Next up in my look at American clone houses is Scentual Obsessions. This is one of those houses that I think is a little different from some of the clone companies I've talked about. Scentual Obsessions started back in 2014 as basically a passion project selling "our version of" fragrances at a flea market. Owner Kevin Holt had spent 18 years as a chef before getting into fragrance, and by 2019 they had developed their own fragrance line. Today they're based in Fort Myers, Florida, where they handcraft their fragrances and also operate a brick-and-mortar scent bar. And when I say they have a large catalog, I mean LARGE. They cover everything from designer fragrances to expensive niche fragrances, discontinued scents, remixes, hybrids, and their own original creations. Their website currently lists well over 100 originals alone, so at this point I don't think it's fair to look at Scentual Obsessions as strictly a clone house anymore. One thing I really respect is that they don't play games about what they're doing. They tell you exactly what the fragrance is inspired by, and they openly state that their reproductions are created through lab analysis to get close to the original fragrance. They also clearly state that they aren't affiliated with the original manufacturers. I've said this over and over when talking about clones: if you're going to clone something, name the original. Give credit where credit is due. That's much better to me than creating a fragrance that's obviously 90% somebody else's work, giving it a completely unrelated name and then pretending nobody knows where the inspiration came from. Scentual Obsessions also understands something that a lot of clone houses eventually figure out: people don't just want something that smells close. They want performance. The company itself says customer complaints about longevity were one of the reasons they changed direction and launched their fragrance line in 2019 with an emphasis on stronger-performing fragrances.

Look at your collection, no matter what size it is. What do you think is the weak spot in it? And no, I'm not referring to FOMO. It's not about chasing the latest release or completing a lineup. I'm talking about what area seems to be lacking? It could be a situation (formal events, work options, etc.). It could be a season. I live in the South, so it's summer (or at least warm) the majority of the year. I focused on building that part up this year and feel good about where that part is now. I'm good with fall and winter. But my weak spot is spring. That time of year I find myself scrambling to find options that seem to fit the way I'd like. What are you working on with your collection?

First from the house and i had to go big. This one was in the locker for a bit but now that its the weekend and the weathers a bit cooler I finally decided to try it out. Great opening with some bergamot, saffron and rose. Tried and tested rose-oud combo opener but done nicely. Nothing obnoxious like BR540. Give it a few minutes and the freshness tones down and the leather, “oud” and tonka shows up. Makes everything deeper, warmer and sweeter. At this point i can draw a comparison to Shaghaf oud edp but less jammy and more complex. Once it has fully dried down you get the oakmoss, sugarcane and musk. Imo the best phase of the progression. Everything now is balanced and a bit unique. A great twist on your average rose oud profile done closer to my taste. Apparently most of London smells like this fragrance. At least thats what @Aditya Choksi claimed when i last met him. Performance is good. Easy 7+ hours with strong projection in the initial hours. Closer to skin by hour 7. Id like to mention that this is without any moisturiser so on a regular day its 9+ hrs. No complaints with that. A very gentle sillage on my skin unlike what others say online. Very impressed by the fragrance and the house. I was always a D1 Mancera glazer so obviously i expected greatness from its sister. Safe to say the threshold is met. I remember smelling chocolate greedy in selfridges and my god that was delectable. Probably my next from the house. Any other suggestions are very much appreciated. Overall this one is a very easy 9/10. Loses points on versatility and uniqueness. End of the day they didn’t reinvent the wheel. Just perfected an existing template. But they perfected it well. Price is solid too. 100ml under £100. Definitely a must try in my books. And with this newfound knowledge, ill be a serial sniffer on the streets of london the next time i visit.

SOTD — Creed Iris Debonair I was able to score a tester of the new Creed Iris Debonair pre-release last week at a really good price, so of course I had to give it a proper wearing. This is definitely a different direction for Creed. Right away you get that smooth, powdery iris with a little pepper and lavender around it, but it doesn’t come across overly lipstick-like to me. Once it settles down, the iris gets creamier and the sandalwood and musk start showing up, giving it a much smoother, slightly woody feel. There are going to be Dior Homme comparisons, especially early on, and I understand why. But after it develops, I think Iris Debonair starts separating itself. It feels a little airier, cleaner and more polished rather than being that dense makeup-bag iris style. What I like most is the balance. It has some sweetness, but it isn’t really a sweet fragrance. It is floral without feeling feminine, powdery without becoming dusty, and has enough woods underneath it to keep everything grounded. Projection and sillage have been very good so far without it being obnoxious. This smells more like something I would wear dressed up, dinner, evening out or when I just want something a little more refined. Is Creed reinventing iris here? No. But they did a very good Creed interpretation of it, and I think this is one of their more interesting recent releases. I need a few more full wearings before I decide where it ranks in the Creed lineup, but my first impression is definitely positive. Iris Debonair is one I think people are going to be talking about once it officially hits the shelves.

I’m thoroughly enjoying this new Kilian Midnight Espresso. It opens with a coffee that’s less intense than Black Phantom’s Chocolate and Rum, but it dries down to an intoxicating, creamy, and addictive vanilla. The coffee’s note is short-lived, but you’re left with a creamy chocolate vanilla scent that makes you irresistible to those close to you. My girlfriend kept complimenting me when she got close to me to smell it. I’m not a big fan of coffee and chocolate notes, but I genuinely enjoyed this new release from Kilian. I had to get it and now have something to counter my Black Phantom or layering them both. People who have smelled it have described it as having a “boozier Bianco latte” aroma with a “hint of Angel’s share.” I’d love to hear your thoughts on it once you’ve had a chance to try it.