Dear fragrance lovers and admirers,
Today I would like to introduce you to a very new cycle – Olfactive Voyages. These will be the journeys more likely related to a certain perfume brand than an actual place on our planet Earth… This topic will venture into uncovered grounds… Everything out of the ordinary will be gathered here… A very new concept to me too, as it is purely out of my comfort zone…
I have been stuck for words for the last two-three weeks, trying to unravel this huge ball of smells, memories, emotions, feelings.. Trying to brainstorm through, hardly with any success… But the time has come and I would like you to meet Imaginary Authors.It is a brand which literally blew my mind. Their perfumes are so out of this world and at the same time – so easy to get attached to – that I was lost for words for a good while. This perfume house was founded by the perfumer Josh Meyer, it is based in Oregon, the US, and the earliest perfumes were created in 2012. Imaginary Authors is the first vegan perfume company in my experience, and I am so glad that it is such. Because this is something to be proud of, for sure. I discovered it in one of the perfume related Facebook Groups, as it was receiving an enormous amount of adoration.
It took me a while to get used to these creations. And I can assure you, this was definitely not because of the perfume notes. More like, I’ve never smelled anything like this as a perfume before!… They are like paths that our imagination is guided on, they are all about personal memories, mind tricks, and individual discoveries. (No wonder it is recommended to try the fragrance on one’s skin before buying – believe me – you never know in what way it will evolve on yours.. And with this perfume house it is no exception. Actually, more of a recommendation 🙂 )
Imaginary Authors took me to the weirdest and most forgotten corners of my mind. The perfumes are not limited to the traditional classification of top-heart-base notes. They give you the freedom to explore, discover, play with imagination, and create memories of your own…
Cape Heartache has a pleasant ring to it, and blends with my skin rather joyfully. I am transported into a pine forest, I feel some fresh gust of mint.. and there’s a lovely strawberry-vanilla like sweetness in it, too. The base of this perfume is one of the most beautiful ones. And with the performance of 24+ hours, I could not stop sniffing my wrists… all day… and late in the evening… and then back to them in the morning! 🙂
Yesterday Haze felt milky, creamy, soft.. For one moment I was not quite sure if I was getting a gentle smell of pickles, too 😀 It did not play well with me in the beginning, to be honest. But, after a while, it settled into aromatic woody tones, for whatever reason reminding me of L’Artisan Parfumeur – Amour Nocturne, not as intense and not as smoky though… However, the longevity is 20+ hrs on my skin!
City of Fire definitely lives up to its name. I’d say it is a perfume for someone who lives deep in the city, with no access to a village and a fireplace, and misses it.. Instantly, I am swayed to a campsite, with a huge open fire..(someone walking by with a bacon sandwich?)… then it pans out into something more industrial, like a city with a lot of forests…and a lot of burning wood… And finally, this adventure eases off into a lovely woody scent, like a fireplace at home, which I just lit up a minute ago..
Saint Julep took me by a complete surprise! I swear, I felt like I was eating a beautifully marinated chicken breast which was slow cooked in a creamy white sauce, possibly with chanterelle mushrooms.. And just like that, I was back in my childhood home, some 25 years ago… This memory, or more like out of body experience, was constantly intervened by a smell of fresh berries, and luckily didn’t stay for long 🙂 … According to the notes given, it is sugar, mint, whiskey, and tangerine. So I really have no idea where that creamy sauce came from 🙂 Eventually, the perfume eased off into a nice sweet, creamy vanilla base…
Slow Explosions came to me as a sharp rose and leather.. It has a slight resemblance to Monotheme – Rose Oud. I was hoping it will evolve into something different, but the cold weather must be playing a big part in this, too. The perfume has a cooling effect on me, and I will definitely be coming back to it in the warmer months…
O, Unknown! This little baby is all about adventure, an unknown path across the Himalayas, in hope to find something spiritual.. However, I was met with a very specific fragrance of a sweet lipstick from the 80’s, the one my mum used to wear… It also reminded me of theatre and powder rooms, later on transforming into a gentle, soft woody vanilla scent.
And the last two are purely my favourite…
Every Storm A Serenade brings me herbal, essential oils with a touch of sweetness of a cough syrup at the back of throat. Lemon-mint-pine? Woody incense! That beautiful dry incense in a dusty church, that you would use as a shelter from a storm… Very nice! Lays close to skin, with a smoky woody scent as a base…
And finally Memoirs of A Trespasser. This amber woody vanilla gem is a keeper, for sure… I get such comfort and coziness with it.. It is like being wrapped up in a warm wooly blanket, with a cup of hot tea, sitting in front of the fire.. And let the stormiest winds have a blast outside, nothing will scare me… With this perfume on my skin, I feel home, wherever I am…it’s the safest place on Earth…
So here we are, the first impressions.. 🙂 And this is just a tiny glimpse into the versatility of Imaginary Authors.. The quality of these perfumes is just amazing. Sometimes I would get a whiff of Amouage, or on other occasions – a slight resemblance to Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian… I must come back to them in a while when the days get warmer and the skin feels softer… Just to see how these beautiful creations work with my skin’s chemistry… As they are undoubtedly out of the ordinary…
If you’re tempted to try them out for yourself but feel uncertain, Imaginary Authors offer beautiful selection boxes which will last a good while 😉 Check their website and online shop, as they offer international shipping. It roughly comes to $113, or approximately €93 for a 50ml bottle with delivery, which is a pretty decent price for such a unique perfume. Their online store also has suggestions of when to wear each fragrance, which I think is very useful 🙂
I would like to thank Imaginary Authors for their generous gift of the sample box. I am loving it! And am being blown away every single time I open it 🙂
P.s. The prices are correct at the time of writing this post, 28th Feb, 2018.
Bonjour Perfume 