, sandalwood, and vanilla

Buy Signature here

Zaharoff Signature will make a few lists as well. It's for a good reason. It's a great fragrance for a modern guy who loves the classics, but doesn't want something that can come off as stuffy. Its smooth and semi-sweet lavender with myrrh, incense, creamy sandalwood, and oud to give it a bit of darkness works very well for a guy who wants a signature scent. No, that is not a play on words because the fragrance is called Signature. It's a clean fragrance with a bit of darkness and a touch of sweetness, but not in a gourmand way. I have been talking about this fragrance for almost a year now and there is a reason for that. It's good is why.


Alkemia Ydalir


Key Notes: Pine, spruce, juniper, and oakmoss

Sadly, this fragrance seems to come and go on Alkemia's site. Right now, it's not available. here is a link to Alkemia's site. You might find something else of interest there.

This is one that I am pretty confident you won't hear anyone else talk about. Most folks won't give this company a chance. Which is almost criminal. Alkemia makes some of the highest quality fragrances on the market for a rock bottom price. This one is not mass appealing.  It has a real charred pinewood accord. It's not one accented with resins like elemi to pretend to be smoke. No, Ydalir has actual charred wood in it. It's realistic in every aspect. It's a bit damp from the oakmoss and juniper combo.

This is an amazing and artistic fragrance that takes you into the mild of the woods on a cold winter night and puts you right beside a campfire. Don't let the price and the fact that this is a roll-on oil fool you, Alkemia is legit and they make quality stuff.


Perfumology Clutch
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Key Notes: Elemi resin, cedar, ginger, vanilla, and leather

Buy Clutch here

Perfumology Clutch seeks to put you in the driver's seat of your dream car. It wants you to feel the exhilaration of speed and the adrenaline rush that comes with it. The fragrance comes off as a smoky and sweet leather fragrance with resins. I thought this fragrance would smell like tires when I read the description, but it doesn't. I don't get any sort of rubber accord from it like I expected. It's quite pleasing and beautifully composed. I don't really think of a car when I smell this, but I do think of peace and contentment. Everyone gets something different from fragrances, but I really enjoy this one nonetheless.


Xerjoff Naxos


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Key Notes: Honey, tobacco, cinnamon, vanilla, and lavender

Buy Naxos here

This is another somewhat popular one, but it had to make the list. I think this is much better than Parfums de marly Herod in every way. I am speaking on the tobacco genre only. Herod and Naxos smell nothing alike.

Naxos is a beautiful honeyed tobacco fragrance with a bit of sweetness from the vanilla on top of a bed of dry cinnamon. It also has a roasted tonka bean accord. This fragrance is labeled as unisex, but I think it's completely masculine. It's overall a somewhat dry fragrance and that means it's masculine to me.


Happyland Homme for the Holidays


Key Notes: Coffee, cinnamon, clove, and maple

Buy Homme for the Holidays here

Happyland really stepped it up with this one. Not that their other offerings are bad. In fact, I love most of them. However, Homme for the Holidays is a tier above the rest for me. A truly masculine gourmand that employs dark coffee as the main note and adds a slight sweetness and some spice. This isn't a buttery smooth Xerjoff Lira. This fragrance isn't ashamed to tell you it's a coffee fragrance and that is why I love it. If Happyland ever stops making this I might cry. Literally.


Burberry London



Key Notes: Tobacco, cinnamon, leather, opoponax, and lavender

Buy London here

This one is probably the most popular one in this article. It deserves its spot every year, so it will always be in my articles. The quintessential holiday fragrance. It has so much depth that it can smell like port wine, wet leaves, or a Christmas tree. Burberry made something truly unique here and no one has been able to accurately copy this one yet. They managed to bottle Christmas memories and that is why this one is so popular.


Creed Bois du Portugal

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Key Notes: Bergamot, sandalwood, lavender, and cedar

Buy Bois du Portugal here
Creed's Bois du Portugal is a thing of beauty, majesty, and regalness. Clean lavender, spicy cedar, creamy sandalwood, and Creed's signature Calabrian Bergamot with its uplifting zestiness. This smells like a guy who has it all together. A family man who is traditional. This is one of my favorite fragrances and I just had to put it on here.


Creed Viking

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Key Notes: Peppermint, pink peppercorn, black peppercorn, bergamot, lavender, and sandalwood.

Buy Viking here

I still think Viking is a bit pricey for what it is. However, I do really enjoy this one and I had to put it on here. The spicy and refreshing peppermint is amazing in this fragrance, accented by powdery assets of lavender and pink peppercorn with added spices from black peppercorn and some woodiness from sandalwood. This is a clean and classy modern barbershop fragrance. No, it doesn't smell like Old Spice. Stop saying that. I said it before in my review when I first smelled it, but after spending some time with it I realize they are nothing alike, besides maybe the spiciness. Viking is unique and stands on its own, but it's still pricey for a barbershop style fragrance.


Old Spice

Key Notes: Cinnamon, geranium, nutmeg, and benzoin

Buy Old Spice here

Yes, I put Old Spice on here. Some people think it's dated, but I love it and still wear it. For all of you who care about compliments, this one actually gets them. Even from women in my age bracket (early 30s). I won't describe the smell, all of you should know it. It's something familiar, cozy, and inviting. That will never go out of style. The current formulation is a shell of its former self, but it's still a great fragrance when you look at the fragrance itself and not its older versions.


Bvlgari Man in Black



Key Notes: Rum, tobacco, leather, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, amber, and guaiac wood

Buy Man in Black here

Man in Black is the better and more mature Spicebomb. It's cheaper too. The rum note really sets it apart with the dry spices, earthy tobacco, smooth leather, and guaiac wood resin. It's one of my favorite fragrances for nighttime wear in the cooler months. The spices will warm up any chilly night. It's simply a good value fragrance that is unabashedly masculine.


Guerlain L'Instant de Guerlain EDT
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Key Notes: Anise, cocoa, patchouli, and lemon

Buy L'Instant here

L'Instant de Guerlain isn't a gourmand, despite its note structure. Maybe you can pass it off as a "gentleman's gourmand", but even that might be a stretch. This is a very classy fragrance with a strong licorice vibe. Yes, I hate anise and licorice, but it just works in this one. The powdery cocoa and woody-chocolatey patchouli mix to provide a bit of darkness and sweetness while the lemon gives it a slightly fresh vibe. It's really a complex fragrance. I only wear it dressed up though.


Azzaro Pour Homme


Key Notes: Lavender, anise, oakmoss, coumarin,  leather, basil, and clary sage

But Azzaro Pour Homme here

Another classic fragrance, Azzaro Pour Homme is a family man's fragrance. A classic barbershop with a minty anise note to keep it interesting. I must really be coming around to anise and licorice notes. Strange. This is one of my dumb reaches for the winter. It just works. If you want to smell like a man and don't want to shell out the dough for a Creed, then consider this one. It's been around since the 70s for a reason. It's good.



Lush What Would Love Do?


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Key Notes: Tangerine, benzoin, and lavender

Buy What Would Love Do? here

Lush is a small indie brand that produces natural fragrances. What Would Love Do? is a smooth and clean lavender with sweetened benzoin, freshened up by tangerine oil and limonene, with cinnamal to give it a bit of spice. It has amazing depth due to the natural nature of its notes. It's clean, a bit sweet, and a bit warm. It's only an EDC, but lasts an entire day. Lush makes you wonder why some niche brands charge $300 bucks for synthetic fragrances when you can get something natural and high quality from Lush for 30 bucks for 30ml. Yes, 30 bucks. $1 per ML which is less or equal to some clone houses. Check Lush out if you want something different.


PK Perfumes Ere

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Key Notes: Juniper, fern, fir, and hay

Buy Ere here

Paul Kiler is one of the most underrated perfumers in the business. he creates beautiful and unique fragrances. Ere is more of a resh fragrance that is good for warmer weather, but I would wear it in the cooler weather too. It's a green forest fragrance with balsamic hues. One of the best and most realistic forest fragrances on the market. He actually harvests a special sort of fern native to the Sierras to use in this fragrance and the quality really shows. It's hard to put everything into words, but it's a green foresty fragrance with woody tones and a mossy touch. This is my favorite fragrance from his line.


Gallagher Rose All Dae
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Key Notes: Plum, apple crisp, stainless steel, and honey

Buy Rose All Dae here

This is the sweetest fragrance on the list, but I don't care. This stuff is intoxicating. The masterful blend of honeyed patchouli, dark and sweet plum, apples with cinnamon, and stainless steel is mouthwatering. It smells like a holiday dessert in a baking pan. I simply love this stuff. One of my readers, Mattie Fuller, sent me 10ml of this stuff and I am very thankful to him for it. One spray goes a long way, so it will last a while.


Conclusion

I could list probably 20 more, but I will stop here. I might do another one before the winter is over. I am not sure yet. I hope you enjoyed this one!

Have an amazing day and remember to speak positive words and dare to be different. Much love to all of you. Stay safe and keep smelling amazing.


Want to learn how to support my work? Click here


Want insider news as to what I am working on? What I am testing? Any giveaways I might hold? Want to decide what topics for me to cover on my blog? Then join the Musings of the Fragheads Facebook group here! I also post every article I write in here, so that might be an easier way for you to see every post I do!

Follow me on Instagram

Friday, December 6, 2019

The Return of FragComm Fridays: Scott Harrington




Hey, folks! I hope everyone is doing well today. I am glad you stopped by once again. Your support really means a lot to me.


I decided to start up my FragComm Fridays series again. I have had numerous requests to do it, so here it is. For those of you who are new to my blog, FragComm Fridays is a weekly interview with a Youtuber, business owner, or a well-known person in the fragrance community. It's just a short written interview, but it helps give us a look inside some of these people we see around the groups a lot. So, I think it's a pretty cool thing.

This week I have Scott Harrington, from the Youtube channel, Luxury Fragrance Boss. Scott is a big niche lover and an avid gym-goer who isn't afraid to tell you if he doesn't like something, but he always does it respectfully. I hope you enjoy this interview. Let's get into it!


The Interview 

1. What is your favorite fragrance?

Straight to Heaven Extreme by Kilian, I love boozy fragrances and this for me is just the perfect hypnotic blend of rum, vanilla, and dried fruits.

2. What fragrance made you start collecting?

My father always liked his fragrances and I take after him in many ways, I pretty much started collecting as soon as I got my first fragrance, then every birthday and Christmas I would ask for fragrances, I had around 20 bottles by the age of 16/17

3. What was your first fragrance?

Davidoff Cool Water (after seeing my dad complimented on it by an air hostess while I was young)

4. You typically review niche fragrances. What is your reasoning for that?

When I moved to Grand Cayman just over 7 years ago I was introduced to Creed as I work for the retailer, before long I had a few bottles and that was all I was wearing, then my company brought in Amouage and I realized there were other luxury brands out there so I started researching, from there on I became very passionate about the smaller lesser known houses and exploring as many as I can. 

5. What is your favorite house?


My wife and I recently adopted kittens and I named the male Kilian, if that gives you a clue. I love so many fragrances from this house, although recently Widian and Clive Christian are really growing on me.

6. Do you have any plans for your Youtube channel that you can tell us about?

My main focus is to continue to find and review the best fragrances in the world of niche. My channel is still very young so I'm excited to see where it goes. I am always open to new ideas and how I can improve my channel from my subscribers.

7. You are big into fitness. What is your favorite gym fragrance?

I generally train right after work Mon-Fri so I use that to test the longevity of whichever fragrance I'm testing for the day. By choice though, I enjoy wearing fresher scents to the gym. I love Molecule 01 or Creed Original Vetiver for playing tennis, golf, or my gym workouts because they are very cooling fragrances for the Caribbean heat.

8. What is your favorite fragrance memory?

I don't think I could narrow it down to just 1, the most powerful thing about fragrances is how they can spark off a memory instantly. I love it when a fragrance reminds me of something my dad wore when I was young, an experience, or a place.  For example, Tauer L'air du Dessert Morocain smells just how I remember my vacation to Egypt almost 20 years ago.

9. What is your favorite thing about the FragComm?

I love how everyone has somewhere to come together to share their passion for fragrances and engage with other like-minded people.

10. What is your least favorite thing about the FragComm?

The negativity of a few, it frustrates me to see unnecessary derogatory comments and how people are judged for their choice in fragrances, If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing!  Participating in the Fragcomm should be an enjoyable and positive experience, not somewhere you feel judged or cyberbullied.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but think about how you would feel if that comment was aimed at you before you post it.

11. Have your fragrance tastes changed at all living in a warmer climate?

Definitely, when I first moved to the Caribbean I would wear fresh scents pretty much all the time but now that I'm much more acclimatized I tend to prefer warmer woody scents. I have no problem wearing what most would consider a heavy winter fragrance like Interlude Man in the heat.

12. What is your favorite "dumb reach" fragrance?

Creed Viking would be the scent I reach for the most when I'm unsure of what to wear. I find it a great fragrance for most occasions and my wife loves it too.

13. Is there anything else you would like everyone to know?


I love fragrances and I love reviewing them. I am very grateful and appreciative of all the people that I've met through Fragcomm on my journey so far and will meet in my future. I am very thankful to John for this opportunity to work together and very thankful for all my subscribers and supporters to my Youtube channel and Instagram.


Conclusion

There you have it, folks! A small look into the mind of the Luxury Fragrance Boss. I hope you enjoyed some of his insights. I personally agree with many of the things he said. Next week I will have someone else to interview. However, there might not be one on the week of Christmas. We shall see how it goes.

Don't forget to go check out Scott's channel. He has a lot of unknown niche reviews that no one else does. He's a good source of information if you are looking to get into high-end fragrances!


Scott's Channel


I hope everyone has a wonderful day! Keep smelling great and doing great things. You never know who is watching. Be a beacon of kindness. the world already has enough jerks!


Want to learn how to support my work? Click here

Want insider news as to what I am working on? What I am testing? Any giveaways I might hold? Want to decide what topics for me to cover on my blog? Then join the Musings of the Fragheads Facebook group here! I also post every article I write in here, so that might be an easier way for you to see every post I do!

Follow me on Instagram

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Magical: Alexandria Fragrances Highlands Review

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Hello! Welcome back, everyone! I am so glad that you stopped by. I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season.

Today, I have another Alexandria for you. This time it's Highlands, which is a recreation of one of my favorite fragrances, Creed Bois du Portugal. It's also lovingly named after the Scottish Highlands, which makes me proud. Let's see how this one compares to the real thing! Let's get into it!

This fragrance was sent to me for free by Alexandria, but my opinions remain my own. I won't go over the presentation because it's a travel spray.


Notes

Top

Bergamot

Mid

Lavender

Base

Cedar, Ambergris, Vetiver, and Sandalwood


The Scent

Opening

Bois du Portugal opens up similar to the Creed with a bright and zesty Calabrian bergamot that is a signature in most Creed fragrances. Creed's version is a bit brighter in the opening. Shortly after the bergamot calms down a bit, you get a smooth and semi-sweet powdery lavender with spicy cedar. You end up with a sweetened lavender by the bergamot and a spicy wood until about 30 minutes in.


Dry Down

The rest of the life of this fragrance is quite linear. The bergamot takes a back seat and the most dominant notes are the spicy cedar and clean lavender. The creamy sandalwood comes into play here and mixes wonderfully with the lavender to create a cleanly spiced woody accord with a faint nuance of citrus. I don't pick up on the vetiver here, but perhaps it's mingling with the lavender to make it smell more fresh and clean.


Performance

Highlands performs like a Scotsman with blue face paint charging into battle. It's strong and lasts a long time. I get around 10 hours with it, which about 3 of those being around 6 feet of projection. Needless to say, this is a powerful fougere that people will smell.


When to Wear it

Sadly, this fragrance is too strong for the warmer months. It's certainly a fall and winter fragrance. This fragrance can be dressed down with jeans and a flannel(Like I am wearing it as I type this) or dressed up in a suit. It's a classic fougere, so it's quite versatile in the proper season.

This is a 100% masculine fragrance through and through. I don't imagine any woman would want to smell like this. This is also not for younger guys. I say 30+ men who know who they are. This is a family man's fragrance to me. Something your kids will say was the signature scent of their father who they respected greatly.


Overall Impression

As of right now, this is my favorite from Alexandria. It's 97% similar to my nose. The Creed is slightly smoother and the opening has a bit more citrus zest, but outside of that, Highlands is dead on.  This is a fragrance for the man who knows who he is and wants a versatile fragrance that is regal, but can also be casual. this would be a great Christmas present for fathers.


I absolutely love this one and I am sad that my travel spray is almost gone. So, if anyone wants to get me a Christmas present *wink wink*. I am joking, but seriously, I am not trying to hype this up, but I think it's amazing. As always, sample first. it's a classic fougere and it might not be for everyone, but it is for me. It speaks to me and who I am as a person.


Conclusion

I hope everyone enjoyed this review as much as I did writing it. I hope everyone has a great day. As always, be a beacon of goodwill and kindness to those around you. You never know who is watching!

Have a blessed holiday season!

Buy Highlands here 

Want to learn how to support my work? Click here

Want insider news as to what I am working on? What I am testing? Any giveaways I might hold? Want to decide what topics for me to cover on my blog? Then join the Musings of the Fragheads Facebook group here! I also post every article I write in here, so that might be an easier way for you to see every post I do!

Follow me on Instagram


Wednesday, December 4, 2019

My Fragrant Christmas Wish List

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Season's greetings, everyone! I hope everyone is having a merry holiday season so far. I am glad to see you stop by once again. I appreciate all of the support! It helps me keep doing this day after day.

So, I have to apologize for the misleading title of this article. I was honestly going to do a wish list for Christmas. Then I started thinking about it and I came to the conclusion that I could use this to motivate people to get back into the Christmas spirit. After all, Christmas isn't about gifts and getting stuff. It's about memories and spending time with loved ones. Our society has strayed too far away from this ideal into a "give me everything" mentality.

So, I will admit that I do actually have a Christmas wish list for fragrances, but this article is far more important than adding a few fragrances to my large collection. This article is about getting back to the true meaning of Christmas.

This isn't a top 10 or any sort of prioritized list. This article just consists of topics and my thoughts on them. I hope you enjoy it. Let's get into it!

Warning: This article is not politically correct. It does contain religious excerpts. No, I am not sorry for that, but if you don't like it you can click the escape button your browser.

The Article

Christmas is about love. It's about family. It's about memories. It's about caring for your fellow humans and showing them that you care. That is where gift-giving originated from.

It's sort of funny when you find people who despise Christ, but they are the first ones to jump on the train and ask for gifts for Christmas. Now, I am not saying that you have to be Christian to enjoy Christmas, but it seems contradictory to despise Him, yet try to reap benefits from a holiday named after Him. I am not going to get into the whole WInter Solstice debate about this, I just wanted to add that small bit because I think it's ironic.

Christmas has turned into a commercialized version of what it was meant to be. A "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality of who can get or give the most expensive gifts. Where did we go wrong? Christmas is meant to be a celebration of life, family, and joy, but these days it seems to be the opposite of that. It seems to be about greed and cheesy Hallmark movies. I will admit that I do enjoy some of the Hallmark Christmas movies. Call me girly if you'd like. I enjoy what I like.

So, here are a few focal points that I think we can all benefit from this holiday season.


Traditions

Every family seems to have Christmas traditions. From the way they decorate the tree to festivities on Christmas Eve. Some of them may seem cheesy and outdated, but folks, that is where memories are made. They are made with these traditions. Things you will never forget about your family and loved ones.

I encourage you to embrace these traditions because that is what family is about. You never know if this will be the last Christmas you get to spend with someone or even if it will be your last. We are never promised tomorrow, so make use of today.


Family

Christmas is very family-oriented. Yes, sometimes your in-laws drive you crazy. Sometimes they might put a damper on your Christmas spirit, but they are still family. Cherish the time you have with them. Do your best to stay positive and it might catch on to those around you. Don't waste these moments with idle thoughts of discontent.


Gifts

This is a major one. Give in love to those who you love. Don't go for the most expensive things. Put thought and love into them. Too many times people go with the gift card route and that just ruins the fun. Give something from your heart.

Some of my favorite gifts have been things that don't cost very much or they were handmade. When someone takes the time to make something for you, that means they cherish you. That is an amazing feeling and that means more than an expensive bottle of Roja to me.

Don't ask for the most expensive gifts either. Be humble and courteous. Some people will go out of their way and go broke to make others happy. Please don't be a conduit of that. Surely there are some least expensive things you could ask for.


Love

Christmas is about loving your fellow man. We should be making sure our neighbors have food to eat and a warm coat instead of spending money frivolously on things we don't need, such as huge holiday fragrance hauls.

Now, I am not saying to not buy fragrances. Treat yourself as well, but don't go overboard. There are many people who are suffering around us. If we are in a position to help those, then we should. At least I would hope that most people would.

If you are like me and don't have money to spare, then you can always give time. You can volunteer at a soup kitchen or clean out your old jackets and give them to the homeless. This should be a holiday season only thing, but it's certainly important for people to stay warm this time of the year.


Fragrances

This is a fragrance blog, so I will cover this a bit. We all have plenty of fragrances that we don't use. Clean them out and give them to a less fortunate fraghead. You will make his Christmas extra special. We are a fragrance community, which should be a family, so let's show out fellow fragheads that we care for each other this holiday season.


Conclusion

We are the fragrance community. I know how easy it is to get caught up in holiday sales. I do it myself. I am not saying to not purchase from the fine companies in our community. I am only trying to say that we should exercise caution and make sure our fellow fragheads are getting by. I am still trying to think of something to do for Christmas for the fragrance community, but I haven't pinned anything down yet. If anyone has an idea then feel free to PM me.

We all have passion. We are here for that reason. It only takes a spark to make a fire. How many sparks can we make this holiday season? That is up to you, my friends. I am only trying to put things into perspective.

I am well aware that I will probably get a lot of negative responses for this article, especially since I dared to utter the name of Jesus, but I don't care. I could lose every one of my followers today and it wouldn't bother me. I know I did the right thing and at the end of the day, that is all that matters to me.

I hope all of you have a blessed and merry holiday season. Spread love, joy, and good tidings to those around you. You never know who you might be able to help. Be a light unto the world and you might find out that the light will shine back at you for doing so. Until next time, keep smelling amazing and being amazing.

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Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Classically Modern: Cremo Blue Cedar and Cypress Review

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Good afternoon, everyone! I hope everyone is having a jolly and merry holiday season! I am glad you chose to stop by once again and I appreciate all of your support. It really does help me to realize my little blog is interesting to some people.

Today, I have a new one for you, Cremo Blue Cedar and Cypress. However, before I begin to speak about the fragrance I want to tell you a story about my experience with Cremo. This might be a bit lengthier than my normal introductions, but I feel that this is worth telling.

So, I have watched countless videos on this company that hyped the fragrances up, like most of us have. I also saw them in haul pictures on Facebook. I went to my local Target and Wal-Mart and couldn't find any of them, so I decided to contact Cremo about samples. They responded to me the same day. I just wanted to try a few fragrances from their line to give my honest opinion on them. I never asked them for full bottles.

The man who responded to me personally was Fred Greene, who is their Director of Customer Care. He offered to send me one fragrance of my choice and a beard oil, and he allowed me to pick the scents.

This was all a normal procedure for getting something from a company for review. I told him from the start that I was not looking to make money from this and that I simply wanted to review the fragrance. What followed after was something that no other companies have done with me.

We continued speaking through email every day. We would talk about everything from the weather to the places we have been to. We still speak to this day about random things. Personally, I think it's pretty cool that someone high up in the Cremo hierarchy took time to speak to me about more than just business. He was personal and engaging, but always professional about it. So, Mike and Kyle, if you are reading this, give that man a raise for Christmas :)

Now, I will state it once again in case you didn't read all of that, I did receive this fragrance for free, but there was no promise of a favorable review and I was not paid to do this.

Now's let's get into the fragrance!


Presentation

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Blue Cedar and Cypress comes in a somewhat simplistic box, but it works. It doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles to it, but it's not ordinary either. It has a vague description of the fragrance on the front, "A refreshing, woodsy scent reminiscent of an aromatic forest". That's a nice little touch for people who don't know much about fragrance notes because it gives them a decent idea of what that fragrance is aiming for.

On the sides of the box, it lists the notes of the fragrance. On the back, it lists the typical ingredients and a little bit about the Cremo company and how they craft their fragrances on there.

The bottle is clear glass and heavy. It has the Cremo sticker on the front with the fragrance name on it. The side of the bottle has "Cremo" embossed in big lettering. 

The cap is a simple silver plastic cap that keeps with the simple presentation that this company no doubt uses to keep costs down, which is a good thing. It's an acceptable presentation that allows them to focus on what matters, how it smells.

The atomizer sprays decently and gives you a nice mist to apply the fragrance. Again, it's nothing special, but it works quite well. It is also silver in color.


Notes

Blue Cedar, Cypress, and Lemon Leaf


The Scent 

Opening


Blue Cedar and Cypress opens up with a blast of smoky cedar and dark cypress with those semi-sweet and aromatic green needles we are all accustomed to from coniferous trees. I quite like the opening. It smells pretty natural to me and has some depth to it. The lemon leaf comes off as green and slightly herbal instead of citrusy.


Dry Down

When Blue Cedar and Cypress dries down it gets powdery. It almost makes me think there is lavender in this fragrance as well. It's reminiscent of an older barbershop fragrance, but without the dry coumarin and oakmoss. It's just smooth and powdery. I am not sure if the lemon leaf could be doing this or not. There is certainly something powdery and floral in the dry down though.

The smoke from the cedar calms down and blends with this powdery accord with the greenness of the dark cypress needles and a slight citric nuance from the lemon leaf. So, you end up getting a woody and powdery base that is inoffensive and slightly mature, but I think it can be worn by any age group. It just has a very masculine quality to it.


Performance

A lot of people have said that some Cremo fragrances don't last, but for this one, I disagree. I get at least 8 hours from this one with a solid hour and a half of projection. I haven't tried the other to be able to tell how well they perform, but I am pleasantly surprised that I can get a full workday out of this one.

When to Wear it

This one will be better in the cooler months. It can be dressed up due to the powdery dry down or worn casually. Most powdery fragrances are very versatile and this one is no different.

This one leans super masculine to me, so I don't really see a woman wearing this.


Overall Impression

Blue Cedar and Cypress isn't a groundbreaking fragrance. However, it doesn't set out to do that. Cremo is attempting to give you a nice smelling product outside of the typical "drugstore colognes" for a good price and I think they succeed in doing that. At least with this fragrance.

The question I have to ask myself is this, "Would you pay $24 for this if you had to purchase it yourself?". My answer would be yes. I do quite like this one and it's a quality fragrance that I would expect to pay 40-50 bucks for.

Sadly, Cremo doesn't have samples of their fragrances, but if you like masculine, woody, and barbershop fragrances, then I would say this is blind buy worthy. Even though I slightly cringe when I tell someone to blind buy something.

However, you should know that you aren't getting something unique here, just a high-quality fragrance for an everyday guy. This would be an amazing gift to buy your father for Christmas, in my opinion.


Conclusion

Cremo impressed me with this offering. It's a very good fragrance for the money.  Cremo also impressed me with their customer service and how personable they are. I am looking forward to getting my hands on some more of their products, including their shower gels, fragrances, and solid fragrances. I want to see if this dedication to quality and simple, yet effective principles apply across their whole brand. If so, then this would be my go-to company to buy gifts for guys around me.

I hope you folks enjoyed my review. As always, be kind, positive, and speak words of life to people. You never know who you might help!


Buy Blue Cedar and Cypress here


Want to learn how to support my work? Click here

Want insider news as to what I am working on? What I am testing? Any giveaways I might hold? Want to decide what topics for me to cover on my blog? Then join the Musings of the Fragheads Facebook group here! I also post every article I write in here, so that might be an easier way for you to see every post I do!

Follow me on Instagram