...In no particular odor (ha ha):Aoto (Lostmarch`)Rive Gauche (YSL)Fahrenheit (Dior)Stetson Black (Coty)Antikythera Mechanism (BPL)Passage De Enfer (L'Artisan)Tintagel (BPL)Paco Rabanne pour Homme (PR)Memoir Man (Amouge)Polo Explorer (Ralph Lauren)

...I'm not influenced hardly at all by pop culture. I don't read any fashion mags; I don't own a TV; there's not many new movies that appeal to me. As a result, I really can't say anything about the hype because it just doesn't exist for me. I love Polo Explorer, Fahrenheit, and the Antikythera Mechanism (BPAL). It seems that all fragrance designers can make something good or something awful whether they are mainstream or niche. If I like it, I buy it and reward their choices. If I don't, then I go buy something else. All I know is that for me, an internet-connected sort of guy, I have tons and tons of choices and I love it. The only real long-term problem I see is the IFRA reducing the number of elements available to make great scents.

...A). I'd put one on before I went to work and then spend the day evaluating over 8 hours as I'm programming and creating courses and stuff. This works pretty well. I get a good idea of the the whole fragrance, duration, sillage, etc.

...Cryptic:I'm talking about the JARs, Amouage attars, some of the Xerjoffs...you get the picture. What's your view of testing these costly buggers? I'm afraid to even sniff them lest I fall madly in love. Any other cowards out there?I have a hard price limit of $200, so that keeps me out of those leagues. I have no problems with samples and decants, though; If I ever made an exception, it would be for Amouge's Memoir Man, simply because there is no other scent that does what it does. Lots of other good points, though -- especially about using Guerlain's prices as a way to differentiate quality from hype, and Michelle Obama's sudden interest in BTV.

...Seatonica:My latest catches are Balmain Ambre Gris and Prada Infusion d'RoseI've had a bit of money to spend on perfume lately. But I'm trying to be disciplined and stick to my wishlist, instead of chasing after every bright, shiney thing that catches my attention. I'll wait and watch for what I want until I can get it at the right price. I could never fork out $200 for a bottle of perfume.I start to feel a little bit dizzy when I see the $100 price tag approaching me in the rear-view mirror. $200 -- no way! Some fragrance bottles do make the case for those kind of prices, but then again I wonder how much of that $200 is for the bottle, you know?

...Walgreens had a set of Curve minis on sale, so I got 'em. $19.95 = three new scents. Score! (Way beats the full bottle of Curve Appeal that TJ Maxx was selling a few weeks back for the same price!)

...I dunno if spraying changes the nature of the scent so much as it increases its potency and duration (my experience). That said, I'm not a chemist, so interaction with N and O2 could possibly affect the scent. I don't do much decanting either, but I have decanted from a small vial into a sprayer and that's when I noticed that the amount of fragrance that ended up on me was greatly increased from simply dabbing. I'm not a real fan of dabbing, as the only applicators that I've seen that were any good were the ones from L'Artisan samples that were really long. (Ok, no psychoanalysis here, people.) Can you buy applicators alone without the vial?

...Only one I've dealt with was Sonoma Scent Studios and they were wicked fast with a handwritten note from the perfumer.

...I keep mine organized in the order in which I bought them -- samples go in line just like the rest, because I bought them too. I use a small cabinet I got at Lowe's which works a lot better upside down than right-side up. I also made my own shelf so that I would have enough shelves. Here's how it looked a few months ago (since then the collection has grown):

...Well, the one thing I can say is that there's an awful lack of supporting evidence for the crimes of the Uzbek government. Snarky asides in the Independent really don't cut it for me. I do think it's interesting from a psychological/spiritual angle that people simply assume without proof that 1) the Uzbek government is bad 2) the perfumer knew it and/or had a choice. Sometimes (ok, often) what the press "knows" is true is not. Sometimes the intel is exaggerated or wrong. Sometimes people lie. Me, I still don't have enough evidence to know what the truth is. However, if 1) and 2) are true, I won't buy anything he designs in the future.