Memoirs Of A Trespasser

We are continuing our deep dive into the unique, narrative world of Imaginary Authors, and today's chapter promises a much warmer, richer, and more mysterious experience than the icy landscape of The Language of Glaciers that we explored last time. We are opening the pages of Memoirs of a Trespasser, a fictional travelogue penned by the elusive explorer Philip Sava. The story chronicles a journey across continents—a tale of self-discovery, adventure, and perhaps some questionable moral choices made while wandering the globe. This scent immediately signals a transition from the cold wilds to a smoky, fire-lit sanctuary, hinting at an atmosphere steeped in old journals, distant travels, and quiet, intellectual reflection. The central question for this review is whether this fragrance can successfully capture the rugged, woodsy, slightly dangerous mystery implied by a journey of trespassing and self-discovery. Let's get into it and see if this story and its accompanying fragrance are a true masterpiece. Opening: The opening is sweet, woody, and spicy. The primary notes I get are vanilla, oak, guaiac wood, and myrrh, with the vanilla and guaiac wood being the standout notes. The vanilla hits my nose first with a punch of creamy sweetness. It isn't particularly natural in its presentation, but it's not super synthetic either. Following closely behind is the guaiac wood, sharing a subtle sweetness with the vanilla, but also introducing smoky and balsamic tones along with its naturally woody profile. Up next is the oak and myrrh. The oak doubles down on the woodiness started by the guaiac wood, but is instantly distinguishable by its intensely dry and subtly earthy profile. Lastly, the myrrh adds more balsamic and resinous tones in the background, along with a healthy dose of warm spiciness. Dry Down: The dry down is still sweet, woody, and spicy. The primary notes I get are vanilla, guaiac wood, oak, and benzoin, with the most prominent notes being the vanilla and benzoin. The vanilla still plays a central role in the dry down with the same creamy sweetness from the opening, albeit a bit stronger than it was. Joining the vanilla in the opening is the newly emerged benzoin, layering more sweetness on top of the vanilla, but distinctly more balsamic and resinous in its tone. This is followed by the guaiac wood and oak. Both notes still contribute their woody accords from the opening, with the guaiac wood retaining its smoky and balsamic tones, and the oak retaining its dry earthiness. However, I will say that the oak has overtaken the guaiac wood in the opening for a bigger dose of dry, almost lumber-y woodiness. I feel like I also get just a touch of the novel "clay" note in the dry down, barely perceptible as an unusually dry earthiness, separate from the oak. It does remind me of the smell of fired clay freshly removed from a kiln. Performance: The initial projection within the first hour is very strong and can easily fill a room. The sillage matches that intensity with dense and heavy scent trail. After about 3-4 hours, the projection and sillage were largely unchanged. After around 7-8 hours, the projection had died down a little but was still reaching out about 4-6 feet. The scent trail was also a bit lighter, but was still easily noticeable. Overall, the fragrance lasted over 12 hours before becoming a skin scent, demonstrating remarkable longevity. When to Wear: Memoirs of a Trespasser is a fall/winter fragrance with enough dynamicity to be worn in the daytime or evening. However, this is definitely more suited for special occasions than anything else. There's just too much sweetness and richness for it to feel appropriate for casual or formal wear; and by extension is not an office-safe fragrance. Blind Buy: While this is decidedly a safer blind buy than The Language of Glaciers, I still wouldn't necessarily recommend this as a blind buy. The dry, lumber-y oak and unusual earthiness of the clay may prove to be a bit too much for some wearers. However, if you like fragrances in the style of By The Fireplace by Maison Martin Margiela, Memoirs of a Trespasser is definitely worth sampling. Final Verdict: Ultimately, Memoirs of a Trespasser delivers a woody, sweet, and artistic narrative. The profile is defined by dense, creamy vanilla, dry oak, smoky guaiac wood, and a rich blend of resinous myrrh and benzoin. The performance is outstanding; it’s a true beast mode fragrance that maintains strong projection for several hours, easily outperforming The Language of Glaciers that I previously reviewed. This is a masterfully blended, unforgettable scent that beautifully balances sweetness with a rugged, woodsy edge and merges artistry with wearability. I thoroughly enjoyed wearing Memoirs of a Trespasser, and I will definitely be adding it to my personal collection. Scent: 9/10 Longevity: 10/10 Sillage: 10/10 Versatility: Low Mass Appeal: Average Gender: Unisex, leaning masculine Value: Good

My favorite from Imaginary Authors (though Yesterday Haze is a close second). There is something very warm and comforting about this scent, but not in a cozy way, if that makes sense. It feels like a warm and welcoming highly-trafficked public place, like maybe a museum or the best store in a mall or a corporate-but-still-approachable coffee shop. It has a feeling of taking a faceless place and, with the addition of people and a positive atmosphere, it's made welcoming. A restrained base and a familiar top. It's primarily a vanilla/guaiac/benzoin/myrrh scent to me. I do smell all of the listed notes, however, which is pretty unusual for any fragrance. I smell just a hint of the clay underneath, though I wish it were more pronounced because it's such an interesting note. It's a more masculine vanilla, which I think is great. It's both masculine and sweet (but not sugary sweet) at the same time. I don't find this as smoky as others here, apparently. It was only after reading some other reviews that I started to smell just an undercurrent of smoke. a coworker did ask if anyone else smelled smoke, though, so my nose might be a bit off. For what it's worth, he liked it and said it smelled like a ski lodge where there's a fire somewhere in a good way. It's apparently got some legs, though, since he smelled it about 15 feet away. Really great work and very wearable (but maybe not too many sprays!). There are absolutely similar scents, but this is a nice one. A love from me. 8.5/10.

Dry and rich vanilla and at the same time. I feel like eating vanilla ice cream in a warm waffle cone, ehile I'm in a dry old library full of old books and paper, while a bonfire is barely burning in the center and hesting, drying and scenting the library. The light is dimmed down, and the ice cream is melting. That's the mood and setting I get from this. It's extremely addictive. It smells spectacular. And, it's 100% wearable. For fall/winter this is perfect. Warming, seductive, mystical, and alluring. The name suits it. I Love mild/soft vanilla. I Hate boozy vanilla. This is a smooth, soft and sweet vanilla that is a pleasure to wear. I never get tired of it, but I can see the argument that some very few could get nauseous from the "vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone" scent. The "bonfire smoke" note keeps it from being feminine, the vanilla keeps it from being too masculine. It's pretty much in the middle ground, but slightly masculine with the woody, smokey notes. I'd break it down to it being a mix of "whispers in the library" by Maison Martin M and "Arso" by Profumum Roma. Winter/fall fragrance. Casual to semi-formal. Day or night, but best for romantic/sexy/seduction settings. All ages, men or women. If you can get a hold of a decant, i recommend trying it. And you like soft vanilla and bonfire notes. It's blind buy safe imo. Personal score: 9.75/10. I own it. I'll buy a new bottle every time i use up the one I have. I Need this in my life.

If a cute girl compliments your selected scent, wear it more, if MULTIPLE cute girls compliment the scent, BUY THE BOTTLE. I bought the discovery set from IA, but this ones notes stuck with me the most, so I ordered 2 of the samples from this scent, best decision I ever made. It is so smoky, smells deeply of herbs and wood smoke, and clay is an actual note you can pick up with the dry down, an earth tone that will remind you of forests with ancients trees surpassing the height of giants, the vanilla is an after-thought, if present at all, this scent is so... different, but in the best way possible. Where a City on Fire disappointed, this one truly uplifted. Picture this; Your body is returned to the Earth, a smudging ceremony underway as you soon will become once more with the ground that you now lay in. Your flesh and bone will no longer exist, all that will remain is the forest. End scene. This scent is an expedition of enigma, yet straightforward. Wear this on hazy nights when you wish to be perceived as more than you are, or just while heading to a coffee shop in Seattle in the middle of March, don't forget to smoke a cigarette before you go in. 9.1/10.

This truly is something special. It's one of those rare fragrances that you come across that teeters between something familiar, yet has a unique (at least to me) presence that keeps you hooked and compulsively sniffing it. That being said, my husband is the one I'm sniffing...because upon first whiff I was inspired more by soft masculinity (no, those aren't incongruous adjectives) and it *felt* more like something for him; and as we were browsing together, he's wearing it currently. It's so beautifully oaky, softened with a gorgeous bourbon (maybe it isn't, but that's how it smells to me) vanilla. The resins smell very realistic, and I wouldn't be surprised to find that this contains a fair amount of natural materials, it certainly smells as if it does. It makes me think of winter evenings. Something about it smells like old homes, but not old dingy houses...no...it smells like wood cabins with a history of being lived in by content, loving people. It reminds me of a ski lodge I once stayed in. It transcends "cozy", it's more of a "deeply calming" fragrance. It's both grounding, and exciting.

Wow. Yes. IMMEDIATE love. Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee, MM By The Fireplace, and Elizabeth & James Nirvana Bourbon had a baby, and it's Memoirs of a Trespasser. Given the fact that these are my 3 favorite fragrances and that 2 of them have been discontinued, I am THRILLED to discover this. Each of the frags I mentioned is great but feels like it's missing something, and Memoirs has everything. It has that resinous incense quality. It has that true-to-life woods note (you know when you're hiking in the summer, in the late afternoon in a forest where it hasn't rained for several weeks, and the bark + leaf litter is warm and dry from the sun, and it's incredibly fragrant? This smells like that) and a very realistic bonfire note- like a few marshmallows were dropped on the fire and are fizzling away into caramel. There's vanilla. There's almost a hint of warming spices. Screw pumpkin spice; THIS is the platonic ideal of a fall scent. This is delicious. I'm intoxicated. It's the coziest thing imaginable.

Memoirs of a Trespasser by Imaginary Authors is one of those perfumes that you just have to try for yourself. I came across so many bad reviews about it, and honestly, I don’t agree with them at all. Yes, this scent is not for everyone, but I don’t think it is something people would actually hate. It is just misunderstood. The listed notes are Vanilla, Guaiac Wood, Oak, Myrrh, Benzoin, Clay, and Ambrette. I remember thinking clay and myrrh sounded like such a strange combo, but I was completely wrong. The vanilla ties everything together in a way that feels both smooth and deep. For me, vanilla is the star of the show. It stands out in the best way possible. As an Arab, this scent speaks to something deep in my roots. It reminds me of traditional elements from our culture and brings that warmth and spiritual vibe. At the same time, the creamy vanilla gives it a modern twist that makes it wearable and different. It is nostalgic, mysterious, and comforting all at once.

Have been reading about the house and wanted to try a few - esp. this one. Why? I liked the name. Also most reviews were good and the the notes seemed good. So, bought a sample and wore it for the first time today. My Oh My. Loved the initial woodsy/oaky/sweet fragrance that wafted through. First thoughts - An old old library with polished oak shelves. There's some vanilla scented candle somewhere in the back. The library also has a fireplace but it's not been used for a while - yet the slight scent of the fire lingers on the curtains. This is beautiful, sensual and in a way - comforting. Some previous reviews have compared it to MMM's By the Fireplace and I do get the resemblance, although I found that a bit too smoky for my liking. This, on the other hand is just perfect. Not too smoky and not overly sweet. JUST Perfect. I have been sniffing my arms all afternoon. Def. a full bottle worthy fragrance, IMO.

#1803 in my “Tour de Fragrance” Got this decant from scentsplit.com. There are certain notes that seem to improve any scent. Guaiac is one of them. “Palo Santo” sounds so much more elegant and attractive than “Guaiac”, which sounds like an acronym for some 1950’s computer system. It definitely improves any scent. Put it together with oak and myrrh and you almost peg the woodiness meter. It’s the smell of my dad’s carpenter shop. This is long lasting on the skin, arm's length projection for maybe an hour. Masculine. Good for business wear. Not a bargain at $115 for 50 ml, but its closest cousins in my experience are Ex Nihilo “Atlas Fever” which is double the price of this, and Blackbird’s “Targa” for which you’d pay $115 for 30ml. This is nice, but much as I like this, there are at least a half dozen Scents of Wood fragrances on my list to buy before this. Good Luck and Good Hunting!

One of the most addicting, interesting and beautyful fragrances I've ever tried. Good performance on my skin. Its unique, but very versatile in my opinion. I have no problem using it at work, casual or dressed up. It has a dry feeling, like cacao powder. In the opening, its sparkeling and you can smell multiple dimensions of accords. Vanilla is very prominent on a background of wood. The wood to me is a bit like a sauna. Sometimes I get a bit of a camp fire smell, but not in a harsh way. Its probably better described as incense. Absolutely amazing fragrance. Masterpiece. Edit: I like this more and more and more. My tester is empty. Im smelling inside of the empty bottle with abstinences. I need a full bottle of this. Fast! They who say "you can't buy happiness" have never tried memoir of trespasser.

Such a magical blend between gourmand and woodsy. I mean this is a good way, it just has this very sawdust and syrup feel to it. It stays on me for a good 6ish hours before I notice any fading. Just enough projection, nothing too overpowering. I think others are correct in saying this is related to, but not all that similar to Jazz Club. If the family relation is the caramel / oaky / vanilla / burbon profile, MoaT is like the younger more outgoing cousin, and Jazz Club is the older more sophisticated cousin. There is that myrrh kind of incense like undertone, but it's like a hum rather than the vocals of the other scents. I also get something of a cashmere warm fuzzy tinge, like taking a deep whiff of a thick sweater. All around great pick going into the colder months!

I did not expect to like this fragrance as much as I did. For the past while I have been looking to replace my bottle of Whispers in the Library which MM so rudely discontinued and while MOAT is not one-for-one like whispers it is in the same vein. Absolutely it has its own uniqueness to it with the resin and the smoke but I would say it’s as if By the Fireplace and Whispers had a bastard child but the best way possible. The opening is very resinous and smoky but the woods and vanilla can be smelt underneath which adds this beautiful nostalgic feel to it which I don’t know how to describe. Dry down is the vanilla and resin combined with the woods doing the heavy lifting. I will would say this isn’t blind buy safe (though I did blind buy it

Smells like a smoky, sweet sauna to me. A traditional wood-burning sauna, with lots of resins and woods. Vanilla and sweetness is in the background, but not the most noticeable part of the fragrance for me. It's definitely a sexier, darker fragrance, unisex but leans masculine to me. Killer longevity as well, I can detect hints many hours after first spray. I have a sample and am considering upgrading it to a full size... I think this combination of sexy woody vanilla could be found (not with the same complexity though) at a lower price. Abstractly, I can imagine stolen, smoldering glances being exchanged from across the steam room, the implication of an exhilarating exchange about to take place. Love it!

my first ever perfume I ever loved and kept going back to. I got a bunch of samplers and half of them were horrible, either smelled like old lady or squished bug but this one I keep coming back to. It's a mediumly sweet scent that dries down super nice. I will say it can be pretty strong at first and you can smell the myrhh right away which could probably be off-putting to some but it dries down to a nice, not overly sweet vanilla with a full body behind it so it doesn't just feel like another vanilla scent (as someone who has gone on to buy vanilla only scents). one of my true loves and not terribly expensive especially as a first foray into the sometimes extremely expensive hobby!!

This is truly a masterpiece of a fragrance and easily the best of the Imaginary Authors offerings. This one takes you on a languorous journey. The opening is a dry, resinous oak, as if you're walking the campus of Oxford or Eton, through old libraries and forgotten classrooms. The dry down introduces a smoky vanilla, like settling into a comfy armchair by a roaring fire, reading a first edition of a Dickens novel. The woods and the vanilla engage in a beautiful dance of advance and retreat throughout the life of this fragrance. This fragrance is mature, refined, sophisticated, stately. What I imagine the library in Wayne Manor must smell like.

I do not wear wood fragrances often, which puts this one on my 'maybe' list. Otherwise, it would be a must buy. It's a type of wood I like the most. Strong but not overpowering, leaning masculine but still wearable regardless of the gender and slightly sweet. I used to visit forests a lot as a child and this smell reminds me of piles of freshly cut wood, with resin still sipping out of it. It also has the same type of smokiness that you can smell from the distance when approaching a fireplace. Vanilla is much less noticeable than I expected but rounds out the overall experience.

What is this feeling I feel when I smell this fragrance? Part nostalgia, part excitement, it takes me to another world. It's not one I would wanna wear out, but one that I would want to buy to smell in my room late at night, and keep to myself. A masterpiece. And if you think this is remotely similar to by the fireplace (a fragrance I love too), I have to ask if you have a nose. The two fragrances literally share zero DNA, I want to make this very clear in case someone is thinking of buying/not buying this due to the "similarity" to by the fireplace based on votes.

On my skin this is a beautiful woody vanilla fragrance. It has a strong cinnamon incense at the beginning that fades nicely into the vanilla and wood notes. At work and moving this lasted less than 8 hours but I sprayed it after a shower before bed and it was 12+ hours. I would definitely say after about 6 hours this becomes a skin scent either way. I really want this in my collection for the fall and winter but will have to see what the longevity looks like in comparison to some of the other fragrances from IA.

I really do like this one! I definitely get the By The Fireplace 'reminds me of' vote (I was no way surprised it was top of the list) but it is not the same at all! It may share DNA, but this one is so much more polite and refined. BTFP is a nuclear strength masculine bomb, whereas this one is much more middle ground for a smoky, woody vanilla, and it is truly unisex - I could honestly wear this every cold winter evening and snuggle into its comfortable cosiness. This is genuinely a great fragrance! I love it! 😊

this is vanilla that has been on a journey 🤎 one of my ultimate favorites from imaginary authors. the clay comes in pretty heavy, and i love it. it's such a rich, beautiful fragrance. the vanilla is present without being overwhelmingly sweet. it's sophisticated and mysterious while still being delicious and cozy. it really draws you in. when i wear it, i want to keep smelling it all day. it's also perfectly unisex, which is something i think imaginary authors is really good at. it's very balanced.