Earlier in 2020, I started to develop an obsession with colognes. Not the concentration, per se, but the traditional “post-shaving” this is what you splash or spray-on style of scents. It’s led me to some fantastic discoveries this year in scents like Eau de Cologne from Âge De Querelle, as well as down the road of indie fragrance houses geared towards certain demographics.
Eventually, I found my way onto Maggard Razors and their fantastic selection of fragrances. Annnnnnnnd then I stumbled onto a company called Chiseled Face, with their EDP scent Midnight Stag. Now, friends, some of you might already know that I’m a contrarian little shit, and telling me not to do the thing is almost a surefire way of getting me to, in fact, do the thing. So guess what happened when I read the product description?
This one is masculine. Like really, really masculine. Like a “take an old, beat-up leather jacket, drape it over a couple of tires to make a table and clean your guns on it” kind of masculine. Dark, unrefined, and totally unresistible, this is a scent for those who don’t mind sticking out. Those who forge the paths. Those who are proud to be a man.
If you just facepalmed and thought “Kori, you bought that out of spite, didn’t you?”, well, you’d be correct! Myself and my delicate lady’s sensibilities sure as shit clicked add to cart and bought a 50 mL bottle of it.
I don’t often hope fragrances fail, mostly because I’m paying money for something and I want that money to be worthwhile. Also, you know, you want to be a decent person. So before I deliver my verdict, let’s look at the notes.
Midnight Stag Notes
Well, problem. There aren’t actually any notes specifically listed on Chiseled Face’s website. Best I can give you is leather, spice, a bit of rubber, and so much smoke.
But what does it smell like?
Verdict
Friends, there’s something you need contextually so this verdict makes more sense. I was born and raised in Oklahoma before eventually moving away. And in Oklahoma, especially rural Oklahoma, we are damned protective of and particular about our state’s take on BBQ. BBQ Pitmasters is practically required viewing if only to watch, judge, and mercilessly mock the non-Oklahoman pitmasters trying to make decent BBQ. We. Are. BBQ. Snobs.
Midnight Stag smells like the best BBQ pit in the world, cooking with high-quality mesquite wood and spices. Sans that cloying cloud of meat grease.
This smells like a champion BBQ pitmaster, which is to say, it smells FUCKING. AMAZING. I would pre-scent my pit area with this upon arrival just so everyone else knew what amazing results I was going to throw down that weekend.
Now, does this mean other people who aren’t from a BBQ obsessed state will like this? Hard to say. It is very bold and very much a “stand out” fragrance. I probably wouldn’t advise wearing this to a fancy dinner. Also, the actual juice is VERY dark, so don’t spray this on your lighter clothes.
But if you’re from BBQ country, or are someone who moved away from BBQ country and misses the smells of home, this is a must-try. And, Midnight Stag is cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeap. Like, ridiculously affordable for the scent you’re getting. I got my 50 mL bottle for $34.99 off of Maggard, but you can find it for the same price on their primary website.
So in the end, I actually love this scent, marketing description aside. It might not be to some folks’ taste, but this lady is going to be wearing it for quite some time.
Also, now I’m hungry.
The Fandomentals “Fragdomentals” team base our reviews off of fragrances that we have personally, independently sourced. Any reviews based off of house-provided materials will be explicitly stated.
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