How A Luxury Perfume Hunt Turned Into Friendship, Laughter, And Unfiltered Opinions

Send us a text

Ever chased a “perfect” scent across a city, only to walk outside, second-guess yourself, and march right back in? That’s where our story takes off. It's an interesting mix of equal parts travel diary, friendship roast, and fragrance deep dive. We bring Dr. D into the studio, a creative leader with a PhD in human-computer interaction and a heart for artists, and then follow a chaotic, hilarious path through Amsterdam counters, velvet boxes, and the kind of bottles that make you say take it off the shelf before the spritz dries.

We start with Soprano, a floral-forward statement that blends Egyptian jasmine, rose, and a plush oud-patchouli-leather base. Cue debate: is it a daytime power move or an all-day signature? Then we unbox a luxury extrait layered with monoi, pineapple, white florals, vanilla, and vintage oud—the kind of rich, diabolical blend that shuts down conversation in two minutes. Along the way, we rediscover Givenchy Neo, a crisp, masculine classic that proves clean can still be captivating, and we crown a sleeper hit—Western Valley Boulevard N300—thanks to bergamot, green pepper, cardamom, patchouli, and tonka that just works on everyone.

The real tension lives between presentation and juice. Heavy glass and magnetic caps raise expectations. Flimsy caps and unreadable labels break trust. But when the scent sings—when projection, sillage, and dry-down align—people lean in. We unpack when florals shine on men, how to map scents to moments (office, day party, date night), and why travel is the best way to expand your nose and find bottles you’d never discover at home.

If you love perfume, design, or just good stories with good laughs, this one’s loaded with note breakdowns, honest opinions, and practical takeaways for building a rotation that mirrors your life. Listen, share with a fragrance-loving friend, and tell us: do you value the bottle as much as the blend? Subscribe, rate, and drop your most slept-on scent—we’re testing the best replies next.

Fragrances discussed in this episode:

Pi Neo for men by Givenchy
Soprano by Xerjoff
N300 for men by Western Valley Boulevard London
Oud Jaune Intense by Fragrance Du Bois

A SPECIAL thanks to this episode's participants: Damali, Dee, Nigel and Kareem

Follow us on Instagram: @canwebefragrant
Follow us on Tiktok: @canwebefragrant
Follow us on YouTube: @canwebefragrant
Follow us on X: @canwebefragrant

Fragrance shirts worn by some of the guests can be found here: https://etsy.com/shop/CanWeBeFragrant

In the DMV area and interested in participating?
https://forms.gle/JJju5wd3uKWWi1sw9