Tom and Sean

So I can't believe I haven't posted anything about the single greatest thing to happen in Boise (apart from my arrival): Sephora is here!

Sephora opened its doors at 10am on February 29, 2008. Unfortunately I wasn't able to visit until a few days later on Sunday and when I did, I was in line for opening along with a smattering of Boise's flamboyance (ie. the gays) and about 20 other people, mostly female. On a Sunday. At 11am.

I found the miniscule men's area and took my time sampling. The one perfume that grabbed my attention was Tom Ford's infamous Tom Ford for Men (TFFM). I tried Narcisso Rodriguez for Him which reminded me of the old Gray Flannel by Geoffrey Beene and Bulgravi Aqua was great as well but ultimately it was a toss-up between TFFM and Chanel Pour Monsieur.

Later, at home, I checked the reviews of TFFM and was slightly disappointed with them. Apparently TFFM has gnat-sized longevity and prosaic but gazing at the immaculate box and the even more immaculate bottle, I refused to believe it. Not after paying what I did for it anyway.

The test was to wear it to work the next day and I'm very happy to report that almost 12 hours after, I could still smell TFFM; I don't know what these reviewers were thinking. That's five-star staying power in my book. And the smell? Terrific.

A zesty combination of elegant citruses opens the show and soon we're in the mid-hearts of quiet orange with a hint of tobacco. The fragrance train keeps chugging and as it pulls into the station, those basenotes become a steady amber and leather (among others).

The day after (and there's nothing like the day after shirt test), my discarded shirt —dare I say this?—smelled sexy. Yeah baby. (grin)

Score!

Dateline: Target, perfume section.

I've scored great bargains before (a 2.5-oz bottle of Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely for $8!) and at this Target, I always check the discounts bin. And bingo: a 1.7-oz bottle of Puff Daddy er I mean Sean John's Unforgivable for $9.74.

I grabbed it thinking it was a mistake, but no, it was $9.74. Puzzled, I looked at the other boxes of Unforgivable still in the perfume section to find them listed at the full price of $39.99. What the …?

The only difference I could see is that the discounted bottle had this on the box cover:

The others had just the Unforgivable name in gold on a textured background. Naturally, this got me thinking: why did the box with Puffy's face on it not sell (or finally sell at a heavy discount) while the box without him continued selling at the full price?

I tell you what: if I weren't a more “refined perfumista,” I'd never approach this perfume much less buy it. Fucking Puff Daddy. As it is, the perfume is quite simply terrific which underscores the fact that even pigs provide bacon.