How I Went from Software to Scents (and Now I Can’t Stop, Help)

Every man has his own journey towards addiction. Mine just happened to be really straightforward—thanks to a bottle of Afnan Supremacy in Oud.
You’re probably thinking, "How is this an addiction? What even is this guy talking about?" Buckle up, because I’m about to yap quite a bit in this blog, and trust me, by the end of it, you’ll see exactly how deep my obsession runs.

I’ve always considered myself a pretty normal software engineer—meaning I shower (thankfully), apply deodorant, and that’s about the extent of my personal care routine. Nothing fancy, just a lot of code, coffee, and some proper hygiene. But here’s the thing—I’ve always had a fascination with oud. The rich, smoky, earthy scent just… spoke to me. So, I bought some oud-incense wood for my room, and let me tell you, it felt like I was living in a fancy Middle Eastern bazaar every time I fired it up. Every coding session was incomplete without that smell filling the air. But that was it—I wasn’t really into perfumes. I was just the occasional “whiff-and-done” type.

Then, a few weeks ago, my life changed forever. (Dramatic music starts playing)

I was scrolling through my phone—like every other self-respecting person does—when I stumbled upon an ad for a perfume shop. The images were all sleek, premium, and filled with these beautifully arranged perfume bottles that practically screamed luxury. I almost felt like I could smell them right through my screen (capitalism at its finest, right?). And there I was—like a moth to a flame—clicking "buy" on a decant of Afnan Supremacy in Oud.

Two days later, my decant arrived.

At first, I was like, “Okay, this smells nice,” but then it hit me—it was INTENSE. Like, super intense. Way more intense than my subtle, aromatic oud-burning. My head practically spun. But hey, I had a soft spot for oud, so I powered through and used it until the decant was almost gone. And you know what that means, right? New adventure time. Yes, I was officially hooked.

So, I dove headfirst into a perfume shopping spree.

Hours of research, deep dives into reviews, and a lot of “buy now” clicks later, I had ordered three new decants:

Maison Margiela - Under the Lemon Tree

Rasasi Hawas

Afnan Turathi Blue

Two days later, they arrived.
And let me tell you, I was lost. I’ve never been more emotionally invested in a scent. Man, woman, robot, whoever you are—you’ve never felt addiction like this.

I started incorporating these into my daily routine. I shower (yes, daily—trying to break the stereotype of the "typical" software engineer), moisturize with odorless lotions (I promise), and then, right after, I’d spray on my perfume. Sometimes, I even wear them while sitting at home alone doing absolutely nothing—because why not? It’s like I’ve finally found my missing puzzle piece, and it’s a bottle of liquid magic.

Now, let’s talk rankings.

To me, the best of the three is Under the Lemon Tree by Maison Margiela. It’s fresh, zesty, and just the right kind of calming. After that, it’s Rasasi Hawas—this one is a bit more daring, but it hits the sweet spot. And last, but definitely not least, Afnan Turathi Blue. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but I think I need more time to really fall for it.

But here’s the dilemma—my nose is now addicted to these beautiful scents. What do I do next? Simple: Buy more decants.

I’ve realized that, like some people (you know who you are), I get bored of the same scent after a while. So, I decided to go with a strategy: Keep buying decants, and only buy full bottles of my absolute favorites. So next on my list? Maison Margiela By the Fireplace and Armaf Club de Nuit Intense Man. Will I write reviews on them? Probably. Will I not? Also, probably. I’m nothing if not indecisive.

The purpose of this blog?

Well, there really isn’t one. I just wanted to share my journey into the deep, intoxicating world of perfume with you. So there you go.

Until next time, take care. Or don’t. Whatever works for you.