Mosaic

This ranks as one of my all-time favorite IA fragrances, right up there with Cape Heartache and The Abandoned Mansion. For me, it does what it says on the tin, doing a bizarrely brilliant job of evoking the cool-but-not-too-cool sensation of an old stone bath house. Rather than being something that I'd only want to wear when I wish I could be at the spa, though, the effect is refreshing--as though I was at the baths this morning before going to work. In that way, it's something of a Roman counterpart to Memoirs of a Trespasser, which does a fantastic job of reminding me of a Finnish sauna. I end up wearing it *a lot.* And while "performance" is never my primary criterion, for a composition of this style, I find that it wears very well, certainly through a morning or an afternoon. Here's hoping IA never discontinues this, and maybe considers offering it as a permanent part of their offered-to-everyone collection!

I love a realistic green fragrance, and this really worked for me. I reach for Mosaic in the highest heat of summer and the deepest, darkest parts of winter, and each time it drops me into a scene where I'm standing under the eaves of an ancient stone house, watching tiny rivers of rainwater form on a flagstone path before flooding stone-lined pools. Greenery is all around- the leaves are fresh and young, there's damp moss underfoot, and under it all, there's the scent of rainwater washing old stones. It's so beautifully refreshing and very photorealistic. I'm going to treasure my 10mL vial and save it for when I need a hit of cool, watery green. One of my very favorite IA fragrances for sure! I'd say longevity is about 6-7 hours and projection is moderate for the first couple hours, then closer for the rest of the wear. Oh- I'd also recommend layering it with Tiziana Terrenzi's Cassiopea. Very, very summery!

this was the first fragrance i ever sought out on a mission to find a particular scent. i was looking for that rain on pavement or after the rain feel. i found Mosaic and tom ford's grey vetiver. Both fulfilled the brief, but I much prefer Mosaic due to it's delicacy, and the sense that the shape of the world the rain reflected off of was more mysterious. Grey vetiver smells like a rumbling city of sensory overload blurred by the thrum of rain. Mosaic is different, it's an ancient weathered stone structure carved by rivulets of trickling rain, thirsty roots mirroring their patterns. Noone is there, it remains hidden, untouched by the world, draped in a misty mountain jungle. 8.7/10

Mosaic is quite light-hearted and easy to wear. I could see this being a crowd-pleaser, due to its inoffensive nature. Kind of reminds me of White Pepper Mandarin by Note Fragrances (at least in the beginning when it is still harsh). However it tones down and becomes sweet and light. I really do like this one, even if it is not one of the best in IA, as it does not feel as deep or unique. It is just an easy fragrance that is very unisex and versatile in terms of where you can wear this (dressed up or down). Best suited for spring and summer. Do check it out, I think it will surprise you in a good way.

opening minute or so is a like harsh public restroom cleaning chemicals, but it settles down to a bitter petitgrain and oakmoss with fresh bergamot that really does evoke the fragrance of wet limestone. It's a unique fresh scent in that its simultaneously minerally and not quite as sweet as freshies tend to be. Good for outdoorsy situations in warmer climes. One of my faves from the house. 8.5/10.

This cologne would be a 10/10 if it had better performance, so I must give it a 9/10. It has some really amazing depth, and some notes I don't hear mentioned often are (but it definitely has): wet limestone, mineral, and some slight basil. The oakmoss + petitgrain notes combo is incredible. This is one of the most unique fragrances I have ever smelled. It is fantastic.

Mosaic - this is an extremely fresh and zesty affair! I was in LOVE after the first spray. This is the best I have experienced from Imaginary Authors so far. I only wish it lasted longer on my skin. After 2 hours, it was almost a distant memory with only the slightest of skin scent left.

I heard Narciso Rodriguez was supposed to smell like wet cement, but I thought it was more of a wet asphalt. This fragrance smells like wet cement, and not fresh wet cement, but cement that's been rained on for a while - not as dirty as NR.

Mosaic opens with a burst of citrus and almost grassy secondary component, along with a minor mineral element to it. Through its evolution, the bergamot and vetiver are most apparent. Its name is appropriate, as it has a lot of facets and doesn't necessarily fit in with other portraits. Where Cape Heartache is simpler (pine and vanilla tell most of the story), Mosaic fits less in any particular peg. I've already seen that others have reviewed it as a winter scent, furthering the notion that it goes in different directions on different skins. The scent is not as strong as the other two Imaginary Authors fragrances I've tried (Memoirs of a Trespasser and Cape Heartache), but perhaps it's a victim of it being somewhat of a warm weather fragrance being tested in the winter. Nonetheless, its longevity is inferior, as well, to these other entries---whereas I get 12+ hours with the other two, I've managed 6 hours with Mosaic, and after that a shower almost removed the scent entirely. This isn't a scent that I would consider buying but it might suit someone else better, someone who has a penchant for an off-the-beaten-path citrus-dominated fragrance. 7 out of 10

Got this during a 'Rare Book Collection' event from IA. It's interesting how well it portrays the scent of wet stone, which is what got me to try it in the first place and imo is the dominant note once you get past the initial citrus. It's not particularly strong or long lasting, but it's not weak or ephemeral either; it's just not the right choice if you really want to make your presence known. I probably would have liked this a lot more if they hadn't just released The Abandoned Mansion before I could get this, as they are VERY similar, both listing petitgrain, oakmoss, and cedar, plus a fruit note (bergamot in Mosaic and quince in TAM). Mosaic is a more summery/spring take, replacing the woodiest and 'old leather' notes with a wet limestone feeling, and I somewhat prefer The Abandoned Mansion. I don't like straight up comparing two scents, but they're so similar it's almost impossible not to if you've tried both. Layered together, they're better than the sum of their parts, making what I like to call 'The Jungle Lodge', where the old leather and the wet stone making a fresh moist soil-like scent

Opens with fresh citrus and a salty feel, but definitely NOT a typical ozonic/aquatic "fresh" fragrance. I find a lot of citrus fragrances are headache-inducing with how sharp and overly citrusy they are. This isn't that at all. It's clean without being too strong, citrusy without coming off too sharp, and strong enough to announce its presence without being disruptive. Like most of the fragrances from Imaginary Authors, this is a balanced unisex fragrance. Overall, a lovely fragrance and unique. I think it would make a good office scent. In an interview with the creator, Josh Meyer, he stated that he added bergamot and cedar to achieve the "salty feel" to Mosaic and then added "a lot of hedione" which is a type of fresh jasmine. ethyl linalyl acetate was added to give it the "floral-aquatic vibe". I don't see hedione listed in the note breakdown, but I just thought I'd add this to my review! I personally don't detect jasmine.

I just blind bought a bottle of this fragrance and it reminds me of a fragrance I already have in my collection only mine lasts longest. This perfume is just nice, sillage is non existent and it doesn’t last for more than half hour. It’s a shame coz this could have been very nice . It’s missing something tho, I can’t put my finger on it. I don’t know how good the vintage bottle was because I bought the new one that was just released, but I tell you honestly it’s not worth buying. Imho . I also got Telegrama and that one is soooo good. I love it 🥰

Wow! What a harsh petit grain opening. I soon recoiled. The alcohol dissipates and your left with a strong aquatic chypre that smells almost chemically. The bergamot, oak moss, aquatic whatever and wood notes now hold court. It would be the perfect fragrance for a hot sticky day. If it was any more aquatic then you would smell the chlorine! It's definitely a woody chypre but with a mighty kick of petit grain and bergamot. Very unisex. Moderate silage and longevity.

It certainly has a mineral water vibe going on. I don't find it to be a powerhouse like the bulk of the Imaginary Authors line are. It is a soft warm summer breeze. It is like fresh sheets hung outside to dry. Not my favorite of the summer scents from this house as I preferred both Soft Lawn and Into the Sea to this one. Still, a very solid fragrance. My Score: 7

I get bergamot and cedar wood. To me this is a very solid, enjoyable, but not terribly original masculine. I didn't get any of the aquatic or limestone notes possibly because I only tried it on paper. Great sillage and very long lasting. One spritz on a strip of paper had me sniffing happily for more than 24 hours.

Petitgrain and bergamot show their faces at the surface while beneath lies a salty floral accord. It is a nice bitter-sweet-salty combination that will remain like this and will become softer until is gone. 6.5/10

The water note is quite prominent at first, alongside the citrus notes, but the cedar dry-down is just wonderful.

Wet pavement, thunderstorm ions, and lemon drops. Joyous and inspiring. Unique. Great fragrance!

To be sure, Mosaic and Nio share no similarities. If anything, I see a likeness between Mosaic and Aventus. Both have a citrus tinged char that's not my cup of tea. Perhaps its the oakmoss. Mosaic is a fine scent if you are in the market for it. I am not. While there are no obvious smoky notes listed in the composition, Mosaic has a decidedly burnt factor. This was a blind buy for me based on reviews that had me anticipating something impossibly sparkling, bright and brilliant like a fine rosé tinged with lemon and triple sec in a garden with the faint scent of the greenery in the background. Instead, I'm getting more Johnnie Walker Black (maybe Blue). Nothing wrong with that, but it's not exactly my style. I'm going against the grain and would recommend this moreso for fall/winter as opposed to spring/summer. Call me crazy if you want.

I'll start by saying that I'm from Portland, Oregon, and that I'm quite proud to have Josh Meyer and his Imaginary Authors as fragrance representatives of our town. The line is unique, edgy, and decidedly indie. You sense an impending "Buuuuut..." and here it is: Mosaic, with all it has going for it - a bright, zippy citrus with some verdant green tones, dies on the vine for me, as it has an unpleasant wet paint smell that I just can't be down with. Perhaps this is the "artesian well-water" note listed in the note breakdown. I'm thinking it's more like the well water from those scenes in "Gasland", wherein the residents who live near fracking sites can light their tap water on fire. Cheers, but no thank you.

I was excited to try this after the review comparing it to Nio. Major disappointment, had to scrub it off it smelled so bad. The limestone and mineral water come off really bad to me.

I hate this. It's like evil ginger citrus sea water and it is my enemy.

Sour citrus, water, stone. Fades quickly.

Smells like a cleaned hallway.

A QUICK TRIP TO THE ALMAFI COAST Scratching my head here - the previous reviews mention 'grey', and 'sidewalk', and perfect for fall/winter.....?? Sorry, fellow sniffers, I don't agree. (And isn't that why we post reviews?) I smell a fresh, zesty citrus/fruit with a secondary aquatic note. It has some depth, which must be the wood and other notes. It seems rather unisex to me. It's not at all a sweet type of 'fruity'. It's the fresh type of 'fruity'. I think this is perfect for summer day at the beach, or an everyday wear-to-the-office scent. It doesn't project much, and I only get a few hours - but I rather enjoyed my quick trip to Almafi.

I missed this in IAs original releases but I kept asking them every year if they'd bring it back because I really wanted to try it based on the notes and the marketing copy. That never happened, but I was able to secure a bottle. This one really is probably the most unique that I have. Nothing smells like this to me, other than when I have visited hot springs or old roman baths. You can really smell that wet limestone vibe off this one. If you haven't tried this and want to, I will mention that I found this one aggressive. It smells clean but it can really be really sharp and it lasts for ages.

Interesting scent, but I'm not sure what it is about the aquatic notes in IA scents that make them so plasticy. It's not a pronounced aquatic but something rounded and sweet. So far I would describe it as PVC pool toy meets bubble gum. At times I get the impression of coconut water, also. Probably not one I'd wear, but pretty unique Update: started noticing a slightly metallic note to it, likely to do with the ginger. Vaguely similar to the use of ginger in L'eau Froide, a fragrance that reminds some of cold metal pipes or cold water in a metal sink, etc

My skin is so in love with Mosaic that I get precious wafts of this scent 15 plus hours later, and I only sprayed one spritz on each arm. It's so good for spring and summer with added out of this world longevity. Amazingly fresh. Definitely not your usual citrus, orange, lemon summer staple. It's in a different league of summer fragrance. My nose is not trained to discern much of notes in perfumery, except the obvious ones. Mosaic is not obvious. Nothing smells like it in my years in this crazy hobby. I am glad I got a bottle. . It's a keeper, forever.

shuskin hits the nail on the head with that review. This is a woody chyre, but it's also dominated by bitter petitgrain. The opening is HARSH. Drydown is fast, thankfully, and what's left is unisex leaning slightly masculine. This reminds me a little bit of a woodier version of a standard "cologne" scent. I'd put this in the "safe blind buy" category. It's inoffensive (after the drydown) and crowd-pleasing. Interestingly, the final drydown is a very pleasant "fresh" scent.

How anyone compares this to Nio by Xerjoff is beyond me. Not even similar. It's more like Voyage d'Hermes and has some Invasion Barbare to it. But it doesn't smell eXactly like those. It is very unique. And a good frag. but nothing mind blowing. What's impressive is the price point that this is offered for. OVERALL 7.5/10

This review is based on sample set I got from Imaginary Authors. I get petitgrain and bergamot. All in all, it's a nice refreshing scent, which I quite like. It has moderate projection and longevity on my skin.

This is back in stock for the month of May 2023 only according to the Imaginary Authors IG page.