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Separate corporate giants (like L'Oréal, LVMH, Coty, and Puig) buy the finished formulas, add alcohol and water, and handle the bottles, marketing, and retail distribution.  A few historic houses, like Chanel and Hermès, employ exclusive in-house perfumers to maintain control over their signature lines.   So, I figure, as a guy you might as well buy a Proctor & Gamble Old Spice type drug-store scent, or go big with Chanel or Hermes. A professional nose offers this critique of Hermes Equipage Geranium, which was new in 2013 for a limited time, https://theblacknarcissus.com/tag/hermes-equipage-geranium-review/, and he writes: Surprisingly, given how awful most reformulations or ‘reimaginations’ of classic, discontinued scents tend to be on the whole, Jean Claude Ellenas’s remixes of the classic Hermès masculines are more successful than I would have imagined. I was happy to reacquaint myself with Bel Ami Vetiver again recently- a beautifully rich and elegant scent that seemed like a real Duncan contender to me when I smelled it the first time, and better than the current formulation of Bel Ami which feels a bit doctored. (The original was great -like a hairy, gay 70’s porn star having a quiet night in at home in his leather dungeon) but I personally find it, now, a bit other era – only someone really working the theme with confidence and with the appropriately hirsute physique  could properly carry it off, in my opinion. The vetiver remake – more held together and now –  is more up to date, modern and more easily worn. Another classic by the house, Equipage, by Guy Robert (Calèche, Doblis, Madame Rochas) was already the epitome of male elegance for me – one of the most appealing of the traditional cigar-smoking, properly

Horses teach us a lot. Very little of it has to do with horses. What Horses Teach Us About How to Live Horses teach us a lot. Very little of it has to do with horses. Spend enough time around them and eventually you realize that the horse is rarely the most interesting thing happening. The lesson is usually about you. A horse has a remarkable way of exposing the difference between what we think we are doing and what we are actually doing. You can tell yourself you're calm, confident, patient, or in control. The horse will quietly provide a second opinion. And horses are not particularly diplomatic. Be Present Horses live almost entirely in the present. They don't care what happened yesterday, and they have no interest in your plans for next Thursday. They respond to what is happening now: the sound in the distance, the movement beside them, the pressure of your leg, the tension in your hands. That makes them remarkably good at reminding us how rarely human beings do the same. We spend an astonishing amount of time replaying the past or rehearsing the future. Meanwhile, the actual day is happening right in front of us. A horse brings you back. Pay attention. You Cannot Fake Calm Horses are extraordinarily sensitive to tension. You can tell yourself you're relaxed. You can even announce that you're relaxed, which is generally a reliable indication that you are not. The horse will notice the clenched hand, the stiff back, the shallow breathing. They respond to what you are, not what you claim to be. There is something useful in that. The people around us often do the same thing, although they

We do what we want to do. We go where the day takes us. No schedule. No itinerary. No one telling us what comes next. Almost no one lives this way. We do.

The history of the quintessential Parisian perfumer Guerlain both influenced and was shaped by Parisian life, savoir faire, and culture. The house of Guerlain is a Parisian institution. Guerlain aficionados—from royalty and empresses, to celebrities, writers, and artists—have been featured in novels, song lyrics, movies, and artistic creations, all while exemplifying Parisian savoir faire and luxury. The Guerlain headquarters and laboratory on the rue de Rivoli in the heart of Paris feature a new scent laboratory and a rose garden, intrinsically binding the famous house to the city of light, which it so perfectly captures in each bottle of perfume. Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain opened his very first Guerlain boutique at 42, rue de Rivoli in Paris in 1828, marking the historic founding act of the luxury perfume and cosmetics house.  Situated at 42 rue de Rivoli (located on the grounds of what is now the dining room of the Hotel Meurice), the initial shop served as a high-end apothecary and perfumery.  The boutique sold imported soaps, custom vinegars, early cosmetic creams, and bespoke fragrances.  It quickly grew into a fashionable meeting spot for the Parisian elite (beau monde) and wealthy travelers.  Decades later, in 1914, the brand moved its flagship presence to the legendary 68 Avenue des Champs-Élysées. But wait, you don't have to make a trip to Paris to experience all of this.   The history of the quintessential Parisian perfumer Guerlain both influenced and was shaped by Parisian life, savoir faire, and culture. The house of Guerlain is a Parisian institution. Guerlain aficionados—from royalty and empresses, to celebrities, writers, and artists—have been featured in novels, song lyrics, movies, and artistic creations, all while exemplifying Parisian savoir faire and luxury. The Guerlain headquarters and laboratory

When we are in Paris, we often make a trip over to Hermès, which was founded in 1837 as a Paris harness workshop, and it quickly became synonymous with the equestrian world, producing saddles, harnesses, and other riding equipment. Horses have stayed central to the house ever since — for six generations, the horse has guided the company, and the saddle-making workshop at 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré remains its reference profession.  I picked up a bottle of it's first scent for men, Equipage, and we promptly named our polo team after the inspiration we felt by this word, meaning "team," back in 2004.   And, in 2026, we don't have to make the trek to Paris anymore, as Hermès has a store in Denver now, with one saddle in the shop.   Ok, well, it's not going to replace the flagship store in Paris anytime soon.  But it is a local source now for my favorite scent, Equipage by Hermes.  Too bad they don't have the saddle shop like they do in Paris.  Oh well, at least they have Equipage, which is my favorite scent, so much so that we named our polo team after it. There are a few variations of the Equipage line, as the scent has been around since 1970, such as the square bottle with the black cap and white dot is the older version made between 2003 - 2013. The one on the right with the lantern cap is the newer version from 2013 onwards.   There is an older bottle from 1970-2022 and it is said that this version of Hermes Equipage is the best.  I have vintage bottles of Equipage, as well as a bottle with the white dot. Although the

Levi Strauss & Co. doesn't have a specific tradition tied to polo, but there's a horse connection (Ride & Tie, plus the "Two Horse" trademark logo on their jeans, which is about two horses pulling on a pair of pants to show durability).   Plus, a lot of guys wear polo jeans for playing polo, as before modern breeches and jods made specifically for polo, such as those by Ono Polo, there were elephant ear breeches in white, used for polo and hunting, and in between there were white Levi's.

Kazu Oba Potter, Sculptor. Born in Kobe, Kazu Oba spent his early years in Japan. He moved to Colorado in the 90's and has called the Boulder area home ever since. He has continued to travel throughout the world for assistantships, workshops, and exhibitions. Kazu apprenticed under two masters, Jerry Wingren, a sculptor in stone and wood, then another master Takashi Nakazato, one of the world's most renowned potters from Karatsu, one of the ceramic centers of Japan. Kazu's pottery is dedicated to functional, everyday ware to be used in home. His background as a chef distinctly influences his work, as he maintains a constant focus on the relationship between his pots and the food that will occupy them. https://www.obaware.com/  

Field Ethos magazine was co-founded and is co-owned by Donald Trump Jr. and outdoor media veteran Jason Vincent, who serves as the CEO.  I just recently started subscribing and, wow, I love it.   I have written and photographed for a number of sporting magazines, and I have a lot of friends who do so professionally or semi-professionally.   Just when you thought that no one reads anymore, here's the magazine that will prove why it is still worth it. This month's featurs is on the Ta'sheer (also known as the "fire dance" or "gun-jumping") is a centuries-old traditional Bedouin war dance native to the Taif and Mecca regions of western Saudi Arabia. Historically performed by tribal warriors to build morale before battle and intimidate enemies, it is now a celebrated heritage ritual performed during major holidays like Eid al-Fitr, as well as at weddings and festivals.  The dance is a highly synchronized feat of athleticism and precise timing.  Performers use traditional muzzle-loading rifles called Al-Maqmanad are loaded with blank gunpowder—they contain no actual bullets or projectiles.   Performers dance barefoot in traditional attire, executing a tight, vertical bounce with their knees held close together. As the rhythm of traditional war drums builds, the dancer leaps high into the air.  At the absolute peak of the jump, the performer twists, aims the rifle straight down, and fires directly into the ground. This creates an instantaneous, gravity-defying explosion of sparks, flames, and thick white smoke directly beneath their feet. In case you were wondering like I was, yes it's the same Bedouin as in Star Wars.  George Lucas designed the Tusken Raiders (or Sand People) in Star Wars based directly on the Bedouin, nomadic Arab peoples of the