David Mingo: A Denver Boxing Legend and Community Pillar

Mingo’s connection to boxing runs deep, stemming from his own amateur career where he trained alongside boxing greats like Ron Lyle, who famously went ten rounds with Muhammad Ali. His teenage years saw him achieve national champion status in the Amateur Athletic Union, solidifying his passion and expertise in the sport. “It’s just been in my blood,” Mingo shared in a past interview.

This lifelong dedication to boxing transitioned into a profound commitment to his community. Recognizing the challenges faced by many low-income and high-risk youth in Denver, Mingo established Brick City Boxing. The gym, which faced a temporary closure during the COVID-19 pandemic before successfully reopening, operates with a powerful mission: to teach more than just how to throw a punch.
Mingo emphasizes the broader life lessons boxing can impart.

“It’s a lot of hard work. It isn’t easy, but I teach them more than boxing, teaching them to really challenge themselves, to be a better person,” he explained. His philosophy centers on fostering a positive mindset and encouraging young people to strive for their best.

David Mingo: A Denver Boxing Legend and Community Pillar

Brick City Boxing works in partnership with Denver Parks and Recreation and relies on donations to operate. Mingo’s dedication to accessibility is evident in his fee structure: while classes typically cost $40 a month, they are free for students residing in the recreation center’s area code. He also famously states, “If they ain’t got it, I’ll train them for free,” underscoring his unwavering commitment to ensuring no child is turned away due to financial constraints.

Mingo’s impact is tangible. He takes immense pride in his students’ progress, both inside and outside the ring. Even with relatively new talent, his coaching has led to successes in tournaments, such as two runners-up at the Silver Gloves in their first year. The testimonials of his students highlight the transformative power of his guidance, as they speak of personal accomplishments and overcoming challenges under his tutelage.

David Mingo is more than just a coach in Denver’s vibrant community; he’s a testament to the power of sport as a vehicle for positive change. Through Brick City Boxing, he continues to shape futures, instilling discipline, confidence, and a winning spirit in the next generation.

Long-Lasting Fragrances That’ll Make You Smell Great All Day—and All Night

Finding a new favorite fragrance feels great. But if it wears off a mere hour or two after application, then it can be a bit of a letdown. This usually happens with scents that have a lower perfume oil concentration or poor formulation. Then again, perhaps you wanted a low concentration of perfume oils, in which case, the short lifespan can be a good thing.

How can you predict a scent’s longevity? While it’s hard to know this without visiting fragrance databases like Fragrantica, you can otherwise trust the label to suggest a scent’s “concentration” of perfume oils. The most popular category and broadest range is Eau de Parfums (EDPs), which typically have a perfume-oil concentration in the range of 10 percent to 20 percent, whereas Eau de Toilettes (EDTs) have 5 percent to 10 percent, and Eau de Colognes (EDCs) have three percent to five percent. Eau Fraiches go even lower. (Keep in mind that fragrance nomenclature can get a bit muddled, especially since we spent so many years gendering words like “cologne” for men and “perfume” for women.)

Even within those ranges, you can get some EDPs that wear for hours and cast a wide radius, while others fall on the lower end and dissipate quickly. That’s why many people skip the EDP altogether and jump right on up to the next rung: The parfums and extraits. You might see them listed as extraits de parfum (perfume extracts), pure parfum, or perfume oil. These often jump right up into the 30 percent or 40 percent concentration range, but all are above the EDP cutoff of 20 percent. For this reason, a little goes a long way, as in, it lasts a long time, thanks to the higher concentration of perfume oils. So while their price tags may look twice as steep, that’s because, in theory, the bottle will last perhaps twice as long, since you won’t have to reapply the fragrance throughout the day.

But don’t mistake the message here. Powerful doesn’t necessarily mean better. “I love it when someone says I smell good after a day out and about, but it’s not always or only about longevity,” says Carlos Huber, founder of Arquiste Parfumeur. “I wear fragrance first and foremost for myself. Eau de colognes and eau de toilettes are designed for the beauty of a moment. They have light, vibrant, citrusy, and botanical notes, which by nature’s design refreshing and fleeting. They are naturally effervescent, which means they lift off the skin and are not meant to last for a long time.”

However, if you want something with all-day power and endurance, we’ll give you a roster of our 10 favorite extraits/parfums below. But first, let’s say you’ve already got a scent that you love—an EDT or EDP perhaps—and you simply want to maximize its potential wear. Here are a few tips for fragrance longevity from Huber.

How to Make Your Fragrance Last Longer

Moisturize your skin: Dry skin won’t hold or project the perfume as well as well-hydrated skin, says Huber. “Lather up and moisturize with an unscented lotion to make sure your fragrance lasts longer.”

Apply some to your collar: “If your fragrance is clear, and your clothes are not too delicate, you can also spray once or twice over the fabric, but only a little as you don’t want any stains or damage,” Huber says.

Store it away from intense heat and light: Direct sunlight and high temperatures will cut a scent’s shelf life significantly. Huber suggests storing them Inside a medicine cabinet or on a bedroom dresser—anyplace where the doesn’t hit them.

Get a travel version of your favorite scent: Find a smaller vial of your go-to scent, or a refillable pump that the brand might sell. Use that to tote the scent with you and simply top up midday when you need a reboot. “If what you want is longevity but your fragrance’s notes are naturally light, then just reapply midday,” Huber says. “What a lovely way to add a little moment of indulgence by and by!”

Build out your fragrance portfolio: Nobody said you have to smell the exact same all the time. Maybe you use one scent for the office, so it only has to get you through the late afternoon, and another for after-hours and weekends. You can store that second one in your desk drawer, and a backup at home, so that you can express whatever mood or attitude you need when the collar is unbuttoned. Try out different scents for each season, too; something that wears like a wool sweater in winter will feel out of place in summer; use that as an excuse to get something aquatic or green in the warmer months.