Passion Lost, Passion Found: Reviewer Burnout and Rekindling the Fire

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Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I hope everyone is doing fantastic today. I am doing quite well. I have just been quite busy lately. Life is good though. I can't complain. Being busy means you are making progress.

Today I wanted to cover a topic that a lot of reviewers feel. The cycle of passion and burnout. Why doe sit happen and how can we overcome it? This article is aimed mostly at reviewers, but I guess some of my points can extend to all fragrance collectors as well.

I hope you enjoy it! Let's get into it!


Passion Lost, Passion Found

It's no secret that collecting fragrances requires passion and drive...and maybe a bit of insanity to collect something that will never be used in its entirety. We start out wanting to explore everything. Everything smells good and everything is great! Then, after a period of time, we start to get bored with the same stuff. Companies that release the same thing over and over, with only a slight twist to another fragrances DNA become mundane and no longer inspire us.

Maybe you are a reviewer and watched a bunch of YouTube videos and said, "Hey, I can do that". Then you tried your hand at it and didn't have the overnight success that you dreamed of. Your name isn't in the spotlight and your videos are only getting 100 views. What a bummer!

The secret to success in this world isn't reliant on consistency, like many would believe. Shelling out videos that seemed rush may favor the YouTube algorithms, but they don't favor viewers. They might bring in their views, but if that is what you seek, then go for it. There is a lot of buzz in the fragrance community about quality content. Some seek to be entertained, while others want in-depth reviews. Both sides of the schism work, but you have to decide which side to cater to.

It ultimately comes down to numbers. Do you care about views or do you care more about quality content? There is no perfect science to it. I am not saying reviewers who produce videos every day are producing low-quality content. However, if you spent a bit more time on that video or article, then could it be better? If the answer is yes, then maybe you should.

Posting reviews every day is a surefire way to lead yourself into burnout. I know. I did it myself when I first started. After that, I realized that it's better to plan an article out and make it the way you want it instead of rushing it.

At the end of the day, it's ultimately about you and what you find your passion in. The numbers will come if you do your thing. Don't try and copy your favorite YouTuber. Be your own man/woman. Blaze your own trail. The best way to lose passion is to lose yourself in the hustle and bustle of the popularity contest.

If you are not happy with your work, then how do you expect your viewers or readers to be? That is the heart of the issue. Your own gratification leads you into gratification for your viewers. People can tell when you don't really care about what you are talking about. People can discern passion for "I had to do this".

Your name may not be in the spotlight. You may never be mentioned among people's favorite reviewers in a random Facebook group. However, if you do your thing and do it with purpose, there will be people who appreciate you. Even if they never comment on your videos or articles. There is always someone watching you, even if you don't think they are. It's so much better to have 10 people who believe in you than 10k who are there because you do giveaways or hype stuff.

So, my point in all of this is to do what you enjoy. Don't do stuff because everyone else is. Do stuff because you care about it. Do things with a purpose.

Most of the popular reviewers have been at this for years. Their success didn't happen overnight. It took them many years to get where they are. They have produced hundreds of videos and spent thousands on fragrances. Most new reviewers quit within 6 months because they don't see success. If you are looking for fast success and that is all that matters to you, then you probably shouldn't invest your time in this. It takes companies and reviewers years of trust and business to build up a following.

It is no secret that the market for reviewers is flooded right now. I see 3-4 new ones each month. I have never seen some of these folks ever comment on a post on Facebook. They often start off with hyped stuff that people have already seen a hundred times. That is a good way to make yourself be labeled as just another hype beast at the start. No one wants to hear about Sauvage, Ultra Male, Eros, and Aventus. We all have smelled them and we don't care anymore. We want different and innovative reviews.

I am not saying you have to begin with some unique and obscure niche, but something that not everyone is talking about is a good start. yes, people talk about those fragrances a lot, but people don't want to see any more reviews on them. Knowing what your target audience wants goes a long way.

You have to have thick skin to do this. It's not easy. As I stated before, it takes years to get traction and most quit within 6 months. Criticism will come, in constructive and destructive forms, however, it's how you handle that stuff that helps you stay on the right track. At the end of the day, people love drama. It's the sad reality of the modern internet age. If you want to be taken seriously, then I advise you to stay away from that. I have bought into some of it myself, but I am trying my best to only worry about myself now. I know this article isn't about myself, but it's some stuff I have learned in around a year and a half of reviewing.

I may not have a ton of followers or views, but I think I have successfully painted myself as a reviewer who isn't afraid to tackle tough topics and include the human side of fragrances. My style isn't for everyone, but I am honored that people look to me for advice. I don't care about numbers and subs. I have less than 100 followers, but I don't care. I would rather have that many who actually support what I do than a ton of ones who do not. I want passionate followers. People who care about more than projection and compliments. I want people who care about perfumery, even if it's generic. I want followers who want to be inspired and see through the facade of hype and want to picture perfumery as a form of imagery that gets them excited. I want followers who think like me.

That is how I keep myself from burning out. Knowing those types of people exist. I am excited about those types of people finding my content and sharing their thoughts with me. That part keeps me going. It keeps me striving to be a more complete reviewer every day. My content is far from amazing, but I am happy with it. Even when I make a grammatical error. I am only human and I am not trying to be perfect.

I hope everyone enjoyed this article. Remember, passion fuels success. the metric of success varies per person. Embrace kindness, honesty, and try to uplift as many people as you can. You never know who might need it. Someone is always watching you. Use your platform wisely. Much love to all of you who support me. Much love to the ones who challenge me and criticize me. You have helped me build a thicker skin. Be blessed, everyone!

My Youtube channel(If you want to get a head start for when I start posting videos)(Hopefully that will be soon)

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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Fragrance.One Office for Men Review

Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I hope everyone is doing wonderful today and is in good health. Today, I have a controversial fragrance to review, Office for Men. Most people have already reviewed this one, but I think my take is a bit different, so I decided to go ahead and do it.

I was sent this partial for my birthday from Michael Dinsmore. I appreciate it Michael. he decants a lot of stuff, so hit him up on Facebook if you need a solid decanter. Of course, my thoughts on this fragrance have no correlation to Michael or his business. He didn't make it. His shipping was fast and packaging was great.

Now, I will preface this by saying this is review about the fragrance alone. I am not considering any personal feelings about the creative director in this review. It's purely about the juice inside. If you are looking for Jeremy drama, then just exit now. This is not the review for that.

With that being said, I hope you enjoy my take on it. Let's get into it!


Presentation

I think the all-black bottle is pretty cool. It's clean and simple. However, the cap is cheap and laughable. The atomizer looks cheap, but it works pretty well. Overall, the presentation is okay. The cap can certainly be improved upon, but that's not a huge deal. It looks fine aesthetically.


Notes

(This is my interpretation of the notes and not the official ones)

Top

Ambroxan, Orris, and Bergamot

Mid

Amber, Iso E Super, Hedione, Jasmine, and Ambergris

Base

Musk, Patchouli, and Amberwood


The Scent

Office for men opens up with a strong and fresh synthetic bergamot note accented by ambroxan. The hedione soon joins along with the jasmine, giving way to some light florals. Iso E Super and the cedar-esque smell it gives off faintly hangs underneath the blend. Clean musk is also detectable.

The ambroxan really start to kick into overdrive about 5 minutes in. The bergamot note turns a bit sour, reminiscent of grapefruit. I can see the comparisons to Sauvage and Bleu de Chanel in this phase. The woody notes get quite peppery during this. I don't detect any ambergris in this.

After it fully dries down, about an hour into it, the ambery woods come out. I am not sure if that is an amber and woody note working together or if it's amberwood. Amberwood is basically a woodier version of ambroxan.

Patchouli is present in this composition, musty and woody, with a slight earthiness. This composition is very woody. There are around 3-4 different woods in here.


Performance

Office for Men is a stellar performer. I get around 10 hours with it and it projects for 3-4 hours. This fragrance can fill a room when you first spray it, so I would go light on the trigger, just like you would with Sauvage.

When to Wear it

This is a year-round casual scent. The inert woodiness and ambroxan make it diverse enough to fit any season. I think it's a bit too strong for super hot days though.

This is not a work scent at all. This is a casual scent. This is way too strong for the office. This is a jeans and t-shirt fragrance and it is not meant to be dressed up. This fragrance is strictly masculine to me. I couldn't see any women wearing this.

Overall Impression

Office for Men is a mediocre fragrance to me. Not just due to the price, even at the current $70 bucks you can get it at it's barely passable. It's in the same vein as Dior Sauvage and Sauvage is blended and composed much more carefully. This does not smell like an Alberto Morillas creation.

Overall, I will pick Sauvage over this. At 70 bucks, it's okay if you don't own Sauvage. Most of us own it though, so there is no need for Office. Considering Sauvage costs $77 for 60 ML and Office would be 70 for 100ml. That seems fair for a different take on it. Let me be clear though, this is not a clone of Sauvage. It's just in the same category.

I heard people talking about how fresh this fragrance is...I don't get that much freshness. I get a lot of woodiness, which does make it versatile, but it also confuses the nose. This fragrance is just loaded with synthetic boosters to make it perform. There was very little attention to quality in this.

There are just too many synthetics in here. Something being synthetic isn't always bad, I love a lot of synthetic fragrances. It's just very hard to dissect this fragrance due to that. The notes don't carry high-quality nuances and it's hard to detect which note is doing which. It just confuses my nose. However, most people know that I am not a huge fan of ambroxan bombs.

This is pretty much what the fragrance community asked for though. They want performance, compliments, and something loud. Jeremy did deliver that, so I can't fault him for giving people what they said they wanted. You have to sacrifice some quality if you want some fragrances to perform.

This is a perfect example of that and what is wrong with the mindset of the fragrance community sometimes. They obsess over performance and compliments and Jeremy gives them what they wanted and they complain even more about it. I am not one that is too hung up on performance and compliments, so I don't really care for this one, but I will admit that it does what it was intended to do...Minus the whole Office setting thing...We can chalk that up to different interpretations of what is suitable for an office though.

So, my overall verdict is...If you want something that gets attention and performs, then this is a good scent for you. If you are like me and like some of the more mild-mannered gentlemanly fragrances, then I would pass over this one. This is a fragrance that fits a certain demographic and it does that well, even though I still think Sauvage is a superior fragrance for that genre.

I will end up wearing the rest of this at some point. However, I will not buy a full bottle of it.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed my take on Office for Men. I don't like saying that I don't like fragrances, but it's part of the job. I have to be honest about it. I am fully expecting to be trolled for this, but I don't care. My truth is still the truth to me.

Remember to say something positive to someone today. You never know who it might help. Have a fantastic day and keep smelling fantastic!


Michael Dinsmore's Facebook (Hit him up to see what he can decant.)

My Youtube channel(If you want to get a head start for when I start posting videos)(Hopefully that will be soon)

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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Guerlain: The Struggle to Stay Relevant

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! I hope everyone is having a blessed and wonderful day today. We are getting some nice mild weather here in SC. It's the perfect time to rock Guerlain Vetiver. That got me thinking about the recent troubles that Guerlain has had with sales. So, I decided to make an article on it and give my opinion on why I think this is.

It honestly doesn't please me to do this. As most of you know, Guerlain is my favorite house. I don't like the possibility of them eventually shutting down. I want them to continue what they are doing. However, it's not quite working in the modern fragrance world.

I will preface this saying that some of this stuff consists of rumors. I have not seen anything officially from Guerlain on this. However, I do believe that they are struggling with sales. So, take this with a grain of salt and not as absolute truth. It's just my opinion after all. Let's get into it!


Guerlain's Struggles

Guerlain has been making fragrances for almost 200 years. They have learned quite a bit in that time period. Passing it down from Guerlain to Guerlain until finally handing the reins over to Thierry Wasser, who I believe is an excellent perfumer. I don't Mr. Wasser is at fault for the struggles.

There have been numerous Guerlain boutiques that have been closing around the world. I watched a live stream of U Smells Good and he was saying that they said they have 5 years to get out of debt. I am not entirely sure if he meant Guerlain as a whole or just that boutique. I tried asking several times, but no one in the stream would answer me. So, I just have to go off of assumptions, since I don't know Egen personally to ask him. I do know he is just as crazy about Guerlain as I am.

Guerlain is quite popular in France. they are a household name there. However, in the US most younger men never knew they existed until that shiny white box of L'Homme Ideal Cologne showed up at the rack stores and it was said to be discontinued. They got a taste of Guerlain's style, even though it was a very modern take on what Guerlain is. That still wasn't enough for them to seek out the brand to try more.

Guerlain has a history. It is known as a classic house that makes elegant women's perfumes and gentlemanly men's fragrances. Have they been banking off their previous success too often? Did they not adapt themselves with current fragrance trends? Yes, I think that is the problem. I say that regrettably because that is part of what I love about them. Their older stuff is still perfectly wearable today. Vetiver, Jicky EDP,  Shalimar EDP, Habit Rouge, and Mitsouko EDP are a few of the classics I still wear from them. On a totally unrelated topic, they get compliments still from people around my age, which is in the 30s.

Guerlain has always been special in how it can turn every fragrance into something classy. However, current market trends suggest that blue fragrances and ambroxan bombs are what is popular among the general populace. Bleu de Chanel, Dio Sauvage, YSL Y EDP, and others are what companies are pushing. It seems to be working for them. A lot of people have turned to sweet fragrances and aquatics. Other fragrance aficionados want something unique that stands out. Let's be honest here, Guerlain has never been a company that makes fragrances scream at you. They have that classy touch that makes them Guerlain.

So, what is Guerlain to do? I think every house, even niche and indie ones, have a mass-appealing fragrance to boost their sales. For instance, Roja Dove has Elysium Parfum Cologne. I think L'Homme Ideal Cologne was a step in the right direction, but it still wasn't enough. They need to come out with something blue and aquatic. Something to appeal to the younger denizens of the world and put them back into the minds and hearts of the next generation. I am not exactly sure what they would take.

As much as I cringe at the thought of Guerlain making a sweet aquatic fragrance, I must remember that I would rather see them stay in business than agree with all of their releases. If it means they can keep the classics in production and they keep making classy stuff besides a few younger fragrances, then I am all for it.

The Aqua Allegoria line was another step in the right direction. However, if they want to get young men involved in their brand, then they need to not market them towards women. Even though it was said that the entire line is unisex, the majority of the marketing aimed at women. Most of Guerlain's fanbase consists of women who enjoy affordable French luxury. That is why I am saying they need to step outside of their comfort zone and make something for younger men.

It's not too late for them. I pray that it isn't. They still have time to turn it around and make money. It's going to take a new plan though. I am not sure if mine would even work, but it's still my opinion. It would be such a shame to see a house that has such a lineage close up shop. That would mean the world would have a bit less class lingering around in the air. That is not something that most of us would want to see. Let's all hope that Guerlain can make it another 200 years.


Conclusion

I hope you all enjoyed my take on this topic. This wasn't one I was particularly excited about writing. I just wanted to get my opinion out there. I am not sure if they are even in that much trouble. Time will tell, I guess. I do sincerely hope that the information I heard was incorrect.

Keep smelling amazing and doing amazing. You never know how much a positive word could help someone. Be blessed and take care, everyone.

My Youtube channel(If you want to get a head start for when I start posting videos)(Hopefully that will be soon)

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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An Ode to the Classics: Happyland Hommeland Review

Credit: E.J. Wells

Hello, ladies and gentlemen! I hope everyone is having a lovely day today. It feels like spring outside today. It's quite nice. Maybe a bit too warm for the fragrance I am about to cover.

Happyland has dropped two more fragrances, Amberland and Hommeland. This review will be forHommeland. I don't have Amberland, but I am sure you folks can find someone who will review that one soon. I have had Hommeland for a little bit and I have worn it around 6 times, so this is not a first impression.

I was sent this fragrance for free, but there was no agreement for a positive review and I am not paid or sponsored by Happyland.


My bottle doesn't have the same label as the one pictured because he just now got the labels in, so I won't go over the presentation since it's the standard one for Happyland releases. Let's get into it!


Notes

Lavender, Bergamot, Sandalwood, Cedar, Ambroxan, Ambergris, Vetiver, and Oakmoss


The Scent

Hommeland opens up with a spiced sandalwood accord, which is reminiscent of Creed Bois du Portugal. The sophisticatedly smooth lavender with a dash of bright bergamot brings about cleanliness hailing back to the times of classic British perfumery. The dry oakmoss comes to the front to give this more of a complete fougere feel which is then shortly joined by a peppered cedar accord. A bit of ambroxan in the background gives this a bit of a modern punch. Woody vetiver is noticeable, but not dominant.

This composition is similar to Creed Bois du Portugal, but he has added many other classic men's staples into this mix and kept is something modern with the use of ambroxan. Make no mistake though, this is still a gentleman's fragrance through and through. It's a bit more rugged around the edge's over Bois du Portugal, mostly due to the oakmoss and ambroxan. It's not as smooth as the Creed counterpart. This works to its advantage though, since this one is clearly a bit more casual and suitable for everyday wear.

Hommeland is like every other Happyland in the regard that it is insanely strong. It will project for around 4 hours and last a good 10-12. The sillage is massive. For the first few hours Hommeland will fill up an entire room and everyone will know exactly where you have been. This fragrance is not for timid men.

This is certainly a cold-weather fragrance. The initial blast of fresh bergamot isn't enough to keep this suitable for summer. At least where I live. This fragrance is good casually, but it could also be worn with a suit. I would say it's for more mature-minded men who enjoy the classics. This fragrance is 100% masculine and I don't picture a woman ever wanting to wear something like this, but hey, wear what you want.


Overall Impression

Happyland came out with another great fragrance. I know I say that a lot, but I honestly believe it. I love Creed Bois du Portugal and Happyland's take on it made it even stronger than Alexandria's version. That is almost hard to believe because the Alexandria version is already very strong. 

I simply love the smooth lavender and spiced sandalwood combo. The addition of oakmoss just brings a new dimension of classic masculinity to an already overtly masculine composition. It's simply beautiful.

If you are a fan of barbershop fragrances and classic fougeres, then I would recommend a sample of this one.


Conclusion

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. I hope you folks enjoyed this review. I know that a lot of my readers are fans of the classics and this one is right up your alley. It was a pleasure to bring this one to you today.

I know I keep saying my YouTube channel will launch soon. I ran into a few complications. I hope to have it up soon. Thank you for being patient while I figure things out. I am not a very techy guy.

Keep smelling great and doing great. Be blessed and be a blessing.

Hommeland is launching tomorrow, on Valentine's Day. You will be able to purchase it at this link.

My Youtube channel(If you want to get a head start for when I start posting videos)(Hopefully that will be soon)

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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A Garden Stroll: Perfumology L'Ima Review

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Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! I hope today is going well for all of you. It's a rainy day here today. We are supposed to get some severe storms here tomorrow and it's my birthday...What a birthday present, huh? It will be fine though.

Today I am bringing you my first full review of a Perfumology fragrance. Perfumology is a niche and indie fragrance store located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. they have been around and have an online store where you can get their products if you are like me and don't live near the store.

The fragrance I will be covering today is L'Ima, which creative director Nir guy wanted to make as an ode to his grandmother, who was an avid gardener. Perfumer Justin Federico brought his vision to life in a parfum that took actual plant oils from the garden.

Nir did send me a sample of this for free. I have no affiliation with Perfumology and my opinions remain my own.

I am going to try a slightly different style for this review, let me know what you folks think! I won't be going over the presentation since this is only a sample. Let's get into it!


The Notes

Top

Lemon, Orange, Pomelo, Peppermint, Lemon Verbena, and Tomato Leaf


Mid

Geranium, Orris, Neroli, Lily, Rose, Ambrette, Elemi, Cardamom


Base

Amber, Copaiba(I am not sure what this even is), Cashmere, Sandalwood, White Musk



The Scent

L'Ima opens up with some realistic citruses, lemon and orange. They are sweet and smooth. The lemon is bright and mingles wonderfully with the orange and pomelo. The peppermint peeks its head out giving this composition a refreshing shaded nuance. It's like you are sitting in the shade next to a grove of citruses and basking in the aromas that surround you.

Shortly after the lemon verbena creates its familiar sunny day accord with nuances of grass, while the peppermint still mingles around and lets you know that you are in the shade and enjoying this beautiful day.

From the side comes a whiff of tomato leaf, slightly bitter and reminiscent of an Italian kitchen. I used to grow tomatoes myself, so I can pick this note up very vividly throughout the life of this fragrance. Tomato notes are used so sparsely in perfumery and I love the fact that it is executed perfectly here. It just fits into the whole vibe like a missing puzzle piece.

A breath of fresh air, clean and soothing. The lily embraces us with it's gentle and airy touch. gentle caressing the skin like a light breeze on a summer day, adding to the cooling effect from the peppermint.

Beautiful roses are lingering in the distance. they are clean and fresh instead of powdery. Lending their aroma and peacefulness to an already blissful day.

Neroli from the nearby orange trees tickles the senses with a lightly honeyed nuance with clean white florals. It lightly gives us a brief whiff when the breeze blows and it calms us and reminds us of where we are.

This fragrance is beautifully created. It makes me think of a Mediterranean garden in the spring while the plants are freshly sprouting and blooming. The way the citruses dance with the florals creating a sunny day accord, while the peppermint and lily create this cooling and breezy feeling. The tomato leaf keeps this from being a normal citrus grove fragrance. It keeps this fragrance vegetal and reminiscent of an actual garden. This is what Nir envision and Justin Frederico executed it flawlessly.

The performance is quite good. It lasts around 10 hours on me with a modest amount of projection for the first 4 hours. the sillage trail is admirable and noticeable.

This is a casual fragrance. A sunny day fragrance. It is absolutely unisex and can be worn with anything except formal clothing. It also fits any age group.

I would encourage you to pick up a sample of this if it sounds good to you. Perfumology sells 2.5ml samples for $8. Personally, I think this is full bottle worthy. Even though I normally don't go for fragrances in this price range, I think it's worth every single penny. The quality and blending is superb. and I love Mediterranean style fragrances and this one is certainly unique. Plus, the story behind it is amazing. I bet Nir is as proud of this fragrance as his inspiration for it.  I thought Clutch was my favorite until I started to learn about this one and it really sparked my imagination and put me in the middle of it. You have to love scents that take you on a journey with them. This is certainly one of those for me.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Don't forget to say a kind word to someone today. You never know who it might help. Be blessed, smell great, and do great.


Buy L'Ima here

My Youtube channel(If you want to get a head start for when I start posting videos)(Hopefully that will be soon)

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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Alluring: Happyland Studio Paisley Sky Review

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! I hope everyone is having a great day. I had a salad for breakfast. That isn't a crime, right? Oh well, it was good. Now, I am sitting down with a cup of coffee and writing about another Happyland release, Paisley Sky. It's a hybrid of Initio's Psychedelic Love and Oud for Greatness. I am surprised no one thought of mixing these before, given how much people are into layering these days. You folks already know how much I support this house, so let's see if this one holds up to my expectations from them.

I was sent this fragrance for free from Happyland. I am not sponsored by them. I was not encouraged or enticed in any way to give this a positive review. This is solely my opinion. Let's get into it!


Presentation

The bottle is the same as all of the other Happyland releases...Gold or black cap, great atomizer, rectangular bottle, etc. What is different is the label. I like how creative E.J. has been with the labels for Homme for the Holidays and this one. Using his classic retro-styled gentleman and putting a spin on him, plus the decorations on the bottle. This one features the gentleman with long hair and a mustache. It also has a paisley designed bottle in pink, light blue, and orange. This is most certainly a nod to the 70s, or 60s. I wasn't alive during those years, so I am not 100% sure.


Notes

Top

Bergamot, Saffron, Heliotrope, and Lavender

Mid

Nutmeg, Patchouli, Hedione, and Myrrh

Base

Ambergris, Oud, and Ambroxan


The Scent

Opening

Paisley Sky opens with a blast of heliotrope and a somewhat earthy saffron. I think he might have added vanilla to it as well. The heliotrope is quite strong with that airy and semi-sweet vanilla. you also get a beautiful warm and nutty aroma from the nutmeg and the almond-like facets of the heliotrope. The patchouli is slightly bitter.

Dry Down

After about 30 minutes you start getting some of the oud. It's somewhat resinous. I pick up the licorice-like myrrh, but it's very light in that regard with a tinge of medicinal nuances.  The sandalwood is creamy and that might be what accentuates the heliotrope instead of him adding vanilla. I am not sure about that one. I can detect some. A sweet floral hangs underneath, that is no doubt the hedione.

I don't pick up the ambroxan or ambergris, but I know E.J. loves using these to boost performance without altering the smells, so it's most likely there, but I have a difficult time discerning small amounts of ambergris and ambroxan.


Performance

Like all Happyland fragrances, this one projects and lasts a long time. I was getting around 11 hours with 6 of those projecting at least 6 inches off the skin. The first 3 hours will give you about a 6-foot projection bubble and a massive sillage trail. People will smell this on you.


When to Wear it

Paisley Sky is a cold-weather fragrance for sure. It's sweet, a bit spicy and resinous. You don't want to wear it in the heat. This is a playful and sexy fragrance. It's best for casual wear or date nights. Heliotrope is a known aphrodisiac and I think that is what this fragrance aims to do.

I wouldn't wear this one formally. The heliotrope is too playful for anything that serious, even with the inclusions of saffron and oud, which are more formal notes typically.

Paisley Sky is unisex. I do think this is more suitable and comfortable for men to rock over Psychedelic Love alone(even though I have only smelled a clone of it and not the real thing). Psychedelic love is perfectly wearable by men, but I think the addition of the oud and patchouli really makes this tread more on the unisex line.


Overall Impression

While I don't think anything will top my infatuation with Homme for the Holidays, this is still a really nice release. I would place it in my top 5 from the house. It's getting more difficult to rank these fragrances considering I have loved almost everything they have put out. This fragrance does captivate me in a way that others do not. I think it's the heliotrope and hedione. These notes do have an impact on my psyche and they draw me in. It's just a sexy fragrance.

This would be a great Valentine's Day fragrance for a man or a woman. There would be all kinds of hearts floating around with this lingering in the air. I would highly suggest picking up a sample of this if it sounds interesting to you. I think it is certainly full bottle worthy.


Conclusion

I hope everyone enjoyed this review. I have certainly enjoyed testing this one. Happyland is consistently putting out great fragrances. I have one that hasn't been released yet, that is yet another outstanding release, but I can't talk about that one yet. You will see soon though 😀


I hope everyone has a fantastic day. Be great, do great, and be kind. You never know who you could help with a kind word. Be blessed, everyone.


Buy Paisley Sky here (He also has 30ml and sample sizes)

My Youtube channel(If you want to get a head start for when I start posting videos)(Hopefully that will be soon)

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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Things to Know About Being a Reviewer

Source

Greetings, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome back. I appreciate you all stopping by. I hope everyone is having a wonderful day and you are in good health.

So, I decided to do another article today. I haven't posted very much this year, so I am trying to catch up. This one is going to be about being a reviewer. It will be a resource for people who are looking to get into reviewing or people who have misconceptions about reviewers and what goes on behind the scenes. Some of this is new information and some of it will be stuff you probably heard before. This is the truth, at least according to my experiences. Buckle up and let's get into it!


Reviewing isn't a Job

I see a lot of newer reviewers who get into this and think they will strike it rich like Jeremy Fragrance or other big YouTubers. the reality is that most reviewers don't make much. Unless you are about that 75K subs mark, then you won't make much. Even larger reviewers like Gent Scents and Redolessence still have regular jobs outside of reviewing. This isn't a replacement for a normal job and there is a very small chance you will make enough to supplement your income, or even your fragrance addiction with it.

With that being said, many of us spend hours daily or weekly putting together content. We research notes, fragrance trends, new releases, edit our content, and many other things that take time. The time you spend on working on content is in no way reimbursed by ad revenue or sponsorships.


Shilling

This is something that has come up a lot recently. While it is true that some reviewers get paid, most of us don't make anything. Ashton at Gent Scents just did a video on this. He stated that a few companies have offered him money to push their products and he declined. Some reviewers do take these opportunities. Not all of us do. You can be sure that anyone who has done a Scentbird ad doesn't have your best interests at heart. It's a well-known fact that Scentbird give a script for those ads and they aren't honest.

There is a misconception about "influencers" getting paid by fragrance companies to promote their brand. I have been offered money to positively review stuff, even with my small audience. Of course, I told them no, even though I have no income and could use it. My morals are worth more than a few bucks. I could show you conversations with every company I have worked with and how I told them upfront that I can't promise a favorable review. It made a few companies back off, but many of them sent me stuff anyway.

So, let's get this idea of getting free stuff makes us review stuff favorably for free bottles or money out of the way. It's mostly false. With newer reviewers, it might be favorable because they haven't smelled as much. It's still their honest take though. I have called stuff that I received for free terrible, okay, and good. I have no qualms about being honest. If that company doesn't want to work with me after that, then that is their choice.


You are Always Testing

The good reviewers test stuff for 5-7 days before reviewing it. We don't review stuff the second we get our hands on it because we know it can't be a true review if we haven't actually given ourselves the chance to learn about the fragrance.

I rarely get to wear my favorite fragrances because I am always testing stuff. That is just the cold reality of it. Even if it's a fragrance I dislike, I still have to test it for 5 days. So, sometimes it's not a life of "Oh, I get all of this free stuff and get to test these awesome fragrances for free". You still have to test stuff that sucks too.


Internet Tough Guys

You will run into a lot of people who think if you don't agree with them, then you are wrong and a shill. A lot of these guys hide behind not having a profile picture and think it gives them the freedom to say what they want.

The point in this is that people will say rude stuff and call you names. These people are keen to think that their taste and nose are better than everyone else's. Most of the time, I find their tastes pretty subpar personally. Synthetic doesn't always mean bad. However, many of these folks will use that as a focal point without realizing that most fragrances are synthetic, even some fo those beloved Rojas have synthetics.

So, don't let them talk down to you. If you love Sauvage, then love it. Don't let the hype that the jerks bring make you rethink your nose. It's your nose and it will tell you what you enjoy. Their opinions are not yours. Don't lose yourself in someone else's opinion. One of the worst things you can do to yourself is to lose your identity.

Prepare to have thick skin. Most new reviewers quit within 6 months. Don't let these guys get to you and you will be fine. You can only please so many people and many are just looking for a fight to talk down to you. they aren't the guys putting themselves out there and doing reviews themselves.

If you are one of these tough guys...Time to grow up and start treating people with respect. Trolling is what 13-year-olds playing League of Legends do. You are better than that. It's time to be a grown-up and realize that the world doesn't revolve around your opinion. Start being kind and see the impact that you can make. It's amazing how many lives you can touch.


Don't Hype

It's your job as a reviewer to not hype stuff. If you hype everything, then you are an influencer and not a reviewer. Be fair and just. Respect your audience's wallets more than your subscriber count. Don't sell out your morals for popularity. There is enough hype and clickbait around. Be different. Hype is a fickle thing that passes with time. It's just not worth it.


Don't Review for Popularity

I often see reviewers treating it like a popularity contest. Don't do that. Everyone has different tastes and needs and there is a reviewer for everyone. The smaller demographic still needs people to cater to them as well.

Some reviewers message me and our discouraged about their subscriber counts. I guess because they know I will tell them how it is. I tell them all the same things...Don't care about it. Do content you have fun with and your channel will grow organically grow with authentic fans. Don't try to force people to sub. People know where that sub button is. They will follow you if they like your content. I stopped asking people to follow a while back because I want my viewership to grow organically and it has worked. I have many readers who I speak to every day. That is how it should be.


Research

Make sure to do proper research before reviewing a fragrance. No, that doesn't mean to go read Fragrantica and copy what they are saying about the fragrance. It means to look at the history, notes, trends in fragrances, and other things. Make sure you are well prepared for your review with your own opinion. I have found out about many notes that I couldn't describe when I was a newer reviewer by simply researching facets of the note. I was then able to understand what I was smelling and it has allowed me to pick out stuff that I don't commonly see others get. Reviewing takes work, if you aren't willing to give it your best, then don't do it.


Free Stuff

I talked about this a bit already, but let's go a bit more in-depth. Don't beg every company for free stuff. Let them come to you and if you are interested in it, then do it. I have asked to work with some companies before, but I no longer do that. I have been totally transparent about the times I went to a company and asked them to do that as well. All of the other ones have come to me.

On another note, people need to stop expecting reviewers to pay to review every niche fragrance and new release on the market. That stuff is expensive. You expect us to go out and spends thousands of dollars per year to review something for you. Many reviewers work normal jobs and just can't afford that.

I know many of you will say that we shouldn't review unless we can afford full bottles. If that was true, then we would only have around 10 reviewers and not much diversity. As for me, I take care of my mom and can't afford to blind buy full bottles of stuff to review, so sometimes I review from decants. I apologize for not being wealthy, but I am not going anywhere.


Behind the Scenes

There are many things that the common person in the fragrance community is oblivious to. There are many kind people in the fragrance community, but there are also people who betray others, accept shady deals, and do shady business. I wish I didn't know everything I know. I would rather stay innocent on these things, but I am beyond that point now.

Before you ask, I am not naming any of this stuff, so don't ask me. I already know too much, and you folks don't need to know that stuff. Just keep doing what you are doing. Just know that not everything is as it seems.


Conclusion

I am pretty sure that I am forgetting something, but that will have to wait until another day. Reviewing isn't easy. It's a lot of work and stressful to put yourself out there. It takes a special kind of person to be able to do it while being honest. We are out there. the fragrance community is a great place and I have loved reviewing fragrances. It helps me feel like I am working again and I get to touch people's lives and it helps bring light to stuff that others have overlooked. I am not going anywhere. If you ever need advice or want to talk about fragrances, feel free to add me on Facebook. I am always down to talk about fragrances. I am not a super popular guy and my opinions aren't like a lot of other reviewers, but I am willing to share what I know.

Keep being great and doing great things. Be blessed and remember to say a kind word today. you never know who you can help.

My Youtube channel(If you want to get a head start for when I start posting videos)(Hopefully that will be soon)

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

Triple Threat: SCENTual Obsessions Lime in the Sky, Amber & Oud, and Tobacco Oud Review

Good morning! I hope everyone is doing well today. I am still working on my YT and airing out some kinks, but the launch will be soon. It has a bit more finesse and such than I anticipated. I don't want to just come out of the gate and have stuff not look good, so I am waiting to get all of my ducks in a row, so to speak.

I have another review for some SCENTual Obsessions fragrances. Two original creations: Lime in the Sky and Amber & Oud. Tobacco Oud is a clone of a Tom Ford fragrance that goes by the same name. This is not a first impression review. I have had these for a month or two and I have worn them 5-7 times each. I am not going to go super in-depth with these, but I will give you what you need to know.

These were sent to me for free by SCENTual Obsessions. I am not sponsored by them, nor was I paid or encouraged to review these positively. Let's get into it!


Presentation

The fragrances shown above are the 15ml size. They come in small cylindrical bottles with mirrored gold caps and black labels. The labels are a step up from the old ones. These are black and gold and really give them a more professional look. They still have a sticker on the cap with the fragrance name on them. The atomizers are mirrored gold as well and are good quality. they spray a nice wide mist.

This is a huge quality and presentation improvement over the last 15ml bottle I received from them, which was squared and the label was pretty basic. These ones look a lot more classy and refined. I think labels made with the fragrance name on them would help, but I doubt that SCENTual Obsessions gets enough orders to justify the cost. They work perfectly fine as they are. I just think it would help the overall presentation to get rid of the labels on the caps. I imagine one day they will do this. They have still made great strides from their last iterations.


The Scents

Lime in the Sky

This is a mix of Ariana Grande Cloud and Creed Virgin Island Water

What you get with Lime in the Sky is a hefty dosage of bright and juicy lime accented by a milky and creamy coconut note. There is a bit of nuttiness, which I assume is coming from something from AG Cloud. I haven't smelled that one before, so I cannot say for sure. You get a bit of the rum and a slight hint of ginger as well. I pick up a faint trace of some sweet lavender as well.

Many people compare AG Cloud to Baccarat Rouge 540 EDP from Francis Kurkdjian, but I cannot confirm that they have any likeness. Even if it did have that DNA, I view this as a casual summertime fragrance. It almost comes off like a borderline summer gourmand. This would be nice for a white shirt and tan chinos day. This fragrance is decidedly unisex and doesn't lean masculine or feminine.

The performance is quite decent. I was getting around 7 hours with a solid 3 of projection before it became a skin scent.

Overall, I like this fragrance, but I am not sure I like it enough to purchase a full bottle. It's not that it's bad or not well-executed. It's that it's not really my style. I will wear it and I will finish my 15ml bottle. I just think I would rather buy his version of VIW if I want some lime and coconut vibes.


Amber & Oud

Amber & Oud only has two notes listed on the site, amber and oud, which can be somewhat deceptive if you are thinking this is a deep, dark, and resinous fragrance. It's not.

During the opening, I get a nice blast of lime from it, which could be a variation of bergamot, but it comes off like fresh lime to my nose. There is almost a bit of lemon mixed it. However, this is not a straightforward fresh fragrance. It does have amber in it, a very spicy variation of it with a faint hint of airy vanilla. This fragrance also has quite a peppery cedar note with perhaps some ginger mixed in. I am also detecting something with a slight green nuance and earthy, probably patchouli. I don't detect any oud in this fragrance.

This isn't a fresh fragrance, but it's not one that is deep and dark. It's fresh and very spicy. For that reason, I will have to delegate it as a warmer weather nighttime fragrance. It's a bit too spicy and not fresh enough for daytime wear, but it would be fine in an office setting. I just don't think it would work as a daily driver in the heat we get here in SC. It's too spicy for that. It's a pretty casual fragrance, but I think you could rock it with a casual suit.

The performance is solid on this one. I was getting around 9 hours from it, with 3 of those being projection. Although it does radiate a few inches off the skin until around the 6-hour mark. Nothing to complain about there. I would be very cautious about over-spraying this one, as I said earlier, it is quite spicy and will probably get negative reactions if you spray too much.


Overall, I like this one as well, but I don't think it's a must-have for me, but I would possibly consider purchasing a bottle, since it is a nice fragrance.  It's just sort of strange because it's both a bit fresh and very spicy. It's hard to find situations where I would wear this over something else, but I do have a lot of fresh spicy fragrances in my collection. I am sure it would work for many people and others might have a different take on it. It's just not something that excites me like his version of Wood Sage and Sea Salt did.


Tobacco Oud

Tobacco Oud is one of my favorites from Tom Ford. So, I was hoping that this would match up to it. Thankfully, it did. It still has that sweet whiskey with the ashy tobacco vibe and dry spices. The whiskey note seems a bit sweeter than the Tom Ford and it actually makes it more palatable to my nose. The SO version seems to have a bit more vanilla in it as well. So, overall it's a sweeter take with less ashiness to me. That's a good thing if you ask me. I quite like this one.

This is a cold-weather fragrance. It is way too sweet and dark to wear in the warmer weather. You can wear this casually or formally. It has a playfulness to it, but also a dash of luxury to it, as most Tom Fords do. It would make a good date night fragrance, but I would caution against using it on first dates. This fragrance is quite polarizing and some people hate it.

The performance is really good on this one. I got around 10 hours with around 5 of projection. It leaves a large sillage trail as well. This is something people around you will smell on you until about 8 hours in, then they need to be pretty close to pick it up.

This one is the winner of the bunch for me. The other two are solid offerings, but not exactly something I must have. I would buy a full bottle of this one. It's much cheaper and more playful than the Tom Ford version. The performance is good. It smells really classy. It checks all of the boxes for me. Not to mention, it's about 1/10th of the price of the Tom Ford.


Conclusion

SCENTual Obsessions continues to make solid offerings at a rock bottom price point. The first two might not have been loves for me, but I see that they are great fragrances that others will love. Just because it doesn't fit my style shouldn't deter you from trying them out. Everyone has different tastes. Pick up some samples and see for yourself. I never advocate blind buying anyways, especially when samples are readily available.

I appreciate you all stopping by today and I hope you enjoyed my review. Stay safe and be blessed. Remember to smell fantastic and treat people well. You never know how much a kind word could mean to someone.


SCENTual Obsessions Website

My Youtube channel(If you want to get a head start for when I start posting videos)(Hopefully that will be soon)

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