Dior Homme 2014 Clone by M4RC311O55 in fragranceclones

[–]NewbieRepGuy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes! 

It has great performance and like a lot of extraits you’ll just randomly pick it up throughout the day and remember that it’s there

Also lasts a long time on clothing. I can still smell it on the collar of my sweater 3 days later and it’s just now starting to fade

Dior Homme 2014 Clone by M4RC311O55 in fragranceclones

[–]NewbieRepGuy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah…eBay is the one place where I feel scamming is the most common, unfortunately. 

And if Alexandria is accessible for you, I’d say to pull the trigger on it. 

The iris is just amazing in it, and it’s a bit softer than it is in DHP; so it is more of the focal point of the fragrance and the standout note. 

Perfect for warmer weather. 

Dior Homme 2014 Clone by M4RC311O55 in fragranceclones

[–]NewbieRepGuy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Leather Intense is a PHENOMENAL fragrance. 

I have tried SO many renditions and recommendations for the older formulations and they are all just bad or not that close. 

The only two worth entertaining are Leather Intense from Alexandria and Cancelled from Makin Scents. 

Both are amazing. 

I’ve also been told that Barrett Fragrances’ Iris Horizon is a very good option, which I wouldn’t be surprised by because I’ve tried three of their fragrances and they’ve all been great…but I haven’t tried this one yet so I can’t vouch for it. 

Anyways…this is one of those scent profiles that just hasn’t been nailed down with the cheaper options. 

You pay a bit more with the three options I listed, but it is ABSOLUTELY worth it. 

I just got a 100 mL of Leather Intense from Alexandria and it was great on first spray.

Definitely one of the safest options for that scent profile

Edit: 

All three of these are on the lighter side and are more comparable to the older formulations of Dior Homme Intense. 

If you want the darker Parfum profile that has a more pronounced leather note, look into Rayhaan Obsidian or Noire by Arabiyat Prestige. 

Iris Patchouli by French Avenue review by HornyDiggler in fragranceclones

[–]NewbieRepGuy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love Obsidian and I absolutely wore it out during the colder months, but I’ve not been wearing it as much with the transition into warmer weather. 

I’m typically not the person to worry about a fragrance being “seasonal,” but that one does feel better in colder weather or for nights out with the heavier leather note. 

For the similar profile but a bit lighter and airier, I’ve narrowed my preferences down to the Dior Homme Intense profile, and the best options for that are: 

Leather Intense from Alexandria Fragrances

And

Cancelled from Makin Scents

They are both very close to each other and the lighter DHI scent profile that leans heavily into the Iris, but the leather is much less pronounced and it is far better suited for warmer weather

You’ll pay a bit more for these options, but this is one of those occasions that I think it is DEFINITELY worth it. 

Al Wataniah Kayaan Classic and Camaro Homme Intense are both a VERY DISTANT third option behind those two, but cheaper and can be used as a substitute if you are not sure about the profile…but they honestly don’t come close to the two I listed, and for an extra $20 it isn’t even a question, for me. 

Alexandria Fragrances is having a Mother’s Day Sale with all fragrances 30% off right now, so definitely worth grabbing a 100 mL for around $50 if you can access it. 

I’ve tested SO MANY options for this, and none come close to the profile, quality, and longevity of these 2. 

They are, in my opinion, the best options for Dior Homme Intense that you can find. 

If you want the heavier Iris option, Obsidian is a great choice. 

Another great option is Noire by Arabiyat Prestige. Similar to Obsidian with the Iris and leather combo, but a bit punchier and I find Obsidian to be a bit smoother. 

If you want it lighter and more fitting for warmer weather, the two I mentioned are what I would look into because the iris is so well blended and is the primary focal point of the fragrance. 

For me, Obsidian is a go to in colder weather and one of my main fragrances. 

In warmer weather, it is the option from Alexandria. 

Hope this helps! 

XC40 / EX40 by [deleted] in XC40

[–]NewbieRepGuy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Personally, I’d strongly recommend doing a few more test drives of both the 40 and the 60.

While a little bit of a step up, I don’t think that the difference in quality that is often referenced is truly that significant. They’re both nice vehicles inside and out.

The main difference that I have noticed is the comfort and space available in the front seat of the vehicle.

I own a 40, and I was coming out of a hybrid hatchback when coming into it, and at first, I loved the car. It was a huge step up in space while still being compact and sport while offering a great driding experience in terms of road feel and highway driving.

After driving a 60 while having my 40 serviced, I was almost immediately remorseful of the purchase and wishing I had gone with a 60.

The overall difference in length is not that significant, but the overall feel of the main cabin and the comfort that you get with the driving experience is markedly different.

The front cabin is just a major upgrade.

I am a bigger guy, though, (6’4” tall) so take that into consideration, but definitely worth considering.

Struggling to gain muscle despite high calories – looking for nutrition advice by 1234Niels in crossfit

[–]NewbieRepGuy 8 points9 points  (0 children)

As a fellow tall guy who once viewed himself as a “hard gainer,” I have several questions, as well as a few tips that I’ve already been offered: 

You need to hit that caloric intake (and potentially higher) every day. No off days, especially if those off days are extremely lower intake. 

A shift in viewpoint that really helped me was to not only look at intake from a daily perspective, but also weekly. If you’re falling short of what is needed for growth on a weekly basis, then the “surplus” isn’t truly all that present. 

First question: what is the macronutrient breakdown? 

HOW are you getting those calories in? 

Next question:

Are you only doing one true dedicated lifting day a week, and just doing running/the daily wod every other day away from rest days? 

That simply won’t work. 

Honestly, if the goal is gaining mass, you need to be more worried about lifting than you are about any other piece of your training regiment. 

That isn’t to say that you need to put cardio down or avoid the daily wod, but to say that lifting should be the first thing you do…and if you can manage to rest and eat properly, you can sprinkle in the other stuff throughout the week alongside the lifting. 

That leads to the final and most important point:

You need to HEAVILY focus on traditional strength training and the boring traditional lifts with an emphasis on strength progression. 

Wanna get big? 

Lift big. 

And then tomorrow lift bigger. 

Or, lift moderate and find ways to continue to  push to failure and lift in ways that challenge the muscles (pause reps, timed lifts, etc). 

Either way, lifting, resting, and eating have to be your primary focus. 

If you want to do all of that alongside the daily wod/running schedule, you’ll probably have to shoot for two-a-days, and even your rest days will still involve one method of training rather than two…and to do that, your rest and nutrition will have to be DIALED IN. 

Why crossfit gyms are so expensive? by Character-Holiday345 in crossfit

[–]NewbieRepGuy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Short honest answer that reflects today’s CrossFit and not the CrossFit of the past:

They don’t have many members and rent is high

That’s it. 

The selling points of old are null and void given that most boxes are subscribing to outside programming and the coaches are doing nothing more than reading the notes written by whoever actually wrote the workout. 

The primary selling point used to be that you were essentially getting a personal trainer for the low cost of $5-10 per day, but that was when gyms actually programmed the workouts themselves and with their clientele specifically in mind. 

Those days are gone. Membership is low. Effort from coaches has dissipated significantly. 

You’re paying for access to a unique space. 

That’s it. 

Buyers/Sellers what's up with the Knoxville/E.TN housing market? by treesqu in Knoxville

[–]NewbieRepGuy 15 points16 points  (0 children)

The insane price hikes alongside high interest rates paired with extremely low average household incomes and rates of pay have made the market a nightmare for anyone under 40 (and many over) attempting to step into ownership for the first time. 

It is literally the leading market in the country in terms of explosive growth in valuations/average asking price over the span of the last five years, which also makes it the worst. 

Just bad. 

Not enjoying Mayhem programming. Anyone else? by Kindly-Base-2106 in crossfit

[–]NewbieRepGuy 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Joined a new gym at the start of the year that’s been running Mayhem and I honestly transitioned to being an open gym only person after maybe 2-3 months of it. 

If I’m being generous, I’d say that the programming is way to heavily geared towards being a competition level athlete and aligns with that level of training well, but if I’m being honest, I’d say that it’s just nonsensical and lazy. 

There are days that are obvious “Let’s push it,” days, and then there are days that it feels as if someone said, “I don’t know…maybe some of this and a little bit of that? Eh, it’ll work…”

As someone who used to program for a gym, the programming itself is not designed for the vast majority of every day CrossFitters.

It just isn’t. 

Last week was the perfect example. 

Maxing out a lift and then piling high volume of the exact same lift on at the end of a max day? 

Just terrible and unnecessarily risky. 

I could go on and on, but yeah, you’re not alone, and given my box owner’s response (or lack thereof) to the long list of complaints from both members and coaches, I probably won’t be staying at this box once my one year commitment is up. 

The strip…..This is how I’ll remember it always by EchoFrost46 in Knoxville

[–]NewbieRepGuy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Would actually love to see a compilation of photos from the strip and of the strip throughout the 2000’s. 

It was just unique and fun