Imaginary Authors, Part One

Imaginary Authors was founded in 2012 by perfumer Josh Meyer and created quite a stir in fragrance-land with its unique narrative approach. These pseudo books have a vintage vibe, as if riffing from The Great Gatsby or The Grapes of Wrath, and the fictitious authors have an interesting backstory. A perfume is built around each story and as an avid reader and perfume lover I was SO the demographic to fall for the whole Imaginary Authors concept.  The descriptions of the various authors and books were so catchy that one would like to believe they might really exist.  Olafactif and Perfume Polytechnic did great interviews with Josh when he first hung his shingle on the web. I highly recommend reading them for more information on an interesting perfumer and how he got his start. In Josh's own words:

"Imaginary Authors is born from the concept of scent as art and art as provocation. Like a good book, these scents are meant to inspire you. In these bottles are layered narratives that are sure to generate stirring conversation, fragrances that might be capable of changing the course of your own personal story. the hope is that they not only invigorate and intoxicate, but also take you to new places." 

I'm all about the journey, so for me it's easy to fall for Josh's world of Imaginary Authors.

Falling Into the Sea

When I first apply Falling Into the Sea  I get a burst of pickle! Then it's gone so quickly I'm not sure it was there. Their is a slight ozonic feel. This is a summer beach scent but to me it doesn't speak of manicured sand beaches, tanning beds with navy and white striped cushions in neat tailored lines, and the smell of Bain de Soleil wafting on the breeze. This feel like an actual beach you come across on a hot drive from Naples to Pompei. Pulling your convertible to the side of the road you hike down the hill of scrub bush and lemon trees to a deserted beach for a refreshing dip. There is a slight sourness wafting in the air, as the tide washes in seaweed and a piece of driftwood to the hot golden beach. The smell of jasmine blossoms from a distant shrub cast a diaphanous veil, floating in the warm salt air.

“Caught in the undertow of his salty lemon lips I caught myself drifting helplessly into a soundless summer unconsciousness.” -Nica Gala

Listed notes are lemon, bergamont, grapefruit, lychee, tropical flowers, and warm sand. I don't really smell the bergamont and grapefruit very much. The lychee is the note which is giving it a piquant, sometimes slightly sour smell. The tropical flowers are jasmin centric to my nose. While this perfume has some notes in common with other beach perfumes, it feels more original like this beach is a wilder, undiscovered place.

Violet Disguise

“Invigorated by the reckless blooms of spring she took to the street like a blossom on the breeze.” - Lenora Blumberg

Violet scents are tricky for me and I don't seek out this note in perfume. Violet notes come to my skin to die, so in the opening all I get is a muted dusty floral with a plum note, nothing very distinctive. About fifteen minutes in I begin to be able to distinguish the violet and plum. This violet is not the powdery violet I am most accustomed to and it morphs into a pleasant floral. An hour into wearing the perfume the bottom notes of amber and balsam, two notes that love my skin as much as violet hates it, are now joining the party and have pretty much put violet and plum on the sidelines. The amber and balsam smell very nice and I like this stage of  wear. 

Listed notes are plum, violet, dried fruits, balsam, amber, evening air, and the month of May!

The Soft Lawn

“They hopped the fence of the Governor’s Mansion, laid side by side on the cool grass tennis court, and invented constellations until the sunrise usurped their astral empire.” -Claude LeCoq

The Soft Lawn is a green scent of sorts, but not a dark green galbanum powerhouse. This pale green scent opens with linden blossom which imparts a refreshing and slightly sweet presence.  Laurel and ivy leaves make a soft green bed to support the linden. Vetiver gives a slight woodiness to the perfume as it develops. After about an hour the perfume stays fairly linear--a soft green with the slightly woody heart (which translates into the clay tennis courts of the vignette). This is cheerful and unassuming fragrance and like many in the line, very original. It captures a softer side of green.

Listed notes are linden blossom, laurel and ivy leaves, vetiver, oakmoss, fresh tennis balls, and clay court.

To read reviews of other perfumes in the line see Part Two and Part Three.

Top photo National Geographic, bottom photo vintage Life cover. Perfume samples my own.