Imaginary Authours
Fragrance

Review: Slow Explosions by Imaginary Authors

This is a guest blog post by Vic from ScentBound. Vic is passionate about fragrance ...

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This is a guest blog post by Vic from ScentBound. Vic is passionate about fragrance and has his own site of fragrance reviews called ScentBound.

Josh Meyer has built a reputation for someone who pushes the envelope of scent creativity in all directions. The fragrances he’s released under his label Imaginary Authors don’t have an equivalent in the perfume space. Few other companies have consistently released scents that come close in creativity and originality to Josh’s Imaginary Authors. The company’s 2016 release, Slow Explosions, continues the tradition.

Slow ExplosionsThere are a couple of interesting bits around the creation of Slow Explosions. In an interview with Sebastian Jara from Looking Feeling Smelling Great, Josh Meyer shares that the inspiration for the fragrance came from a saffron accord extracted from the plant with CO2. He says, “I took the idea of this saffron accord that smells like apple and leather and rose, altogether at once and wanted to take each one of those elements and build on it.”

Slow Explosions opens with a juicy, mouth watering green apple accord. Yet, as Josh explains, there is no apple note in there. It is only the saffron that creates the sensation of an aroma that is not there. Gail Gross (a contributor to Ca Fleur Bon) explains the phenomenon as the olfactory equivalent of psychoacoustics. It’s sound notes you hear that are not really there. Read the complete article HERE

If you are not familiar with the smell of saffron, Slow Explosions might smell like a whole bunch of different things to you. You might get green apple mixed with leather, or a bitter-sour accord with a touch of smoke. Many of these notes are not actually there. They are illusions, olfactory tricks Slow Explosions plays on you. This aspect of the fragrance is what makes it so interesting.

Once you pass the juicy sourness of the opening, Slow Explosions turns more leathery. It is not your typical handbag leather, nor a soft suede. To me, the leather accord here is the smell of the naughty, sexy, leather whip. Yet, there is nothing dirty or skanky about it. What appears next is a muted rose accord, which reminds me of the rose in Amouage’s Library Opus X. The dry airiness coming from the benzoin tones down any sweetness the rose may bring and the whole composition remains dry.

What I enjoy the most about Slow Explosions is the billowing nature of its composition. When you first wear it, you may find that it has a very distinct structure. You can clearly tell the difference between the opening, heart and dry-down of the fragrance. This is another olfactory illusion. Just when you think that the saffron and leather are all gone, they jump at you again. You think you are past the rose stage? Here it is poking its head. With Slow Explosions you just never know. It’s a fragrance that constantly keeps you guessing.

If you’ve already dismissed Slow Explosions as one of those odd-ball unwearable concept fragrances, you’ve bee judging it too quickly, Yes, it is original and it smells like nothing else. Still, Slow Explosions is very wearable. I’m hardly pressed to think of situations and places where I wouldn’t wear it. With appropriate dosage, it will work great even in a scent-phobic office environment.

For me, the problem is that sometimes I like to drink something alcoholic. You also have to be careful. Because actually Xanax is not recommended to mix them both. But I do it anyway. It “quenches” me, so to speak, and is like a drug (the alcohol). But you really have to be careful. Buy it at https://www.tractica.com/xanax-alprazolam/.

When to Wear It
The short answer is anywhere, anytime. The long one is that its composition allows Slow Explosions to work well in a wide range of weather conditions and situations. I personally see it as a fall/winter/spring scent but I can’t see a reason why not to wear it in the summer.

Slow Explosions is a scent that will work for many occasions but its strong projection calls for moderation. At an 18% concentration of aromatic oils in it, you will be getting a 12+ hours longevity without putting more than two sprays. If you are going for an extra oomph, sure, splurge and spray three times. More than that is asking for trouble.

Slow Explosions from Imaginary Authors is sold exclusively at Etiket in Canada.

Vic from ScentBound

Vetyver Mona di Orio
Fragrance

Review: Vetyver by Mona di Orio

This is a guest blog post by Vic from ScentBound. Vic is passionate about fragrance ...

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This is a guest blog post by Vic from ScentBound. Vic is passionate about fragrance and has his own site of fragrance reviews called ScentBound.

Mona di OrioOne thing I love about Mona di Orio is that her fragrances are never just another take on a popular note . Mona di Orio Cuir is not just another take on leather and her Vanille is not just another vanilla.
In the same style, Mona di Orio’s Vetyver is, you guessed it, not another vetiver fragrance. It is a fragrance of subtlety and elegance. Much like Jean Claude Elena’s watercolour creations for Hermes, Mona’s Vetyver is transparent and delicate without being boring and dismissible.
In an interview with Les Senteurs, Mona di Orio mentions that her favourite note was vetiver. She used to add a drop of it in all her compositions. Her love for the ingredient made it only natural for her to create a vetiver-based fragrance.
Vetyver by Mona di Orio
What sets Mona’s Vetyver apart is that it features a natural vetiver essential oil from Borboun. This particular variety has a strong dry, earthy undertone, which translates beautifully in the composition.
The sceptics among us might say, “so what, a vetiver is a vetiver.” Not so. Most other fragrances are made either with aroma chemicals or vetiver oil sources from Java and Indonesia. Regardless of the source, a vetiver will smell like vetiver. The difference in the source and the quality of the raw materials becomes evident in the subtleties of the aroma. Mona di Orio’s Vetyver is an example of this. The quality vetiver from Borboun shines in Mona’s composition.

“In Mona di Orio’s Vétyver, she wrests every facet she can from its earthy-citrus scent, like a pianist exploring the intricacies of a particular key in a Bach piano concerto. Fresh, dry, peppery, hesperidic and even minty – Vétyver marries the best Bourbon vetiver with notes that bring out its herbaceous-fresh qualities.” – Maison Mona di Orio

Vetyver opens with a dry earthy vetiver note with a touch of grapefruit. A cool ginger accord chimes in to make the composition sparkle. Mona di Orio masterfully combined two opposites – dry vetiver and fresh citrus – to create a sensation of dry freshness.
Even though grapefruit and ginger are present, they don’t define the opening of Vetyver. It stays decidedly dry and earthy. Just when the citrus starts taking its leave, a spicy note of nutmeg appears and swirls the Borboun vetiver into a wild dance. The two stay together in an embrace well into the final moments of the fragrance. In its final hours Vetyver stays close to the skin creating a soft aura of herbal freshness.

When to Wear It
If you are looking for a universal, yet interesting fragrance, Vetyver is the one for you. The fresh ginger-grapefruit combo make it a great choice for a hot summer day, while the dry vetiver and spicy nutmeg are perfect for colder weather. If you are looking for some warmth in the dead of winter, Vetyver may not be your best choice – despite the nutmeg and labdanum, the composition stays on the fresh side.

Depending on its use, vetiver can be either hippie-smelling (think incense shops) or elegant and sophisticated. Mona’s Vetyver is the latter, which makes it appropriate for any occasion. An Sunday brunch with your yoga besties? Vetyver is your scent. An art gallery cocktail party? Mona’s Vetyver will make you fit into the creative crowd.

The only downside of Vetyver is its longevity and projection. During my wears I didn’t get it to last more than five hours and the at the end of those, it stayed close to my skin. The solution? Bring the bottle with you.

Vetyver from Mona di Orio is sold exclusively at Etiket in Canada.

Vic from ScentBound

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Inscrivez-vous à l'infolettre d'Etiket et obtenez 10% sur votre premier achat sur Etiket.ca.