Every Storm A Serenade 2024

We are setting down the tennis racket from the sunny, manicured courts of The Soft Lawn, and today we are sailing into the dramatic, storm-tossed fjords of the Scandinavian coast with Imaginary Authors’ Every Storm a Serenade. This fragrance is inspired by a fictional novel about a sailor’s solitary journey through constant rain and rough seas, immediately signaling a transition to a marine, woody, and intensely atmospheric experience. The scent promises to capture the cold, damp feeling of a northern forest meeting the relentless ocean. The central question for this review is whether this fragrance can successfully translate the cold, powerful drama of a northern storm into a wearable, evocative scent, or if it remains too bracing and abstract for daily use. Let's set sail and find out. Opening: The opening is aromatic, ozonic, and woody. The primary notes I perceive are eucalyptus, spruce, calone, and sea notes, with the eucalyptus and spruce being the most prominent. The eucalyptus, described as eucalyptus absolute by the house, leads the charge with an intensely minty aromatic accord. I’ve encountered my fair share of mint notes, but this eucalyptus is by far the most bracing and icy, giving me a mentholated blast that I could feel traveling through my sinuses—almost like a nasal spray. Behind the eucalyptus is the spruce, providing a piney woodiness that, when combined with the eucalyptus, perfectly creates the feeling of a snowy evergreen forest. Next up are the calone and sea notes. The calone plays a supporting role as an ozonic element, giving the impression of fresh air and almost petrichor, but not quite. Lastly, the sea notes, stylized as "Baltic Sea Mist", give the opening a subtle aquatic tone—more like a gentle ocean spray than a full-on sea note. Dry Down: The dry down remains aromatic, ozonic, and woody. The primary notes I detect are still eucalyptus, spruce, calone, and sea notes, with the eucalyptus and spruce continuing as the standouts. The dry down is very similar to the opening, making this a fairly linear fragrance. If I had to pick out a difference, it would be that the ozonic qualities of the calone are perhaps a bit more noticeable. Other than that, the fragrance remains intensely focused on that immersive, snowy forest vibe. Performance: The initial projection within the first hour is strong and reaches out about six feet. Sillage matches that with an easily noticeable scent trail. After about 3–4 hours, the projection was largely unchanged. At around the 7–8 hour mark, the projection had died down considerably to about arm's length, and the sillage was only faintly noticeable. The fragrance became a skin scent shortly afterwards. When to Wear: I feel like this fragrance is surprisingly suitable to wear year-round, day or night. The fresh, minty, aromatic vibes work well in the heat of spring/summer, but the overarching icy, snowcapped forest vibe matches fall/winter perfectly. This fragrance could easily be worn casually, but I feel it would also work well for more sophisticated or formal occasions, thanks to its rather complex and elegant profile. Blind Buy: I could see this being a safe blind buy for people who really enjoy outdoorsy and cold, fresh scents, reminiscent of "snowy forest" candles and similar aromatic themes. If cold, fresh air is your style, this will be a good fit for you. Otherwise, like most Imaginary Authors fragrances, you will want to sample this first. Final Verdict: Every Storm a Serenade is a beautifully crafted fragrance that achieves a rare feat: perfectly translating a complex, powerful narrative into a wearable, evocative scent. The marriage of icy eucalyptus and woody spruce is masterful, creating a visceral snowy forest atmosphere meeting the cold, ozonic sea mist that truly struck a chord with me. The scent profile is both bracingly cold and sophisticated, making it highly versatile for year-round wear. While the longevity is good at 7–8 hours, it doesn't quite reach the "beast mode" performance of some other Imaginary Authors scents, but it is certainly sufficient. Given the sheer artistry and how completely this fragrance captures the feeling it aims for, I will absolutely be adding Every Storm a Serenade to my personal collection. Scent: 9/10 Longevity: 7/10 Sillage: 8/10 Versatility: High Mass Appeal: Average Gender: Unisex, leaning masculine Value: Good

Before I start this review, I’d like to say that this is my favorite fragrance from Imaginary Authors. It’s the one that pulled me into the house and made me want to explore the rest of the line. I’ve tried many aquatics since, but this is the one I always come back to. It just works. A quick backstory In 2024, Every Storm a Serenade was reformulated. Like anyone who’s ever had a favorite scent butchered by reformulation, I was bummed to hear this. But thankfully, IA did not let this one die. Instead, they refined it. What I’ve found is that the new version leans into a sharper eucalyptus, eases off on the woods slightly, and adds just enough calone to give it a touch more sensuality and lift. It has more “pop,” more air, more breath. And honestly? I prefer it this way. The Scent The opening hits with a cool, fresh wave of eucalyptus. It has this spa-like vibe, but not in a warm, tropical way. It reminds me of a modern glass-walled spa on the edge of the coast. You’re surrounded by windows, watching waves crash under grey skies. It feels clean, airy, and open. As the scent settles, the calone and ambergris come forward. There’s a salty, misty ocean feel that isn’t overly dramatic but very natural. It captures that moment right before or after a storm. The kind of day when the beach is empty and the wind is moving through everything. The spruce and vetiver add a soft woodiness in the background. They’re not dominant, but they show up in little moments, like when a gust of wind brings in the scent of trees from somewhere nearby. Everything blends together smoothly without ever becoming too heavy or too light. It’s fresh and clean, but also has a soft depth that makes it feel comforting. There’s something calming about it, but it also keeps your attention. (Also, if you’ve ever had that weird weather where it’s not really warm but not cold either, somewhere in the 50 to 60 degree range, this scent is perfect for that). What it isn't This isn’t your typical aquatic. It’s not a bright, citrusy beach scent, and it’s not dark and murky either. It sits somewhere in the middle. Think overcast skies, crashing waves, wind pulling at your clothes. It’s not a vacation. It’s a moment. One where you’re alone, quiet, and completely present. As someone who lives near the coast, I know that kind of day well. Most days aren’t warm or sunny. They’re chilly, gray, and moody. The air feels heavy, the waves rough, and everything has a quiet, restless energy to it. Why it works Now I will be the first to admit: Are there aquatics that perform better? Absolutely. Ones that smell more photorealistic to the ocean? Definitely. But this one just does it for me. Smells amazing? Yep. Versatile? Yep. Unique? Yep. Fits the story perfectly? Yep. And most importantly, hits close to home and is causing me to be biased? 100%. For years, I haven’t felt truly connected to my home. I’m not far from the beach, but it’s almost always frigid or overcast. This fragrance has taught me to look beyond that. You don’t need a bright, lush, warm-weather beach to feel something. We often look for something far away when what we really love is right in front of us, yet we just don't realize it. There’s beauty in the clouds, in the cold wind, in the stormy sky. There’s beauty in what most people overlook. Because after all... Every Storm is a Serenade.

A coastal pine forest, a little fresh soil, marine and moody 🌊🌲🏔️ It smells cool and windy like a rainy, misty fall day. Very evocative of the PNW - it reminds me of this waterfall I visited in Oregon with a sign that explains how waterfalls give off negative ions in the air that can make you feel happy and energized, or looking at the dark, choppy waves through fog from a cliff when it’s windy outside. Smells a little mentholated but not minty, more of a crisp invigorating rain. Refreshing and a little melancholy. I could see how someone could get an aromatherapy vibe, it kind of reminds me of Lush’s Spring Wash. Or the Twilight movies 🐀 I love this scent profile of evergreen moody aquatics and Imaginary Authors’ concept is just so neat to me! Vision: you’re standing on a rocky cliffside, choppy waves with frothy white caps crashing into the side, spraying you with cool mist. There’s lush green, damp moss that’s soft under your feet and mountains all around you. You’re feeling contemplative yet adventurous. The sky is gray and cloudy, fog in the distance, there’s a slight autumn chill. There’s a burgeoning sense of excitement and things to come in the air. You’re on a solo road trip to visit someone you haven’t seen in a long time. End scene 🎬

This is one of the imaginary authors perfumes that I ended up liking more than the others, and I feel like I've made a very exciting discovery. I really wanted to get Andrea Maack Osmo because of it's beautiful realistic marine notes. However it is expensive so I had to hold back. I feel like this is going to be a cheaper way to achieve that smell and it is quite lovely! Since it is halfway through the summer I am going to wait probably until next year to get it, but I am happy I found cheaper alternative to what I wanted from osmo. Regrettably I lost my sample of Osmo, but there's no denying that there is something very familiar about every store must serenade that reminds me of that same dna. I will continue to look for my sample to ensure my comparison but in the meantime I'm very happy to find this fragrance!

I really, really like this reformulation. The previous version was nice but had a little bit of a cool, menthol “generic men’s cologne” smell. In this version they’ve toned the calone down and brought up the eucalyptus and ambergris. This is a very marine fragrance, very evocative of the sea for me. Very unique too, but in an inoffensive way that probably won’t be polarizing. The projection and performance are good, but I only know that because I’ve had other people comment on it. I don’t actually smell it very much myself unless I put my wrist to my nose, which is kind of a bummer.

I got a sample kit with this scent and it is not for everyone, but I love it! At first spray it’s like cold waves crashing down around you but it gradually gets calmer and the eucalyptus and spruce notes come out. This is definitely not a tropical scent and reminds me much more of plunging into the water off of a rocky-cliff face in the Arctic Ocean, or being on a fishing boat carelessly tossed around by the sea in the pitch dark as you anxiously move towards a lighthouse. Definitely very musky on me, so if you like that and the storytelling I recommend!

It's hard to explain how much this fragrance means to me. I get visions of the sea, not a sunny view but overcast when the night falls. Along with that I get lost in a forest that overlooks the sea. It reminds me of Monterey, California. That place holds such a big place in my heart, and so does this scent. It leans slightly masculine, reminding the user of the arms of someone they visit the grey sky beach with. It's not overly emotional, but it does stir up a sense of tranquility and comfort. Hands down my favorite scent of IA so far.

My father, early 90's, this tiny 40 person church. Not a cathedral. This is a clean rented room, chairs unstacked and placed in rows of five on each side, a reason to get together and sing, dress your best, smell your best. I continue watching the VHS tape of the 8 or so children putting on their Easter play. My dad going up to each table as everyone is eating from the potluck. They see the camcorder and act silly, embarrassed, shy... and I smell this through the screen. Cool and clean (but not understated) robust and strong.

One of the VERY best freshies I own!!! Gym safe, work safe, shi its even Zoo safe idc where you go this thing rocks! It has facets that remind me of acqua di gio but then brings baccarat rouge sweetness and gentle fluidity musk in. There is a green note from the eucalyptus that makes this feel fresh like a cool rain. Win win win get this

A very unusual scent within the petrichor genre, smells just like the bottle says - stormy. The initial spray is this weird and dark woody and ozonic scent which dries down into something salty and sweet on my skin, like a can of soda by the sea while it rains. Definitely a new favourite of mine.

any of y'all seen that movie "Enys Men"? about the British lady who works all alone on a windswept Cornish island just taking notes about rare flowers, hallucinating about banging sailors and some kinda lichen growing on her belly? when I wear this I feel like Her

GORGEOUS. I was already a fan of the 2014 initial version but this reformulated version with the addition of a heather note is amazing. It's woody, aquatic and I think a bit more powerful honestly. Huge contender for the summer fragrance.

Originally for me but ended up suiting my husband more... and it smells amazing on him! Felt like a vampire every time he puts this on--just want to stuff my nose on his neck all the time!

fave, makes me feel like a mermaid

I struggle in spring and summer with perfumes. I hate warm weather and thrive in the colder months. i just hate feeling hot and sweaty and sun baking down on me. That being said I am not really into blue aquatics, a summer staple. I find them all extremely similar and generic. But "teal" style fragrances I enjoy. This one peaked my interest based on the notes. Definitely a teal style scent. What is nice is you can smell every note listed. The opening is fresh and cool, not shower gel like 99% of blue aquatics. The opening starts off lile a weird windex alcohol scent for about 20 seconds, then the seawater note takes over. it definitely has a brine quality which is so nice compared to the aqua ozonic notes in most blues. The calone and eucalyptus brings a wonderful cool and crisp quality. The spruce really brings the green in. Drying down, the rooty vetiver and ambergis make themselves known. Its not a soapy or smoky vetiver, its a very earthy one and combines with the eucalyptus and ambergis so nicely! It definitelt starts taking on a dental astringent smell. What i love about this, is it doesnt evoke summer blue freshness nor deep ocean cold mineral aquatic. It has that overcast, cold ocean air of the Pacific Northwest or Maine vibe. You can feel the lighthouse and the dark sky emerging. If this was a fresh water note instead of seawater, I feel like Im back on the MN North Shore in later fall, early winter. The sillage is moderate and longevity is good. I see this as a year round fragrance. Even in winter if youre looking to project the cold air vibe instead of a traditional spicy warm vanilla accord so many like during colder months. One thing this perfume really does for me is it builds a feeling. L'eau Bleue de Issey my Issey Miyake does the same for me. Mancera Cinque Terre as well to a fair degree. Perhaps its something with "Teal" fragrances.

🌲 Pacific Mist 🌊 I am standing barefoot on the wet sand somewhere on the Oregon coast, and the morning is surprisingly mild and crystalline. I do not feel any darkness here, only a profound sense of peace. The first thing that hits me is a brisk, watery aura that unexpectedly mingles with a delicate sweetness. It is not sugar: it is the natural, almost citrusy aroma of young, bright green spruce tips growing right by the beach. The scent is bright and clean, like air filtered through millions of needles. The eucalyptus isn't sharp or medicinal here. Instead, it acts like a refreshing, cool gust that opens up the lungs, allowing me to fully take in the sea breeze. I catch the scent of heather growing on the cliffs and the salty ambergris settling on my skin like a luminous dust. Calone adds space and watery lightness: it is a stroll along the shore as the mist slowly lifts off the ocean to reveal a blue sky. As everything settles, an earthy vetiver emerges, but it remains fresh and light. There is no struggle against the elements here. It is simply a moment of a deep breath, where the salty ocean breeze mingles with the sweet aroma of the forest standing right behind me. Visual archive on TikTok / IG: @the.scent.files

So, I had a sample of the old "storm" and the new version. I did a comparison and here are my findings. Version 1 is a bit musty smelling. It opens with a menthol whiff and settles down into a soft slightly green, mildly medicinal scent. It doesn't last very long. The aquatic notes are muted. Version 2 is MUCH more aquatic, more marine, petrichor ..more lasting, better sillage, the drydown is fabulous. A really wonderful improvement, infinitely more wearable. Longer lasting. I would buy an FB of version 2 to wear in the summer or in the cold weather, when you need to remember that warmer weather is coming. Sometimes when a company redoes a perfume it's a disappointment. In fact, that's usually the case. But I. A. has wonderful luck with revisions. Whiff of Wafflecone is a prime example. They took the original and made it better. This is another winner. Everything you like about the original is still there, but the drydown is better, the performance is MUCH better, the marine notes are more prominent. WELL DONE,I.A..👍

I love perfumes that tell a story. At first spray I could smell the waves crashing below me, I'm standing on a cliff at the forest tree line and looking down at the crashing waves. I just watched twilight so it reminds me of when Bella jumped from the cliff into the sea and almost drowns <3 It's fresh, definitely leaning on masculine but still unisex. I sprayed it a few hours but it still hits me with the splash of water, yet it is veryyyy eucalyptus strong. In fact, that might be the 'freshness' i'm smelling. I really enjoy this one although I tend to lean more towards feminine scents.

This version of Every Storm a Serenade is much more rounded and has more depth to its olfactory. Comparing to the previous version, this one still orbits around the salty-marine notes, but the herbaceous eucalyptus and the vetiver are also brought to the spotlight as well. However, I found this scent leaned toward the masculine, not so unisex as the previous version. This still reminds me of the rain - fog over the cold sea, so Every Storm a Serenade remains to be favorite scent to wear when it's raining.

It's crazy to me how much this is a storm in a bottle. This has the distinct smell of being in a spruce forest while it's raining. Aromatic, woody, and rainy. It opens up very heavy on the spruce and eucalyptus, before calming down into something more aqueous, as if the smell itself is like a strong storm calming down. I might say this is slightly more masculine in terms of a unisex smell, but overall quite nice.