In a previous post, I wrote about a fragrance I sampled while traveling and mentioned that if I could find it at a great price, I’d purchase…and I did. Here are some of my thoughts: Giorgio Armani’s I WILL delivers a sophisticated blend of warm, woody, and subtly spicy accords, creating a fragrance that feels both inviting and masculine. Its smooth, rich character offers an appealing balance of refinement and confidence, making it versatile enough for everyday wear or an evening out. While this fragrance certainly possesses mass appeal, its true distinction lies in how it complements the personality, confidence, and individual style of the gentleman wearing it. Ultimately, I WILL reminds us that a fragrance is more than just an appealing scent—it is an extension of one’s character and personal identity.

I sampled I WILL by Giorgio Armani while traveling through London Heathrow Airport, and what a lovely fragrance it is. It has a warm, sophisticated, and confident character, with a rich, modern scent that feels both elegant and effortlessly masculine. I was immediately taken with it and can easily see why this fragrance caught my attention. Looking forward to adding the one to my collection.

I’ll be in Paris, Naxos, & Athens. Any fragrance shops or fragrances that are locally made that you would recommend? Any personal recs for food or things to see?

Week 5: Finalizing the Build Hey guys, Joe A. here with another one for ya’! Welcome back to Shelf Control, where one man attempts to bring order to a fragrance collection that clearly stopped respecting boundaries! So now the brackets are up, the shelves are in, and the empty shelves are officially in position. In other words, the construction phase is largely done — which is both exciting and slightly terrifying, because now the wall is just standing there waiting for several hundred bottles to show up like it knows something I don’t!! For the shelves, I ended up going with birch panels instead of oak. And no, before anybody starts connecting dots, this was not an Aventus nod. I chose birch because the lighter white wood works beautifully with the blue tones in the room and keeps the whole space feeling clean, open and airy. Since I’m down here in Florida, I wanted the design to have a little bit of that bright, fresh, coastal feel without turning the room into a Tommy Bahama clearance rack. The shelves are roughly 4 feet long and 16 inches deep, mounted on heavy brackets, and you can clearly see the acrylic tiered displays fitting in nicely! Right now, everything looks clean, calm, and suspiciously under control, which means the bottles clearly haven’t arrived yet. The structure is there, the spacing is set, and the garage office wall finally looks like it was designed to become the Joe Average Fragrance Library! Next up is the big one: The Great Bottle Migration, when the collection starts moving from around the house into one central location. The stage is built. The shelves are ready. Now it’s time to see if Shelf Control can survive first contact with the actual collection. #EnjoytheJourney Week 6: The Great Bottle Migration (Part 1)!

Burnt up the last of my Beach Walk yesterday and wanted something in a similar tone. After some research I came across Soilel Blanc. First off, this is the lighter, airier take on Tom Ford’s iconic Soleil Blanc line, launched in 2018, and like many of his private blend spin-offs, no single perfumer is officially credited, but it carries all the polish you’d expect. Where the original EDP is rich and indulgent, this was made to capture that quiet luxury of a bright, breezy summer day, sun on skin, soft light, and that clean, expensive warmth that never shouts. It’s built as a fresh citrus-floral, but it’s got that signature Ford refinement that stops it from feeling generic or cheap. Think of this as Beach Walks older sibling. The opening hits you with bright, zesty bergamot and bitter orange, sharp and crisp, it feels like stepping out into morning sunlight. That quickly softens into a gentle heart of ylang-ylang and subtle coconut, but don’t expect the thick tropical sweetness you get in Beach Walk – here it’s light, creamy, and almost powdery, like the scent of high-end sunscreen on warm skin rather than a sugary cocktail. As it dries down, you get soft jasmine, clean amber, and a whisper of musk, smooth, warm, and incredibly well balanced, with none of the heavy resins or vanilla that weigh down so many other warm-weather scents. Performance is solid for an edt. I get 5 hours on skin, with gentle projection for the first couple of hours before it settles into a nice close scent bubble. It’s not a beast by any stretch, but it never turns cloying or stale in heat, which is what matters most. Yes, it’s Tom Ford so you pay for the name and the presentation – but if you want something that feels effortlessly polished, fits every summer occasion, and captures that quiet sunny luxury perfectly, it earns its place. It’s not the loudest or longest-lasting, but it’s easily one of the most elegant warm-weather scents out there. Its exactly what I've been looking for lately