In Memory of Kyle Stevens

 

Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I hope everyone is doing well today. I am doing okay. We have had two major losses in the fragrance community. Carlos Powell(Brooklyn Fragrance Lover) and Kyle Stevens. It was a difficult month last month for us, but we will endure with their memories. 

Some people asked me if I was going to do an article on Carlos and I decided not to. I was friends with him, but I wasn't super close to him and it just didn't feel right to me to do an article for a man that I didn't know very well. It just felt like clickbait. I despise clickbait. 

However, I will say a few words for him here, since I have not posted since his passing...

I will miss him. He posted some amazing-looking food on his Facebook page. He loved his cats dearly and I also love my cat dearly. He was very passionate about fragrances and he loved getting in front of the camera and sharing his hobby. He also had the best musical introduction of any YouTuber, bar none.

I remember when I first started speaking to him. He was getting bashed over one of his live streams he did when he probably had a bit too much to drink and I told him I was there for him and encouraged him. I asked him if I could do anything for him and he replied, "Watch my back in these fragcomm streets". The "fragcomm streets" stuck with me and gave me some perspective on some things that go on in the fragrance community. 

I also remember watching his duet with Steven(Redolessence) at ScentXplore(2020). Those two had such an awesome synergy and you could see the bond that they shared with each other. My heart breaks for Steven as well, since that was his best friend. 

Rest in peace, Carlos. You will be missed and thank you for the magic you brought to the fragrance community. 

I hope people don't think it's distasteful to speak about two people who have passed in the same article, but this article is mainly about Kyle Stevens. I was much closer to him and I haven't seen anyone post a tribute to him yet, so I am going to because he deserves it. I just wanted to touch and say a few words for Carlos because I felt like it was needed, even though it's been a month. 

Since Kyle's passing, I have wanted to do an article on him. I tried planning it out in my head and the words just escape me. This is very much an article I am doing on the fly and just typing whatever comes into my head, so it might be more sporadic than my usual ones...Well, let's give this a shot...

I am not even sure when I first met Kyle. It has been a few years. It was probably because of one of my mental health articles, but I can't say for certain. Kyle always enjoyed conversing with people and always made time for them. He wasn't super active in the groups, but he would respond to messages. He was a more personal guy, I think. 

I am not going to tell all of his business because it's not mine to tell, but his health wasn't in prime condition. He had to stay at a home and get care from nurses. He would often comment on what the nurses said about his fragrances. It makes me chuckle to think about some of the stories about the nurses and his oud fragrances lol...

Kyle was also very knowledgeable about ouds. He taught me quite a bit when I first got into them. I wouldn't know most of what I know about oud if it wasn't for my conversations with him. He also sent me some samples a while back and introduced me to PK Perfumes and that led to me knowing Paul Kiler.

In that same bag of samples that he sent me, there was Houbigant Fougere Royale. I still have a bit of that sample and I need to get a bottle of it. That sample led me down the road of loving fougeres and barbershop scents, so Kyle inadvertently started that. I never told him that. I regret that. Some people come to me as a fougere guy now for advice and Kyle is the reason that it started. I don't think he knew the impact he had. 

Kyle didn't have much money, much like myself. He could only sell things at certain times when his parents came to visit him. He would have to sell stuff to buy new things. Kyle would give away stuff to his friends and some of those people did take advantage of him(I am not naming anyone, but if you read this, then you know who you are). It was quite sad. 

Despite all of this, Kyle was still optimistic. Even when his health wasn't great and people upset him...He still managed to be just as friendly and positive as he could be. He had a certain strength that most of us can only hope to attain. 

He also was an audiophile. He loved getting high-quality headphones and it was another passion of his. I don't know very much about that sort of stuff, so I will leave it at that, but the picture for this article was made by Kenny Walker and included some headphones, so I thought that I ought to explain why. 

You will be missed, buddy. I hope heaven smells like some amazing oud and you are just as joyful as ever. We will continue to remember what you did and how your light shined so brightly. We will remember how you treated people and made an example for all of us. 

One more musing before I finish this...You never know when someone is going to leave this earth. Make sure to tell them what you want to tell them. I wish I would have told both Kyle and Carlos more things. I procrastinated and never had a chance to. Just like I did with Mr. Sillage. Make sure to tell people you love them and care about them. You may never get another chance to. Even if you are angry, seek to find that love in your heart and tell them. 

Say something positive to someone today. You never know who it might help. A simple kind word can bring someone back from what feels like the abyss to them. You never know what someone is going through. Be a voice of kindness. Being kind is free and it makes you feel better about life. 

As I said before, Kenny Walker made this banner for this article and my Facebook group. He is also a fragrance reviewer who is highly underrated and does some of the most unique reviews out there. Show him some love, please. Here is his channel. Thank you for making so many things for me, Kenny...and never asking for anything in return. 

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