Today's SOTD is YSL Tuxedo Sharp Patchouli, and unlike most of the fragrances I've been sampling lately, there's no decision left to make with this one. I bought the bottle almost immediately after wearing my sample a couple of times. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Definitely. Tuxedo opens with bergamot, violet leaf, and coriander before black pepper and rose begin to emerge, all sitting over the real stars of the fragrance: patchouli, ambergris, and vanilla. It's spicy, woody, slightly sweet, and beautifully smooth. YSL itself describes the current version as an "elegant and sharp patchouli," which is pretty much on target. The new Sharp Patchouli name arrived with YSL's revamping of the Le Vestiaire des Parfums collection. It's essentially the continuation of Tuxedo rather than a new flanker; the published note structure remains the same, although you'll find some disagreement among fragrance enthusiasts about whether there are subtle differences in the current formulation. Whatever they did—or didn't do—I love it. Sexy? Absolutely. Sophisticated? Definitely. Mature? Yes. And importantly, mature without smelling remotely old-fashioned. I bought this after my 40-fragrance tournament was already underway, so Tuxedo never had the opportunity to enter the field. After wearing it several times now, I'm confident about one thing: It would have been a late-round contender. Would it have beaten Terre d'Hermès Eau Givrée, Ombré Leather, or Bleu de Chanel? Hmm. Maybe I shouldn't start another tournament. Current status: Full bottle secured. Zero buyer's remorse. One of the best additions I've made to the collection.

10. Test on skin, but use cotton rounds too: For me, skin is still the best way to really understand a fragrance. A paper tester in a store is fine for getting a quick first impression, especially of the opening, but it doesn’t tell me the whole story. You really need skin to see how the fragrance develops on you, how it projects, and what happens once it gets into the heart and drydown. That said, I also like using unscented hypoallergenic cotton rounds as a secondary testing method. I keep them at home, and they’re easy enough to carry with me when I’m going somewhere to test fragrances. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VSBRRHD?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09542G9ZN/ref=vp_d_pb_cml_lp_B07VSBRRHD_pd?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_p=9c76da3e-1986-461f-80fe-90d97a5b2d1f&pf_rd_r=VFRVSXM184KT7GR79F81&pd_rd_wg=xHrmI&pd_rd_i=B09542G9ZN&pd_rd_w=CSpTa&content-id=amzn1.sym.9c76da3e-1986-461f-80fe-90d97a5b2d1f&pd_rd_r=91c00bd7-5e69-4f58-b999-cebba9366fb9&th=1 What I like about cotton rounds is that they hold the fragrance well and give me something I can come back to later. I can spray one, put it aside, and smell it again an hour, three hours, or even several hours later. That gives me a much better idea of how the fragrance changes over time instead of judging everything from the opening. Another thing I do is place the sprayed cotton round in a small plastic food-storage zip bag. That lets me take it home, keep different fragrances separate, and revisit them later when I want to study the drydown or get a sense of how much scent is still hanging around. I wouldn’t treat that as a perfect real-world longevity test, because sealing it in a bag slows normal evaporation, but it’s a great way to preserve the sample and compare how different fragrances evolve over time.

Today's SOTD continues my exploration of Parfums de Marly with Herod. I've actually had this sample for many months, but I think this is only my second time wearing it. Fortunately, there's still plenty left in the atomizer—and after today's wear, I'm very happy about that. Herod is unquestionably a tobacco fragrance. The tobacco is prominent from the beginning and remains the star throughout the wear, but what impresses me is that it never becomes overbearing. It's featured rather than dominant—if that distinction makes sense. Around it, vanilla and spices provide exactly the right backdrop, adding sweetness and warmth without competing with the tobacco. Cinnamon and pepper give it some spice, while the woods and incense underneath add depth. Everything seems to know its role, and the blend is beautifully smooth. This is exactly the kind of cool-weather fragrance I enjoy: rich, warm, mature, and distinctive without needing to beat everyone in the room over the head. And unlike some of my other PDM samples, I'm not wondering whether I like Herod enough to keep testing it. I'm wondering whether I'll buy a bottle when the sample runs out. Wow. Current status: Full-bottle contender. This just moved very high on my Parfums de Marly list.