Bull's Blood 2nd Edition

i'm genuinely surprised i enjoy this fragrance as much as i do. based on how incredibly potent it is on paper, i was a little scared to try it on my skin, but i find it to be far more wearable than expected! definitely not a scent i'd wear in a professional setting, it's certainly a strong statement and should be applied in moderation, but it's perfect for an evening out or an event where i want to feel powerful and keen-edged and a little dangerous. it reminds me of a dragon with thin tendrils of smoke curling out of its nostrils, heat-sensing tongue flicking out to taste the air, iron-hard blood-slick serrated scales glowing like a bed of coals in the dark of its treasure-lined den. tobacco, patchouli, and sandalwood form the robust, energetic heart of this fragrance, giving it a beastly presence that lasts all day, putting me in a mood to walk with my shoulders back and head high. the rose and geranium are hold their own without being overshadowed by the stronger notes, floating airily around my head like silk for the first couple hours of wear, harmonizing beautifully as the crackling heat of the fragrance settles into a humming diffuse warmth. to me, this fragrance smells like how goldenseal herb tastes: incredibly bitter, but syrupy and warming to the core. i don't think it has the metallic bodily smell of blood, and to me, the musk serves more as a blending agent between the florals & ambers than its own distinctly animalic note, but this perfume does make me salivate in the same way a perfectly seared and still slightly bloody steak does. it's Meaty, that's for sure. bull's blood is not an everyday fragrance, but it's one that's grown on me and may tempt me to a full bottle purchase someday (initially bought my sample as a curious novelty). most recently, i wore it to a wedding where i was worried i would feel singled out by the groom's conservative family as one of the only visibly queer attendees. bull's blood gave me the confidence to bare my teeth in a defiant smile to their sideways looks, and i was so swept up in the aura of bitter smoky rose i was wearing to care much what anyone thought of me. that afternoon, about 3 hours after application, my partner told me i smelled pleasantly like brown sugar up close, which surprised me because i was a little worried i was scaring people away with my monstrous sillage... but this perfume does have a dark, sticky, resinous edge to it like molasses, i suppose! good to know that i wasn't waging chemical warfare on everyone in the room, just giving off my own personal not-to-be-fucked-with vibes.

In concept: patchouli, tobacco, black musk, geranium, Spanish rose, tobacco, sandalwood, and bull’s blood I’ve found that this line tends to have a sharp, scratchy note that I find unpleasant, and the description of this seems like it would be too masculine for my tastes, but the different reviews have my curiosity piqued. I suppose it says something about the type of person I am, when I see something polarizing, I’ve gotta try it for myself. On paper: It smells like my grandpa! Which I guess is actually in line with “A bad boy (from the 1960s)” from the description. As it dries down it gets a lot smokier, but it’s mercifully more of an incense-smoke smell, versus the food-smoke smell of “A City on Fire” by the same designer. In Practice: You’ve spent the night with the dummer from the heavy metal band and are walking home. His basement apartment is much grungier in the light of day. He’s the kind of guy who smokes hand-rolled cigarettes. You say your goodbyes knowing that you’ll never see him again, but that’s fine. His scent lingers in your hair. You’ve had your fun and you’re ready for your next bad decision. It’s much more animalistic on my skin than on paper. It’s don’t really get the blood note, but I do get “flesh” note (almost like fresh sweat with a slight metallic tang). The patchouli is very strong, and the florals end up making it veer into incense. I don't get any rose at all, just patchouli and incense. This is probably what evokes such vivid imagery of a very specific kind of gentleman: he’s creative and kinda grimy, but not in a hippie way, he’s got an edge to him. Where to Wear it: Either a man or a woman (it's surprisingly unisex) who is a musician at a goth club, either looking to pick up groupies, or as a groupie who would like to be picked up by a musician. In summary: After reading the other reviews, I was expecting something really daring and unusual. Unfortunately my expectations on that front fell a little flat, I feel like I’ve smelled this combination before in other indie (goth-y) fragrances. Furthermore, this scent isn’t really “me” — to the point where it gave me the aforementioned sense of wearing someone else’s (secondhand) fragrance — but I do like it and think it would be very sexy on the right kind of person (alternative, a little edgy). I'd be into this if my partner wore it for a date. Definitely sample before buying. (As a note given the reviews, I was very cautious with the amount I used. This stuff is potent, and would probably be unpleasant if over-applied, so use with a light hand!)

The line between beauty and danger is often more blurred than we think. A gilded dagger, a heartbreak, a rose’s thorns. This is the line that Bull’s Blood by @Imaginary Authors straddles. Opening with a leathery animalic note and warm spices, the rose and geranium through-line of this perfume is never lost. Not even when an earthy Patchouli threatens to take over. This fragrance is a constant push and pull, red florals lush and seductive, grounded by an earthen intensity. The tobacco here is especially vintage leaning, lending to transport the wearer the way Imaginary Author fragrances so often do. It’s also balanced to perfection, blended to create something truly unique. I find that a lot of Imaginary Authors’s more masculine fragrances rely heavily on wood, which I do enjoy, but Bull’s Blood is more about the patchouli and rose. Especially the rose. This is a floral perfume before anything else; but this rose is wild. Even the dry down of this fragrance is beautiful, mellowing out but still packing a punch of an earthy, musky rose. Bull’s Blood holds nothing back, and isn’t afraid to be dark. Nothing about it is polite, but spray it a few times and you’re deadly - untouchable. This is for your villain era, because this perfume says “I don’t give a f**k.” And those sprays will last you well into the night - we’re talking 8 hours of wear. This is a hot summer night perfume, though I think many would say it is winter or fall due to its depth and darkness. Is heat not oppressive; is the sun not a killer? The name of this fragrance calls to mind matadors in ruby and gold costumes; it’s about an old world of opulence and grandeur, where even the wealthy were not spared the brutality of living. Imaginary Authors has been one of my favorite fragrance brands for many years for the way they create vivid stories through scents, but I was never able to get my hands on Bull’s Bloor before it was discontinued. But it’s back!!! I am so, so incredibly happy and thankful I was sent this perfume - I had a suspicion I would love it. Yes, I think it might have surpassed The Soft Lawn for my favorite fragrance of theirs. This perfume calls to a part of my soul. If you enjoy dark and “stinky” perfumes, this is for you. As an Aries Sun with a domicile chart ruler Venus in Taurus, the juxtaposition between beauty and beast is where I thrive; and this perfume delivers that. Thank you again to Imaginary Authors for sending this! This was originally posted to my tiktok - scentnsensibility

Fucking hell. Fuuuuucking hell. FUUUUCCKKKIIINGG HELLLLLL! That's what my brain does when it smells this scent. It is the perfume equivalent of fluoroantimonic acid. It destroys everything! I even think this perfume could kick Baccarat Rouge's arse, if it was having a fight with it. Bull's Blood smells EXACTLY as the name would suggest. When I'd put it on and I looked at the stunning book-esque box it arrived in, with vintage and impressionist Spanish art, my brain was whisked away to a dusty Spanish village, where a bullfight had just taken place. Imaginary Authors; take a bow! This perfume is a perfect example of how to tell a story through scent. Tobacco, animalistic musks, patchouli (some sort of modified version - fermented patchouli maybe?) all hurtle towards your olfactory nerves, like a very pissed off bull. Once it has launched it's first attack, a fight breaks out between rose and geranium. The result of that fight is a strong blood scent, which gives amazing texture and character to the profile. Quite easily the best iteration of blood that I have ever experienced. The real genius of Bull's Blood is how the blood scent dances with the main notes. It struts it's stuff like Mick Jagger after a cheeky bump, but without going full Keith Richards. It's quiet confidence allows it to blend PERFECTLY with the main notes. The result is a totally transformed scent profile; easy to handle tones like tobacco and patchouli are given an olfactory kiss of life, due to the unusual blood tone within the scent. Sillage: LOOK OUT EVERYONE, THERE'S A MASSIVE FUCKING BULL AND IT'S MEGA ANGRY! Longevity: THE BULL IS STILL MEGA ANGRY AND IT'S BEEN HERE FOR 10 HOURS! I absolutely love this perfume and it goes straight into my top shelf 10. It will remain in it's box, which is a luxury I only allow for my absolute favourites. 10/10. If you don't like this perfume then piss off back to your fucking Shitvage dupes, ignorant cunt.

I have been excited for this scent for a while, mostly because I wanted to test the limits of my nose and what it was willing to allow inside of it. What I've learned is that apparently, it's pretty good at dealing with challenging scents. I described this as immediately smelling like hot glue and grease burning on the grass of a guy that smoked a shit ton of cigarettes. After ten minutes, it actually turns kind of sweet and metallic, almost like a bloody syrup. It's sort of like within the story that after a while, the smell of the bull goes away as the crowd cheers, throwing roses to the performer as they wipe blood -- his own and his bovine opponent's -- off from their clothes. I'd argue this is a summer scent, but only smouldering heat summers. It kind of smells like your greasy uncle repairing something when it's 100 degrees outside while smoking a cigar. I don't know why that thought crossed my mind, but it did. I will say this: if the smell of tobacco gives you a headache, you will get a headache sometime into having this on you or something else. It will also not leave that thing you have it on. It will also not leave the thing you are smelling it with (your nose). This is one of the most notoriously difficult perfumes to scrub off, and it is so strong it gets stuck in your nose. Thankfully, I could tolerate the headache and actually kind of love the smell of this. I am not 100% against wearing it in public, but also understand that it will probably be extremely off-putting to most people. One of the most creative scents I've put to my nose.

Wow. This is an intense fragrance. Absolutely a love it or hate it. For me, as of posting this and having just received it today, I love it and its unusual qualities. I sprayed one spray and it filled my whole bathroom. This is an extremely 80s musk forward scent. Reminded me tremendously of the heavier notes of Fendi for women (my mom's perennial favorite in the late 80s, early 90s) without any of the light, florally sweet notes that balanced that classic fragrance. There is a sweetness to it for sure but a more grounded earthy-spicy sweetness from the patchouli. That note seems to cover most of the rose/geranium but they're definitely there as well. It would be like it the patchouli and rose notes in Moschino's Toy Boy swapped prominence. I also get a slight sharpness at the very tail end of the scent that I could see some finding a metallic offensiveness but I think it's quite mixed in against all the other notes on my skin. Like those bold 80s scents, this one will definitely leave a mark. Perfect for a cold evening out. Feels very ostentatious in a Julia Fox way which again some find endearing (me) and others might find vulgar. Curious how this would feel in the dry summer sun. A friend mentioned it reminded him of the 'hippie antique' shops he went to as a kid in the 90s if that resonates for anyone else. To sum it up: I love it for its bold, loud, and unusual scent. Long lasting. Not a crowd pleaser or a blind buy but if you have the chance to smell it, please try it.

Such a peculiar yet seductive scent. This is what I imagine one of Edgar Allen Poe's grotesque characters would wear. It's the signature scent of that menacing old man who lives in the dilapidated mansion you stumble upon when your car breaks down nearby on a stormy, moonless night. At first spray, it's blood, musk, patchouli and rose. Deep and rich, slightly metallic, earthy and heady. It's ominous and enchanting, romantic but deadly—like blood-soaked funeral roses. It remains largely the same throughout the wear with a bit of nuance every now and again. Around two hours in, I notice a smokier quality—perhaps the tobacco, though I couldn't specifically identify it as such—that fades away around hour four when the rose and musk more so take the main stage. And around hour seven, I pick up on an almost leathery aspect of the fragrance. This lasted for at least ten hours on my skin. Overall, I love this perfume and am very pleased it was the first of their sample discovery set that I tried. It's haunting and definitely makes a statement, though probably not something you would wear every day. It'd be perfect for: a sexy summer night, a gray winter day, or anytime in the spring or fall. This is so different from what I normally enjoy in perfumes and that makes me love it even more. **Warning**: I advise against applying directly to clothing as it (fittingly) sprays on blood red.

Wow — just coming out of reading some reviews, and clearly I'm not smelling what everyone else is lol. I LOVE this perfume and wear it every day. In the office I work, people are always coming in and asking what the smell is — so it has a strong sillage. Usually, when someone notices the scent, they're complimenting it. Here are some of my favourite ways people have described the scent to me: - like someone just lit a cigar - incense - like a rich person's leisure time - patchouli - like a beautiful woman - maple - fruity spicy Buuuut I also get why some people don't like it, because I did have one particular coworker come in and announce to me "something smells like piss". Could be she was smelling something else entirely — or it could be that this perfume just smells like that to some people. Certainly some of the reviews would suggest that. But I like it, and don't personally get the 'piss' element. Maybe a tiny bit sometimes, I think it just depends on the chemistry of your skin on a particular day? Maybe this perfume is a little musky, but I like a musky, strong scent. Can't stand girlish, light, traditional 'perfumey' smells. Bull's Blood is a winner for me, at least. And I love the design of the bottle and the fake book used to describe it.

When I bought a bunch of samples from IA, I, being the type of person to eat dessert before dinner, sprayed Bull's Blood as my first tester. My partner (with whom I'd been sharing my anticipation about trying this fragrance), from Across The Room, knew imMEDIATELY that I had just spritzed my single, solitary, sample spritz of Bull's Blood. Such had begun what I hope to be my lifelong affair with musk-floral fragrances. I consider myself a bit of a fashionista; I would describe my sense of style as what the kids these days are calling dopamine dressing. So I feel qualified to mark a comparison between Bull's Blood and a floor length, zebra striped jacket: as several other reviewers have pointed out, for example, it's more likely to wear you than you it. An offensive statement piece requiring confidence, playfulness, and creativity to pull off effectively. Out of cowardice (and consideration!!!), I mostly find myself spraying it at home and sleeping in it (an, understandably, insane thing to do). Perhaps when I acquire a ornate corset in the shape of a blood-red ribcage, a rosary made of genuine graveside flowers, and a sunhat whose brim rivals in diameter to Saturn's rings, will I feel ready to wear this outside without feeling like a total poser.

When I first smelled this, looking for a scent that reminds me of dried down blood, I was hit in all of my senses, in the best way possible. Instant purchase. When I first sprayed it on me, I could not breathe. It is engulfing you, and whoever is around. After that beautiful -arguably, because my mom thinks it smells like actual ass- first sprays, you will end up with that musky, tobacco, and a deeply intricated geranium, which almost reminds me of vetiver as well. Definitely not a perfume for everyone, you need to be able to carry the smell, and it is not for those who have a weak heart. Disappointedly, I have to admit that the scent of blood almost immediately escapes after a few minutes, which was the reason I bought this perfume. (I work in an environment where I have to smell human skin and lots of blood, hence why I am so familiar with the scent.) However, I am quite happy with the dried-down scent of it, and it is insanely long-lasting too! I always find it hard to find a perfume that would live on me as I am a heavy smoker, but the tobacco smell complements the tobacco notes in the perfume as well. Would not recommend this as a blind buy. Surprisingly, I did get a lot of compliments while wearing this, too.

Both editions of Bull’s Blood - and I admit to liking the original but I love the 2nd edition - are obviously not for **FILL IN THE STEREOTYPICAL BLANK HERE** That could be “the faint of heart” or “the status quo” or simply “everyone.” ...so what? Have you not met this brand? Have you not met Slow Explosions, with its “punch in the mouth” opening? Or City on Fire’s somewhat disturbing dry down? You’re not wearing a fragrance called “Bull’s Blood” for the mass appeal. What I love about both editions of Bull’s Blood is the crystal clear image/place it calls to mind. This is a hot, sweaty, sinful perfume. Blood and wine have been spilled. The air is heavy, the sun is oppressive. Yet everyone is dressed impeccably, despite the blood and wine. There is a LOT of passion and heat in this fragrance - I *almost* want to wear it in deep summer just to see how it operates - just to see if the image comes to mind. I’m not going to dog on anyone for hating this fragrance - to each their own. However, I can’t help but think that if you went out of your way to try this and didn’t like it...you had to have expected that possibility, right? Are you really that surprised? When to wear: 1. Whenever you damn well please.

LISTEN TO ME. i own a full bottle and this is my fav scent ever. i will be objective. easily one of the most complex things ive smelled, purely because there is so much u pick out everytime u smell it. this has amazing performance, it will stay on ur clothes for ages. you can get all the notes, i wouldnt say its very dominant in any, but it does have this pungent sour without the sharpness maybe urine note to it that can be prevalent especially when u spray it on urself and wear it. but i love this note, which id be inclined to say is the blood, i think they do it very well. tobacco, blood, musk, rose, patchouli. i fucking love this fragrance. it is everything i aim for in a scent and really makes me feel like me. can be difficult to wear. but dont listen to these ppl saying it is repulsive or is too intense. trust me if u are into perfumery, good perfumes never do this. u can just not like it and wash it off that is fine. but man do i get the image. a man and his lady standing above the dead bull the dirt the piss the shit the blood the love the awe. its something else man. so nice.

Despite many reviews mentioning an opening note reminiscent of cat piss, I don’t pick that up at all. From the start, I was drawn in by the rich tobacco note, immediately reminding me of lighting incense or a cigarette in a closed room. The aroma of this fragrance clings to the air, lingering long after the initial spray, much like a cigarette would. As it settles, the metallic scent of the blood note starts to fade in, subtle yet very distinct. It a big contrast to the tobacco note. The floral note doesn’t exactly come in the way you might expect. It’s not a light or airy smell, instead, it feels heavier. I can only describe it as a rose garden filled only with deep red roses. Overall, Bulls Blood is deeply alluring to me. There’s a richness to it that feels distinctly old money, like an older man lighting a cigar at an underground bar. Not the kind of bar where people go to socialize, but a quiet space where the music is heard faintly in the background. An interesting blend of tobacco and rose, with the smallest bit of maple and leather seeping through the dry-down.

This is an erotic fragrance—there's no other way to describe it. When Angela Carter writes about men lurking in shadowy manors buried deep within the forest, she is describing Bull's Blood. Beauty's Beast has been rendered a hunter, a nocturnal animal dressed in a smoking jacket a la Maxim De Winter. This perfume is masculine and threatening, savage, almost overpowering at times. You must be brave to wear it or I suspect it might wear you; there is no sense in being shy when adorned with a scent that oozes such primal sexuality. For those reasons I can understand why so many may be repulsed by Bull's Blood. There is no sense of safety or security in this perfume, you must embrace it to be embraced back. It will kiss you hard enough that your teeth hurt, like lightning pulsing through your blood. If you want your cologne to be a soft and gentle lover, don't choose this—but if you fantasize about rough touches wrapped in a leather glove, the lingering smoke of a cigarette caught in the cabin of a luxury vintage car, choose this one.

I can totally see the inspiration progression—the earlier being mostly a patchouli-rose, earthy fragrance, but the second edition, although it has mostly the same ingredients, with the addition of geranium and sandalwood, there’s just something deeper, almost feral, dare I say carnal about it. 🫣 It’s as though the first, which I still have sparingly, were foreplay and the second, well, the fully developed, mature, main event as the geranium brightens while the sandalwood brings out a salty amber quality that’s very seductive. Other notes have been dialed up to a degree that’s referential to the first but just so much more dynamic and intense. I’m glad I still have some of the original but I’ve completely flipped for the sequel and there will be a full bottle of this outstanding achievement in my near future! “We are all animals and passion brings out the beast in each of us.” Well done, Josh!

It's dark, smoky and mysterious; the scent passes you by, the lights drop, and the red mist settles over your eyes. Animalic - literally, and in it's nature. Passionate and seductive, it raises your pulse and challenges you to - as its name implies - grab the bull by the horns. Geranium is forward in the top notes, but it gives way to strong rose and patchouli within a couple of hours. Mineralic undertones evoke the blood accord and give this scent its dark side, making this fragrance extremely situational. I enjoy wearing it around the house but I'm not sure when I'd wear it otherwise - this is not work safe and it's not a daily driver. The insane longevity and projection don't help this, so make sure this is what you want to smell like long-term if you apply it. Dark, challenging, evocative, and erotic. Definitely not for everyone, but for what it is and what they're trying to achieve? 5/5

I'm testing the IA Complete Works, and Bull's Blood is the first in the collection. I winced when I saw the color of the juice and smelled what was to come out of the spray-vial before I even depressed the atomizer. I sprayed 1.5 spritzes on the crook of my elbow as I My take: Old scented candles that have been around since the late 1960s or early '70s in a dusty, wood-paneled library that's gone unused for a while. There's a bowl of rose potpourri next to a partially packed pipe on the mahogany credenza. While I'm in the room, I begin sensing someone or something of nefarious character may be spying on me through the keyhole in the door. TLDR: If the set of the Dark Shadows television program were a perfume. As others have said, performance is beast. Very strong projection. It's not bombastic. It rolls in more slowly, and is very thick yet dry. Unrelenting--even at almost hour six.

As a Blood Fragrance enthusiast Bulls Blood fits nicely into my collection. Though a very very tame "blood" fragrance at that. What sets this one apart from my lineup is the dryness of the blood. Flakey, rust colored, but heavy. It's more striking on a paper sample and on opening. The rest of it is incredibly similar to 34 Bohemian by TWM. The dusty, decorative, dried rose. Tissue paper petals that lean powdery. Soft tobacco leaf tucked away in a cabinet somewhere. Unlit cones of patchouli. Soft spice attributed to either rose or tobacco or both I'm not sure. I adore it. I love the room the paints and I want to live there. It's comforting and haunting and incredibly wearable I find. Though it seems so many other reviewers disagree. It's going on my FB wishlist. Oh and one last thing. The color of the juice? Gorgeous. Breathtaking. Love how it colors my pulse points. Wish it stained.

🐂 A Bloody Duel 🌹 The scent hits like a bull: powerful, dark, and dangerous. You feel black musk and warm tobacco, smelling like a heated body in the very heart of the struggle. Right beside it is a Spanish rose - dark and dense, inextricably linked to an icy blood accord. The metallic chill of iron pierces through velvet petals, giving them a tragic, ceremonial character. Everything here is intentional and focused, like every stroke of a blade upon the dusty arena. This precision ensures the fragrance constantly teeters on the edge. One moment it repels with its raw, physiological nature, only to seduce a second later with smoky warmth and earthy patchouli. An olfactory paradox: it attracts and warns simultaneously, forcing you to look danger straight in the eye. Visual archive on TikTok / IG: @the.scent.files

As a fragance newbie, I was so scared to order this for the longest time because of its reputation. Yet the concept wouldn't leave my mind. Finally, I tried my luck with a sample and I did not regret it at all. I understand the negative reviews. It's definitely not a perfume made for subtle tastes. It's strong, it's bold, and people around you will not like it. It's incredibly masculine. At a distance, it's all tobacco and black musk. However, as you get closer, It becomes a bit sweeter and powdery, creating a very comforting feeling. It really portrays the image of a powerful, passionate man: dark and intimidating on the surface, yet warm in privacy. As a spaniard, I can also agree this smells like a nice, fancy spanish bar. I fully intend to get a full bottle, everyone around me be damned. It's beautiful.