My Papyrus Affair: Cremo Palo Santo Review

 

Good evening! I hope everyone had a wonderful day today. Mine was good until I realized I had no packing tape to send a package out, so I was lazy and just ordered some off of Amazon.

I have another Cremo review for you today. This time it's Palo Santo, which I believe is part of their Reserve Collection. I am not entirely sure what qualifies a fragrance as being part of that collection. They are all the same price. 

I purchased this fragrance from Target. This one wasn't sent to me. My opinions are still my own regardless of the circumstance, as always.

I don't have a story for this one. You will see why when I get to the review. Let's get into it!


The Notes 

Papyrus, Cardamom, and Palo Santo 


The Scent

Palo Santo opens up with a sweet and fresh cardamom note that transcends into a green and woody papyrus. I am not sure what palo santo smells like, but there is a lemony sweet woodiness to this fragrance. There is either a vague lemon note in here, or that is the palo santo. 

Overall, Cremo Palo Santo is very dry and vividly woody with green nuances and a bit of spice. There isn't much development in this fragrance. Such is the case with most Cremo fragrances. The cardamom tones down in the heart and it's mostly a woody fragrance. The lemon-esque note seems to vanish completely to me in favor of woody notes. 

My Opinion

I strongly dislike this one. That is why there is no story for it. It didn't inspire me.  It's not because the quality is bad. The quality is on par with all of the other Cremos that I have tried. I just have a strong dislike of papyrus.

I think I might have a gene that makes it smell like pickles to me. You know that some people have a gene that makes cilantro smell and taste like soap? I have the pickle-laden olfactory dread of papyrus one, sadly. I think this might be the case for those who think some salty notes smell like eggs too. This is just speculation though.

This fragrance does remind me a bit of Le LaboSantal 33 without the leather and sandalwood. It's an alternate take on it. So, if you are a fan of Santal 33, then you will probably enjoy this one. If you dislike it, then you probably won't like this one either. 

I will be passing this one on to a friend who likes Santal 33 because I won't wear it. I have tried for almost 2 years to like Santal 33 and I just can't. I admit that I only gave this one 3 wearings before reviewing it because it was just unpleasant to me. I usually test a minimum of 5 full wearings. 

It does last quite a while on my skin. It's a good 8+ hour fragrance with a decent sillage. 

Sometimes I think my aversion to papyrus might come from someone I knew that had a body odor that reminded me of pickles as well. Maybe that is why it is so unpleasant to me. I am not sure, I just know that my nose doesn't like it and this is probably the end of the line with papyrus scents to me. I have tried around 6 of them and I always get that smell from them. A shame, but what can you do?


Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed my review of Cremo Palo Santo. I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Keep smelling great and being great. Remember that a kind word is free and can change someone's life. Much love and stay safe, folks. 


Buy Palo Santo at Target

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A Mediterranean Lagoon: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Living Stromboli Review

 

Greetings! I hope everyone is having a lovely morning. I am doing just fine. As much as I love the colder weather, I am starting to come around to the warmer temperatures. The fresher fragrances of spring and summer always put a pep in your step and that is a welcomed relief. 

Flankers are often overlooked. There are a few that get some love, but they are few and far between. The Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue line has numerous flankers. In fact, they release a new one every year. I haven't heard much mention of the 2012 release, Living Stromboli, so I naturally had to check it out. 

I will try not to ramble on this time...Let's get into it!


The Story 

We travelled all day exploring the coastline of Italy and all of its wonderous landmarks and food. We were hot and the sun was just above the waters. It was time for a swim to cool off before the nighttime festivities begin.  

We walk up the sandy shore until we see come upon some rock formations in the distance. These rocks are giving shade to the water. This is the perfect place. 

Upon entering the water, we immediately feel the crispness of the shady water. Pure and unadulterated, almost like this place was here just for us. The aromas of the fresh water mingling with various flowers around the coastline make it even more blissful. Calm and tranquil, a direct opposite of the crowded cities we were navigating earlier. This is peace embodied as orange and purple hues paint the sky with a beautiful tinge. This is a place that rejuvenates the soul.  


The Notes

Top

Pink Pepper
Citrus Accord

Heart 

Watery Notes 
Geranium 

Base 

Vetiver 
Patchouli 
Amber


The Scent 

Living Stromboli opens with a watery citrus accord right away. I can't exactly pick out what citrus notes are in this, but if I had to guess then grapefruit would be one of them. The watery aspect of this fragrance is by far the strongest note throughout the life of this fragrance. You will also get a clean rosy pink pepper not. It adds a dimension of cleanliness to the fragrance. A cool geranium note is also detectable, which gives this fragrance a cool and crips feelings with the watery notes. 

As the heart comes out, I can detect a fair bit of clean musk. It's not listed in the notes, but I do detect it. I also pick up some sort of sweet fruit. I can't directly identify it, but it smells tropical in nature. 

In the deep dry down, the fragrance reveals a bit of soft vetiver and patchouli. They aren't very dominant and the watery notes and muskiness certainly overpower them, but they are there to give it a nice base to rest upon. 

This fragrance lasts around 5-6 hours. I think that is perfectly acceptable for the type of fragrance it is. 

This is a summertime casual fragrance that could be unisex, slightly favoring the masculine side. 


My Opinion

Living Stromboli is a great fragrance. I thoroughly enjoy its cold and clean watery feel. While this fragrance is nothing new or extraordinary, it is solid for what it is. I like this one even more than Light Blue Eau Intense. This just smells more Mediterranean to me. It's a more realistic take on water, even though it's still obviously synthetic. 

I think this one is okay to blind buy. I paid $24 for 40ml. I think it's slightly more now. I would only pick this one up if you love aquatics and can handle musk. I don't think it's efficient to sample this one. I haven't even seen samples of it before and decants would cost more than it's worth. 


Conclusion

I hope you folks enjoyed my take on this. Don't forget to say something positive to someone today. It's free and you never know who you could help! Be blessed and be safe. Keep smelling great and doing great!


Buy Living Stromboli here (This is not an affiliate link. I have no affiliation with Fragrancenet or any other company. I get no kickbacks from any links in my articles.)

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My Thoughts on Jeremy Fragrance

 

I used my own picture of Office for Men, just in case Jeremy sees this article and doesn't like it. I don't need to be hit with a copyright violation. 

Good afternoon! I hope everyone is doing well today. I am doing fine, but it's a bit chilly here. We actually had freeze warnings overnight. That is pretty much unheard of here in April. I am glad I didn't plant my garden yet...

I usually don't comment on reviewers publicly. I actually think this might be the first article I have done on something like this. Before you go off saying I did this just for views, I don't have ads turned on. I get nothing from this, as I do with all of my articles. 

Jeremy Fragrance is a polarizing figure in the fragrance community. Some people love him and some love to hate him. I have seen so much unwarranted hate towards the man that I decided to make an article. I am not naive enough to believe this article will change anyone's mind. I will probably just get laughed at for it, but I could care less. 

Without further ado, let's get into it!


My Thoughts on Jeremy Fragrance

Like many of us, Jeremy fragrance was the first fragrance YouTuber I was exposed to. It was back when I was watching Alpha M's style channel and he made a guest appearance on there. I started watching him and taking notes, then I found Ashton and Redolessence. After that, I found the fragrance community and it's been downhill since then. I am kidding, this has been a wonderful experience that saved me in more ways than one.

Jeremy has changed a bit over the years. I very rarely watch his content anymore. His obsession with how women react to certain fragrances just isn't my style. I don't dislike him as a person for that, but I do wish he would use his influence in more of a way to advocate that women aren't just robots to smell your fragrance and tell you that you smell nice. I think his reliance on compliments has shrouded his ability to find new and interesting fragrances. A lot of his videos do contain the same fragrances that he has spoken about for 5 years now. 

I also have Office for Men and I think it's mediocre. Sauvage is much better and smoother. However, that is just more of a personal opinion than anything else. The other fragrances seem too sweet for me to even warrant trying. 

On the other hand, I see that Jeremy is just trying to have fun with what he loves. He's just a human like all of us are. We all make mistakes and have ups and downs. People are constantly ridiculing him and demeaning him, but he just comes back stronger every time. I respect his drive and motivation. 

People often accuse him of using drugs with no proof to back it up. Suspicion is not proof of any caliber. How would you like it if someone accused you of doing drugs because you liked to say silly things? It's not fair, is it? You would probably be livid about it. I don't think it's fair to say Jeremy is trying to steal people's money(even though the first Ferrari thing was a bit suspect, I will admit) because he asks people to buy his fragrances. Doesn't every businessman try to get you to buy their products? Isn't that what a business is? 

It's equally shameful for people to be so obsessed with every wrong step this man does. It's almost like they have to live their lives in an attempt to demean someone to feel some sort of self-worth. That is not a life worth living, folks. It's better to ignore all of the negative stuff and just embrace life and the wonders that it has. Getting that like on your Facebook or Instagram post is never going to make you feel complete. You have to do some soul searching and dig deep to find the difficult things to overcome in order to do that. Jeremy has found himself. Even though he still probably struggles, we all do. Have you found yourself or are you just trying to live vicariously through an internet personality in a vain attempt to fit in with the crowd?

At the end of the day, Jeremy isn't stopping any of us from living our lives. Our own mind is the only thing holding us back. Grown men don't sit around gossiping about other grown men. It's time to rip the bandage off and act like a grown-up. Just let the man live his life and you can live yours. That makes everyone happy. 

In closing, I do wish that Jeremy used his influence for more positive reasons, but at the end of the day it doesn't impact my life, so I don't care. I know some of you might try to say I care because I made this article, but I really don't. maybe this article will help someone. Maybe it will make me the laughing stock of the fragrance community. I will sleep just as well at night knowing I spoke up for what I thought was true and just. That is all that matters to me. 

I hope everyone has a fantastic day. Remember to say something positive to someone today. You never know when someone needs to hear it. Lots of people are struggling these days and a kind word is free!

I appreciate all of the support and keep smelling amazing. Until next time, be blessed!

One more side note- Don't ever listen to Jeremy's diet advice!

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The Little Book Eater Wildling: A Game of Thrones Inspired Fragrance

 

Good afternoon! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day today. I am doing just fine. A bit too warm for my liking, but there isn't too much I can do about that besides sticking to my hermit ways, which many of us have done for the past year anyway...

Today I have a small indie house that I found on Etsy to bring to you. The Little Book Eater makes perfume oils inspired by TV shows, movies, novels, and fantasy characters. She even had stuff based on Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. I purchased 4 from her store to try them out. I enjoy Game of Thrones, so I had to pick up this one when I saw the notes. Her shop is currently taking a break, but I believe that they were only $14 for 10ml of perfume oil. 

I purchased all of these. I have no affiliation with The Little Book Eater and this article contains no affiliate links.

Now, without further ado, let's get the adventure started!


The Story

It's always cold here. An eternal winter with no reprise. The frigid air will chill you to the bone. This is the only life I know. Wandering from place to place, just wanting to survive. 

There is no warm hearth in this land. You can only take from the land what you are willing to work for. The frozen cairns will take your life in an instant if you don't respect them. The giant taigas are no different.

One day, the wall will come down and we will have what is rightfully ours. The dead rise and with them comes our demise if we do not push south. 


The Notes 

Winter Air 
Juniper 
Birch
Moss
Red Cedar
Patchouli 
Musk


The Scent 

Wildling starts off with some mildly balsamic juniper needles and a cold ozonic feel, which I interpret as the winter air note. It goes on to show a slight inkling of smoke layered upon various hardwood trees with a tiny bit of some green notes in the background.

The effect that you get from this fragrance is a winter forest with a frigid, yet gentle breeze bringing the beauty of the forest to your senses.

This fragrance isn't super complex and doesn't evolve very much on your skin. In the final dry down, you get more of the balsamic feeling mixed with the air, with the woods and smoke in the background. 


My Opinion

This fragrance didn't blow me away, but it's not bad either. There is a slight scented candle vibe to it. It doesn't have a waxy feel, but that might just be my own senses picking up a note that I recall from a candle in it. 

It smells more like a fantasy forest, which makes sense given its inspiration. I didn't expect this to smell very realistic for the price. I wouldn't say it's cloyingly synthetic either. 

It lasts around 6 hours on my skin, which is fine for the price. This is more of an atmospheric fragrance anyway. 

For $14, I would say this is an interesting buy for a Game of Thrones fan. It's cheap and it smells good. It's just not super impressive, but it is creative in its own way. It does what it set out to do and you can't complain about that. 


Conclusion

I will review some others from this house at a later time. I hope you enjoyed this review. 

Remember to say something kind to someone today. You never know how much it could help them in their personal life. It's free to be kind. Use it as often as you can. 

Thank you for the support. Be safe and blessed!

The Little Book Eater Store (Temporarily closed at the time of the article)

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Dreaming in Harvest Colors: Neil Morris Chasing Autumn Review

 

Hello, folks! I know it's been a while, but I have been quite busy. I know I keep saying that I will drop some more reviews, but then life gets in the way. You know how that goes. I will try to get some more done this month. I have a lot of new and interesting stuff to share with you folks. I am excited about that. 

Today I will be covering a house that most of you have never heard of. Reviews on this house are pretty scant and I have never seen anyone post about them in the fragrance community. I actually found out about this house from a Reddit post, haha. You never know where you can find useful information!

Anyway, I did some research and found out that the perfumer is from New England. I am actually from New England myself. He creates perfumes based on his olfactory memories of various places or people. Most of which are in New England. He has this one called North Woods that is based off the woods in Maine, where I grew up for almost 9 years of my life. So, I just had to give him a chance. 

His fragrances are fairly affordable at $48 for 30ml or the EDP versions. His parfums run $70. He also has a special collection that are $95 for 60ml. My Chasing Autumn was $48 for a 30ml EDP. That is quite affordable for an indie fragrance. I purchased two full bottles. Yes, I purchased these. They were not sent to me for review. I had some conversations with the perfumer and he's a nice guy and hooked me up with a bunch of samples, which I am still going through. 

This one is called Chasing Autumn. It might be a bit different than you expect it to be. It was to me at least! 

I have rambled on enough now, let's get into it!


The Story

The cool crisp air on an autumn night always has a charm to it. It's not always the most comfortable temperature, but you are fine with a flannel and boots. The smell of hay, pumpkin, coffee, hot chocolate, smoke, wet leaves, noble trees, and many other smells from the harvest season waft through the air and tickle the senses. 

A hot cup of spiced apple cider and bonfires. Hot chocolate and a hayride. An apple orchard and pumpkin pie. Autumn has so many memories attached to it. Chasing Autumn only touches on one olfactory memory, but it does make you want to chase the season back into the present. 


The Scent 

Chasing Autumn bursts forth with a vivid smokiness that is going to persist through the fragrance. The realism captured here is personal. It's intimately connected to the olfactory senses and summons a flood of memories from my childhood. Slightly balsamic pine needles with a bit of the dried wood lurk from underneath the smoky cypriol. The cypriol does smell real. I have some real cypriol oil and this smells almost exactly like it. Roasted coffee on a base of woody vetiver with a bit of raw leather. 

This fragrance reminds me of burning dried leaves in the fall. It also reminds me of a cabin in the woods with a fireplace crackling with logs of pine and cedar. There is a slight earthiness in the blend, that is most likely the cypriol as well. There could also be some birch tar in the blend. It's very smoky from top to bottom. It's unapologetic, but warm and comforting at the same time. In the deep dry down, I can pick up some golden-hued dry amber, which gives it some greater depth and cements the feeling of the season in your mind.


My Opinion

I will just come out and say it. I love it. I am a big fan of smoky scents and this one hits the spot.  The way Mr. Morris weaved in little nuances here and there really makes it an enjoyable wearing until the finish line. This is a very strong fragrance that lasts around 10  hours on my skin. 

While this fragrance isn't too niche or offensive, it's not mass appealing. This is a scented memory that might not be for everyone. For the people who enjoy atmospheric fragrances and love smoky scents, I would say that you should really give this a try. He sells samples his site(link below). I blind bought this, but I would suggest that most people give it a sample first.


Conclusion

I have tried 15 of Neil Morris' fragrances thus far. I was only not impressed by one of them. I have no idea why no one talks about this house. For the record, I have no affiliation with Neil or his brand. I get nothing out of this, except the joy of sharing a new house that I think is underrated. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Keep your head up and remember to say something nice to someone today. You never know what someone is going through. One kind word can change someone's life. 

Thank you for the continued support. Until next time, be safe and blessed!


Neil Morris Website Note: I didn't see Chasing Autumn on his site, so I emailed him and he took care of me. I imagine he would still have it in stock if you email him. 

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Why you Should Wear Classic Fragrances

 

Greetings! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day today. I am doing just fine. It's a cool and rainy day here and I decided to wear some Rogue Bon Monsieur to go with it. Such a wonderful scent that I need to review at some point...

I have been watching for years and years as people have trashed classic fragrances as "dated" or "old man". If you follow my blog, then you know I love the classics, so I figured I would give my opinion on this. I am well aware that people have different tastes and "to each their own". I just want to illustrate some common misconceptions people might have about classic scents. This includes modern scents made in a classic style, such as Rogue Perfumery and Meleg Perfumes. 

Many people will probably disagree with me on these points, but that is okay. These just come from my personal experiences. I also know that someone will comment "99% of classics are shadows of their former selves", which a part of me thinks they hold that opinion because someone else said it or it's the cool thing to do. I don't know, but in regards to certain formulations, that statement has some vague validity to it. However, these things are not what I am discussing. I am speaking for vintage and modern iterations of classics. 

A classic fragrance to me is something made before 1990. Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments. If you reply on here, I do reply to every comment. Blogger just doesn't always tell people that I do. 

I have rambled on for long enough, let's get into it!


Classics are Still Made

Classic fragrances, such as the pictured Shalimar, have been produced since their introductions to the market. You don't typically go to a furniture store and see carpets and couches from the 70s that are still made today. Yes, some antique or very niche stores might have these things, but they are not mass-produced in the same styles as they were back then.

These vintage fragrances are still made today. That is because they are still being purchased...by a lot of people. Not all of those people are elderly either. I don't have any data to prove that, so it's just my assumption based on what I have personally seen. If there wasn't a market for them, then they wouldn't be produced. Businesses don't like losing money for nostalgia. 


Dated Smells

Can a smell actually be dated? What determines what is dated and what isn't? A scent memory of someone older wearing it? If that is the case, then Creed Aventus and Bleu de Chanel can be considered dated. I have smelled them on men who were over 50. What metrics do we use?

It seems like it's a misconception about something we are not familiar with. If something is new and foreign to us or it reminds of us something in the past, then we cast it off as dated or bad. The same thing goes for most oud scents. 

Early on, I wanted modern stuff too. I still like some modern fragrances. However, the more I explored the older fragrances, the more that I found that I liked them. They don't smell dated to me at all. Many do come off as products of their era though. 

I think our natural inclination towards progress and advancing technology makes us shy away from things of the past because we want to embrace the future. The future cannot happen without the past. 

Compliments

As many of you know, I shudder at the thought of talking about compliments. It's just not my style and I don't care about them. However, I realize that many people do, so I am going to cover it. 

I can count how many times I have been told that I smell old on one hand. I get far more positive comments on my classic fragrances than negative ones. You do have to have the presence to pull off these scents though. Wearing ripped skinny jeans is going to conflict with the vibe you are giving off with these. I am not saying that ripped skinny jeans are bad, only that they don't fit the classic style very well. 

I have been told that I smell very manly and masculine before wearing these scents, but I can only count the times that has happened on two hands. Most of the time people say "fresh" or that I just smell "good". 

I am not one to care what people think. I am 35. Some of the women who have complimented me have been in their 20s. Some of them don't like men smelling super sweet. Let's not put women in a box and say all of them like the same things. That's just not cool. If your goal is to impress every woman you come across, then you might need a reality check. Sorry, but I am not sorry. You only need to impress one, not all of them. The same goes for impress men, if that is your thing.


History


Houses like Guerlain, Penhaligon's, Floris, and Caron have been around a long time. There is a lot of history, love, and passion in their fragrances. These houses have been around for so long because they are making good fragrances.

Maybe I am a bit biased because I love history. This side of them just appeals to me. To think that some guy in the 60s shaved with the same shaving cream and slapped on some Eau Sauvage aftershave and then sprayed some on...That appeals to me. To think that some women might have worn Shalimar to celebrate their husbands returned from World War II. Maybe my mind is being too creative here, but those things intrigue me deeply. 

The fragrance that is pictured above is Guerlain Jicky EDP. It was the first fragrance to use synthetic vanilla and to make the Guerlainade that we all know today. It was revolutionary and led to many of the fragrances we have today. Yes, I do wear Jicky and I love the scent deeply. 


Masculinity

I am hesitant to cover this topic because I know someone will say "masculinity isn't in what you smell like. It's how you present yourself". That is very true, but at the same time, I can't help but to think that some of the classic women's fragrances such as Shalimar EDP, Jicky EDP, and Mitsouko EDP are more masculine smelling than many of today's men's releases. 

This is just my own perception of the scents though. I am not saying that all modern releases smell feminine to me. I wear plenty of unisex and feminine stuff. I do believe that fragrances are unisex, but some do have more masculine qualities than others. 

I think part of this association is do to the men who were influential in raising us. They wore some of these fragrances and therefore we associate the smells with masculinity. Maybe the next generation will think that way for Bleu de Chanel and Creed Aventus. I am not sure, but it would make sense.

I see a lot of men asking for masculine scents. Classics will give you that. I also see people asking for "alpha male" fragrances, which I find to be humorous. I will probably get some heat for this. but the whole alpha male ideology is flawed to me. No fragrance will make you an alpha male, even though I don't think alpha males exist. It's just some fantasy/facade that guys have that makes them cover up their insecurities. There are men and there are boys. That is my take on it. A fragrance isn't going to make you appear as either if you are a man. 


Conclusion

I might have upset some people with what I said in this one, but I still love all of you. I just try o speak from my heart. Sometimes I can be a bit opinionated and abrasive. That is just who I am. 

Remember to say some kind words to someone today. You never know what they are going through. You could be the voice that makes a difference. Keep smelling great and being great. Thank you for the support. Until next time, be safe.

Feel free to connect with me! My Facebook

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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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