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Readtime: 7 min
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Happy Saturday, and welcome to another wonderful weekend. Man of Many’s Staff Favourites is back with another round of selections from our discerning team, showcasing the items, services, entertainment, and experiences that have caught our eye over the last seven days.
We get to try so much of the cool, novel, and chic on a daily basis, but these encounters don’t always result in full write-ups or reviews. Instead, we collect them here for you, in the hope you’ll find something new and exciting to give your weekend a lift. This week, we have cringe-tastic TV, the latest from Lark Distillery, and some curious hybrid footwear. Let’s go!
Rabanne 1 Million Night Elixir
Marcus Hurley – Media Sales and Brand Partnerships
You may have caught Man of Many’s recent Rabanne social video, so you know we have been spending some quality time with the latest addition to the Rabanne stable. But while a video can be powerful, it didn’t quite capture the sheer main character energy this scent brings to a night out.
1 Million has always been about bold, unapologetic confidence (my time in the club scene instantly came to mind from the first spray), but the new Night Elixir feels like the line has reached its most sophisticated form. Swapping the classic gold bar for a sleek, lacquered black finish was the first hint that this wasn’t going to be your standard fragrance.
What really hooked me, though, is the sharp, citrusy burst of mandarin that feels fresh, but quickly settles into an addictive heart of maple syrup and cinnamon. It’s the kind of scent that lingers on a jacket long after the night is over, in the best way possible. If you’re looking for a new wingman for the cooler months or your next date night, this is the one to reach for.
- Top Notes: Mandarin, Bergamot, Lemon
- Heart Notes: Maple Syrup, Cinnamon
- Base Notes: Vanilla, Benzoin, Labdanum
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Untold: Chess Mates
Scott Purcell – Co-Founder
I went into this one planning on a quick scroll before bed and ended up finishing it well past midnight, eyes square, brain buzzing. If you’ve been following my picks lately, you’ll know I’ve been neck deep in chess for a few months now (not having gotten much better, mind you), grinding Chess.com at way too high a rate for a grown man with a day job. So when Netflix dropped Untold: Chess Mates on 7 April, I didn’t need much convincing.
For anyone who missed the original saga, the doco unpacks the 2022 Sinquefield Cup scandal, when 19-year-old American Hans Niemann beat world champ Magnus Carlsen in a match Carlsen walked away from the very next day. What followed is one of the weirdest rabbit holes modern sport has ever produced, featuring cheating allegations, online meltdowns, and yes, the infamous rumour about anal beads. I knew the rough shape of the story, but director Thomas Tancred digs into a level of detail I hadn’t seen before, with both Carlsen and Niemann actually sitting down on camera.
Here’s the thing, though. Something about Niemann just feels off to me. I can’t quite put a finger on it, but Carlsen isn’t some paranoid amateur; he’s arguably the greatest living player, and when he says something didn’t sit right, I’m inclined to believe him. He would know. The doco does the clever thing of letting you make up your own mind, but I came out the other side more convinced, not less.
If you’ve got even a passing interest in chess, a taste for a good scandal, or just want to see two world-class egos circle each other on camera, fire it up. Just don’t plan on getting much sleep.
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The Lord Roberts – 125 Years
Elliot Barsby – Commercial Director
The Lord Roberts in Darlinghurst has been a favourite of mine for a long time. I was a regular during my uni days thanks to a few mates working behind the bar. It became an easy after-work stop once I entered the real world, and these days it’s a go-to for the Man of Many team, with our office just around the corner.
It has a relaxed, no-fuss atmosphere that’s increasingly hard to find. The kind of place you can pop into for a beer before heading to a Swans game, or settle into after dinner along Stanley Street.
Now there’s another reason to check it out. To celebrate 125 years and freshly completed renovations, TLR has rolled out a nostalgic, limited-edition pub menu that leans into some Aussie classics. Naturally, the Man of Many team worked our way through a few of the highlights.
The chicken kiev was a standout. Properly sized, no frills, and very reasonably priced at $15. Unsurprisingly, it was the pick for most of the team. Then there was the “Bunnings-style” sausage sanga taco. Bite-sized and packed with that unmistakable flavour that takes you back to weekends at your favourite hardware store.
And for something sweet, the fairy bread dessert might be the most indulgent throwback of them all. Fried bread covered in “hundreds and thousands” and finished with a rich, almost custard-like filling. A little over the top, but very satisfying all the same.
To wash it all down, there are plenty of beer specials on offer, alongside a dessert-style, Gaytime-inspired cocktail.
If you needed an excuse to revisit an old favourite, or check it out for the first time, this is a pretty good one. See you there!
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Sparrods & Co
Rob Stott – Editor-in-Chief
One of the great things about this job is you get to discover small Aussie businesses doing great things, and that’s what happened this week when I tried on a pair of Sparrods & Co’s Cognac Suede Sneakers.
In an era where the office dress code is a moving target, these sneakers hit the sweet spot – they can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. They offer a minimalist silhouette that bridges the gap between casual Friday and a boardroom meeting. The cognac hue provides an earthy tone that pairs just as easily with denim as it does with tailored chinos.
Sparrods sources its premium calfskin leather and suede from tanneries in Spain and Portugal, resulting in a buttery-soft feel that’s comfy as hell from the first wear. There’s no need to worry about a “break-in” period that ends in first-day blisters here. These aren’t the type of shoes you can’t wait to take off at the end of a long day, and they’re not going to lose their shape after a month, because Sparrods uses a construction method that allows every pair to be professionally re-soled. It’s a refreshing, sustainable nod to traditional shoemaking, and it means these shoes offer a solid ROI.
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