Image Credit: Unsplash via Johnathan Rivera

The Top Note | Vol. 21

Community · Luxury · Art · Perfume

Welcome back to The Top Note — your weekly fragrance letter sent every Thursday evening. This week, we’re reflecting on fatherhood, legacy, and the longing to belong — with an elusive fragrance and a community moment to match.

Opening Note

Looking for a Scent, or a soul to imitate

Man has a child
that child is removed from his presence
Young child yearns for dad
or a father like figure at the bare minimum
that young child turns into a young man
looking for sediments of a father
in his occupations
in popular songs
in well known movies
Even searches for some familiarity in fragrance
looking for something or someone deeper to connect to and emulate
That young man has child
that young man draws close to his son’s presence
that child yearns for his dad
and his dad yearns for him
the yearning is mutual
and that yearning turns into protection for his firstborn son
to protect him from having to look for something or someone deeper to connect to
that child has his father.

from the archives of HT, dedicated to his firstborn son Israel

Featured Fragrance: S.S.J

what does S.S.J stand for? What are the ingredients in this elusive fragrance from The Taliaferro? With just 3 trustees is the name and ingredients of this fragrance safekept by.

Client Spotlight

“S. S. J. is a beautiful long lasting fragrance. The scent is similar to ones in this collection but definitely different at the same time. It's like a burst of cinnamon yet it's so boozy. The dry down is not too sweet, it's a lovely mellow scent. This is definitely a head turner!❣️👍🏽👍🏽”

— Tamisha B.

The Blend — Shelf Life, Storage & Transport

Fragrances can last for years, but their shelf life depends heavily on how they’re stored and handled.

Here are a few practical tips for longevity:
• Store your bottles in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
• Avoid bathrooms if possible — humidity and temperature swings can degrade a fragrance faster.
• Keep caps secured tightly and store bottles upright to help preserve the integrity of the juice.
• When transporting, keep the bottle in its original box or a padded pouch, and avoid leaving it in a hot car.

Treat your fragrance like a keepsake — and it will wear like one.

Community Connection

The Garden: A Perfume Discovery Experience
The Blacknose Lab at Savoir Faire
Sat, Mar 28 at 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM (EDT)

We call it The Garden because it's where you grow into more of who you already are. You come as you are, explore scents, and leave with one that's yours. No one tells the wildflower to behave like the orchid. We don't ask you to be anyone but yourself.

4 hours. 20+ Black-owned fragrances. Cocktails, live DJ, and a scent that finally feels like YOU.

Link to purchase tix and learn more →

“Fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man.”
— Frank Pittman

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