O, Unknown!

We’re putting away the work boots and saying goodbye to the Texas grit of Untamable today. Now, we’re gliding into a very different, much quieter place—a realm of mystery and contemplation—with Imaginary Authors' O, Unknown. The story here is truly unique: a fictional exchange of letters where strangers trade a map to hidden treasure for a promise of a shared future. This inspiration immediately promises a deeply spiritual, smoky, and reserved aromatic experience. The fragrance needs to capture that specific feeling of holding an antique, hopeful secret—the warmth of ink on old paper, the steam from a cup of Earl Grey tea, and the boundless potential of the open road. The real test is whether this hushed and meditative scent can be a compelling fragrance you reach for, or if it remains purely an abstract mood piece. Let’s unroll this mysterious map and find out where it leads. *Note* As is usual for fragrances from this house, the note breakdown isn't exactly right. Here is the official note breakdown from Imaginary Authors: Black Tea, Lapsang Souchong Tincture, Orris Butter, Kyoto Moss, Musk Balsam, Sandalwood Opening: The opening is an immediate, beautiful impression of powdery, woody, and earthy notes. The primary accords I perceive are orris butter, sandalwood, black tea, and musk balsam, with the orris butter and sandalwood being the most prominent. The orris butter greets my nose first with an intensely powdery, lipstick-like accord, similar to what I've experienced in other heavy-hitting iris fragrances like Dior Homme Intense or Valentino Uomo Intense. Crucially, however, this version places more emphasis on the earthy, root-like accord that orris root is known for. Joining the orris butter in almost equal measure is the sandalwood, giving the opening a distinctively smooth and creamy woodiness. Next up are the black tea and musk balsam. The black tea manifests as a dry and slightly tannic accord, reminiscent of the aroma of dried tea leaves. It hearkens back to the black tea note I love in Louis Vuitton's Imagination, but much drier and more aromatic. Lastly, the musk balsam—a blend of tolu balsam and musk—imbues the background with a gentle, warm, and resinous musk tone. Dry Down: The dry down remains structurally similar, focusing on its powdery, woody, and balsamic character. The primary notes are still orris butter, sandalwood, musk balsam, and black tea, with the orris butter and sandalwood remaining the clear standout notes. The orris butter is still the focus with the same powdery, lipstick-y accord, and the sandalwood still follows closely behind with its soft and creamy woodiness. Not much has changed in this regard, save for it perhaps being slightly quieter. This is followed by the musk balsam and black tea, which have swapped spots in terms of intensity. The musk balsam now plays a more prominent supporting role, providing a bigger dose of its warm, balsamic accord that leans into an ambery composition with hints of musk. Lastly, the black tea has receded to the background to provide soft whispers of its aromatic tones. Performance: The initial projection within the first hour is strong, easily reaching out around six feet. Sillage matches that, leaving behind an easily noticeable scent trail. After about four hours, the performance hadn't changed at all. At around the 7-hour mark, the projection was still holding strong at about 4–6 feet, while the scent trail was lighter but still noticeable. The fragrance finally became a skin scent around the 10-hour mark, marking an admirable performance for a scent of this composition. When to Wear: O, Unknown functions beautifully as a fall/winter fragrance that could be worn during the daytime or evening. It is a versatile fragrance when it comes to use cases; it could be worn casually, for special occasions, or formally. The refined nature of the iris and woods also makes it a relatively safe and compelling pick for the office, provided you use a delicate touch with the atomizer. Blind Buy: If you love iris-heavy fragrances that follow the same core DNA as major designer players like Dior Homme Intense, Valentino Uomo Intense, Givenchy Gentleman Reserve Privee, or Prada L'Homme Intense, this is likely a safe blind buy for you. Final Verdict: O, Unknown is, without a doubt, one of the better and most sophisticated offerings I've experienced from Imaginary Authors. Where many of their other compositions lean towards aggressive realism, O, Unknown is surprisingly easy to wear and universally appealing. The core DNA is absolutely exquisite, dominated by the powdery, earthy orris butter and creamy sandalwood, making it strongly reminiscent of other heavy-hitting, luxury designer iris fragrances that I already adore. Its longevity is excellent, reaching around ten hours, and its versatility is unmatched in the Imaginary Authors line. This fragrance is a testament to quality and refinement. If I didn't already have several high-end iris staples in my personal collection, I would definitely be picking up a bottle of O, Unknown. For fans of iris, this is a must-try. Scent: 9/10 Longevity: 7/10 Sillage: 8/10 Versatility: High Mass Appeal: Average Gender: Unisex Value: Fair

I bought the full sample set, and this is the 6th i try: This is a very beautiful fragrance. The note description is pretty accurate. Orris, tea, Tulu balsam, Moss, Musk, and sandalwood, all sounds about right. But i also get a mild fruity or berry accord as well. It has a spectacular Orris/Iris (same thing) note, that it gives the fragrance a wonderfully sweet, powdery, and slightly cooling note. The Orris/Iris note is similar to the one in Dior, Homme Intense,but of course everything else is different The opening is as beautiful as the dry-down. There is little change over time, as it is pretty linear. The one and only weakness of the fragrance is sillage. The sillage is about 35cm or a foot of projection, but the sillage and projection stays consistent for the whole wear for me. Longevity is 5-7 hours, which is perfectly fine. Wear time: Casual and all the way up to weddings and other special ocations. Time: Fall, winter, and spring, and maybe a crisp summer evening. day or night. Who it's for: Anyone and everyone. Age and gender doesn't matter, imo. Personal score: 9.25/10. If this had more sillage, it would be a 9.75/10. I'm definitely getting a full bottle at some point in the no too distant future.

o, unknown! is like a teahouse and dusty museum blended together in a bottle. its a hidden gem for those who like iris or powder in my opinion, and is one of my favorites among powdery perfumes because imaginary authors managed to hit the "mysterious" scent mark. many other perfumes try and fail to match the vibe this one gives, that being old books, the scent of black tea coming from some unfamiliar room, and dust dancing in the air lit by a window's sunlight. it truly hurts my heart knowing this perfume was discontinued due to unpopularity, though its not hard to believe, seeing as the profile is definitely not for everyone. fortunately there is a bath and body works "dupe" of it, cozy seasons is very similar but lacks depth and the longevity of o, unknown! unfortunately. but hey, better than having this perfume's scent lost to time. if you want a powdery fragrance with some woodsy depth, give this fragrance a try!

So let me first say, I think this scent is one of the more evocative fragrances I've smelled. If you've spent time in certain parts of Asia, it might be reminiscent for you. To me it smells like the attic of a temple where a monk is drinking tea and writing with ink on handmade paper. A little smoky, a little musty, with very subtle sandalwood. I love it. Practically, it's a very powdery iris, which is not usually what I enjoy. I can notice *all* of the notes people have mentioned - Playdoh, lipstick, the inside of a Halloween mask... When I read those descriptors while wearing this scent, I can understand each of them. None of those are my jam, but I still really enjoy this, and I think it's just because it does have this je ne sais quoi that takes me to very specific memories. Will be getting a full bottle before they take it off the website.

this scent is definitely not for everyone but I really love this! It’s simple and non complex but I think it works for what it conveys. This opens very powdery and earthy. You get the black tea but this is unsweetened and natural, like straight from a tea bag before it’s been brewed. The orris here is very earthy too almost like a dirt scent? but I like it and I think it works here. There’s a paper like accord here that feels like the pages of a book, it’s musky and woody and comforting. This feels like you’re sitting down to read a book on a rainy spring afternoon while sipping a cup of lapsang tea no sugar. I think a lot of ppl enjoy sweeter tea fragrances and this is not that. This is tea at its bare bones with an earthy oakmoss and powdery soft sandalwood. This is perfectly unisex with a moderate sillage and longevity of about 5-6 hrs.

This is the first fragrance to make me cry? Wow. As backstory I lived in Kyoto for a year as an exchange student, and this smells exactly like the Buddhist temple grounds I’d walk past to get to class. The rain on the moss, the drifting smell of sandalwood incense, the scent of centuries-old wood buildings... gah. This has brought me closer to that specific period of my life than any other frag MADE to evoke that vibe (and believe me I’ve looked lmao). After a couple hours it turns into a more straightforward powdery orris but there’s still a certain je ne sais quoi to it. That being said I do not smell a single iota of black tea. I can kind of smell where it /would/ go and I think it would add a lot of depth to the fragrance but I don’t think it falls apart without it?

This fragrance is such a vibe🕺 I love how it smells like orris butter with some astringency with the tea notes. It truly feels like a mystery perfume🔮, and somehow the combination with the moss notes, it smells sweetly/butterscotch gourmand🤯! I can see this as a beautifully indie bohemian fragrance that can definitely be pulled off as a signature scent. This is how you would smell if you were one of the sisters from "Charmed". It has this cryptic but natural essence which I feel is the definition of indie. One of a kind perfume, longevity is great but it has an okay sillage. However, I think this is going to be my next purchase from this line. Zodiac Trio ⬆Capricorn☀Leo🌜Scorpio

I was drawn in from the packaging alone, and it did not disappoint! I think it's unisex, but with a feminine lean. A little powdery, a waxy buttery floral, however I find myself not quite catching the tea scent. I also wish it lasted longer! Definitely a fleeting scent like many say. I will also say, the "unknown" was a bit dispelled when I finally placed what it can be most compared to, to me at least, and that was: lipstick. It's actually uncanny now that I'm sniffing the nozzle of my tiny sample again. But in a good way! I really did enjoy this so much that I might indulge in a travel-size, no full bottle unless they change the formulation to make it last longer.

favorite scent from IA. It reads so comforting and mysterious at the same time. Some folks have cited it selling too waxy or papery. On me I get that for the first 20 seconds or so but it fades out really fast and isn't overpowering; it's quite comforting to me. For someone more quiet and introverted, this is a perfect year round staple scent. I've sprayed this perfume on in the morning and can still get whiffs of it late into the night. It is very orris forward but I love the smell of iris and other florals. The supporting notes of sandalwood, moss, and musk gives an incense burning vibe. Super cozy, deliciously mysterious, and perfectly unisex! love, love, love

This is a beautiful orris heavy scent. For me, the tea isn’t a note of its own, but seems to soften the orris so it isn’t as sweet as I’ve experienced in other orris dominant perfumes. It’s what I imagine sitting in a warm sunroom with a cup of orris tea to smell like. Gives me a similar feeling to Oh La La from Teo Cabanel, but they aren’t similar so much as they both have a powdery, almost dustiness (in a good way) smell to me. Sadly, it’s discontinued after I got my sample. May have to sample some of the “reminds me of” to see if one of them contains the same gentle nostalgia vibes.

I actually think this is the best from the house. It smells like dry parchment paper and a dark green foggy forest in Japan (mostly the vibe). The tea is so dry and almost buttery, and the powder is none of that disgusting sweet baby powdery that’s in so may perfumes, it’s a chalky, dry, smooth, and slightly bitter powder. This smells exactly like the fuzzy walls inside my local YMCA. It’s such a nostalgic scent while also being pretty timeless. 9.6/10, I’m sad they discontinued this, but I don’t reach for it too much, so I doubt I’ll get through my bottle anytime soon.

imaginary authors definitely has some stunners, and this is one of my favorites. it's straight powdery goodness, and the orris comes in super strong for me. i totally get the comparisons to old powdery makeup, and it might not be for everyone, but i absolutely love it here. i think the other notes (especially the tea) add this lovely base of mysteriousness that blends together super well. it's the kind of fragrance you keep on coming back to figure out what exactly you're smelling. i think o, unknown! is the perfect name for it 💜💜💜

I'm at a loss to describe this scent, it's truly unlike anything I've ever smelled. I love it. It awakens some distant scent memory, I just can't quite figure out what it is. Black tea and orris butter are some of my favorite notes in perfume, but what blows me away in this must be the Kyoto moss, because as said above, I've never come across a similar scent profile before. Maybe smells like wet paper, but in a good way? Warm moss? Dry down becomes a more spicy sandalwood, but still mostly mossy. Love love love

I'm getting a lot of old book smell in this- which I'm in to. It feels like a cozy rainy day, spent indoors with a novel and a cup of tea nearby. It's a very subtle smell though, I can't really detect it unless my nose is inches away from where I sprayed it. I like it, don't get me wrong, but if I can barely get a whiff of it, and it fades away so fast, is it even worth it? On second thought, I am at least glad to have experienced this, I *do* enjoy it but I think i'd like this better as a candle.

Another IA fragrance that clearly does completely different things for different people. This is the most tea-like tea scent I've found, with a clear, strong, quite natural-smelling orris. Your Japanese grandmother has just come from burning incense at the temple and is now sitting outside in the iris garden, sipping a cup of English breakfast and reading an old book. I despise powdery notes in florals or make-up scents, but this is tranquil in a remarkably natural way. I enjoy it very much.

THIS rating is an example of how people wouldn`t recognize great stuff if it hits them in the face. 1st time I smell a perfume that has a black tea note and I don`t want to tell the maker to google what Tea means. This is freshly brewed strong black tea poured into a cup just next to your nose. Very photorealistic. Next to a plate with freshly cut orris root slices. Just that. Outstanding. Earthy, simple, gourmand, with a light resinous entrance. 10/10

So sad this has been discontinued as it is one of my favorites from the brand. It smells like walking through a pear grove when everything is still covered in fresh dew. Its a summer morning and you'll never be able to go back. It makes me feel like I'm forgetting someone I used to love. The paper scents other reviews discussed were not very prominent for me. I got more of a fruity tea scent. Not cloying or syrupy but like peeling fruit on a picnic.

O’unknown is such an interesting scent. It is a dry powdery scent with the slightest sweetness that keeps it very palatable. I love the iris/orris mixed with the sandalwood. It is a perfect transitional fragrance for those days when the weather is both cold in the morning and hot in the afternoon. It isn’t for everyone, like most IA fragrances, but it is beautiful, and you won’t smell like anyone else in the office.

It smells like an old attic on a summer day, with carton boxes around, a little iris powder from the old cosmetic bag, some dried herbs in a corner, and old magazines on a small table. it is not a perfume, it is an experience of visiting. Not an everyday scent, but mysterious, and dark for some relevant occasion. POV best of the house: Falling into the sea, Every storm a serenade, O,unknown.

i love this one, its waxy and powdery, a little floral. smells like lipstick in the best way. like a memory, playing with your moms makeup as a kid and feeling more grown up. the soft brush against your cheek, looking in the mirror at a face you dont recognize but you know is your own. the dry down loses the waxiness and smells like just soft, clean, musky. i dont really get the tea at all.

Strange this is so disliked but I absolutely ADORE it. It's soft and powdery but also incredibly creamy. I don't get the play-doh vibe at all. Projection and longevity are also great on me, a solid favourite 💜 Edit. I bought a full bottle of this and I love it more every time I wear it. The perfect purple, powdery floral I've been looking for.

On my boyfriend the opening smelled like creaming soda. On me I get tea tea tea tea tea. Very realistic. Need to see how it dries down but damn that's beautiful, I don't own anything else like this. EDIT: After a few wears it definitely has a Berry-flavoured tea kind of vibe. The dry down is where I get most of the Orris.

Well blended. It's powdery and dries down to smell like an iced tea on the porch in the summer. This is an easy reach for me and I've almost finished the bottle. It isn't the most bombastic or loud fragrance from IA. IO, Unknown is a great personal scent. Good for plane rides, long DMV lines, and doctor visits.

i physically go "mmhmmmm" when i spray this on my skin, it's like i can taste it on the roof of my mouth. reminds me of carmex and a loose leaf tea, very comforting and creamy without being lacteal. i would *adore* this on a lover and will probably only wear this at night/to bed, due to it's intimate nature.

At first it smells sweet, id say it reminds me of a warm toast with whatever purple fruit jam, later on the sweetness fades and it turns into a more powdery clay-like scent. Me likes, very unique :3...bad thing is it doesnt last much, at least on my skin :(

This is such an evocative and haunting scent... Conjours up drinking tea on a cold day in a mountainous asian temple, for me! (Not that I've had the good fortune to do that : )) The orris and tea notes blend beautifully- it's very silky and easy wearing.

Maybe I have unconventional taste but I personally prefer this scent over the more popular IA scents. It smells sweet but not in an overbearing way. I definitely get the black tea in this. Sillage is more intimate than I would like.

LOVE, this perfume is a straight up delicious tea scent, I don't really understand the playdough/lipstick comparisons honestly what stands out the most is the Lapsang souchong/black tea for me.

God I am so sad this is discontinued. I am savoring my bottle. Combines my 3 favorite scents (tea,powder,green) into something so mysterious, nostalgic and weird.

A scent very much reminiscent of old, dusty books and library shelves. Mysterious and melancholy. I personally love it, shame it's getting discontinued.

fascinating and accurate depiction of tea. starchy and light gray. bitter and pleasant. not fuzzy but kind of vibrating like the texture of velcro

Beautiful dry orris with a buttery undertone, slight smokiness and nostalgic scent. This is one of my favorite in my collection of 100+

i really like this one. its very powdery and green with the tea notes, ts might be my tea scent for next spring

It's the closest I'll get to smell like new manga in Barnes & Noble in the 2000s.

Devastated this has been discontinued - my go-to comfort scent for years now.

Orris tea? I'm here for it! One of my favorite iris fragrances.

The latest release from Imaginary Authors is difficult for me to taxonomize. O, Unknown! certainly lives up to its name. It's mysterious, and generally speaking, unlike most perfume that I've smelled. Its principal notes are tea, orris, and mixed woods of balsam and sandalwood, along with a mystery note that I'm clearly not in tune with. I don't know much about different types of teas, but the tea in this fragrance is well-blended with the orris, not standing out much on its own but at the same time subduing the orris enough so that the fragrance doesn't come off too powdery. The woody undertones certainly create a smoother dry down than the more tea-heavy opening, at least it comes off to my nose. There's a chalky, play doh-like sense in which the fragrance feels like a familiar material, not really synthetic but not too natural, at the same time. I wouldn't expect to like this much from the note breakdown as tea and orris don't thrill me generally, but I surprisingly quite like it. It's one of the most daring Imaginary Authors scents that Josh has ever released, in my opinion, perhaps only second to Bull's Blood in terms of audacity, though obviously Bull's Blood creates more of a literal and figurative stink to it, whereas O, Unknown! is almost inarguably smoother and easier to wear. I find it fascinating that two people already find this similar to Cape Heartache, as I don't really get that similarity, given the absence of strawberry and pine, what stand out most prominently for me in Cape Heartache. This is a nice new entry from the house I always look forward to seeing the next iteration from, and O, Unknown doesn't disappoint. 7 out of 10

This fragrance opens with a powdery slightly dusty hit of orris. For the first couple of minutes it really does smell like you have discovered an old bag of makeup tucked away in an attic. Some people compare it to cardboard but it is not really more cardboardy than other iris or orris fragrances at least to my nose. As it dries down the tea begins to come through while the orris softens. The best way I can describe the tea is loose Earl Grey tea leaves. It is dry and aromatic giving the fragrance a warm and comforting feel. In the base a touch of green moss adds an earthy quality that grounds the scent. The combination of tea orris and moss gives it depth and character. It reminds me of Dior Homme Intense in an indie niche version. It is not as polished or elegant but it feels more layered and textured. The main drawback is performance. I get about two to three hours before it becomes a skin scent. However I will say that this is not a fragrance meant to project or draw attention. It is soft quiet and comforting making it perfect for a library a quiet coffee shop or an afternoon spent wandering an art museum. Overall I really enjoy this fragrance. It captures a reflective intimate mood and does exactly what it sets out to do. It is worth exploring if you enjoy orris-based fragrances that are soft nuanced and a little off the beaten path.

i really wanted to love this one, with the lapsang souchong & black tea notes, but it's a lot less smoky/earthy than i expected and far too sweet for my tastes. it's not a bad smell, but it went on like a very strong fig newton to me (sticky sweet dried fruit with a kind of whole wheat tone underneath). definitely very papery and powdery, other reviewers are spot on when comparing it to vintage makeup. it reminds me a lot of the ancient compact cases my mom used to keep around for dress up. even after it dried down into a subtle, close-to-the-skin sweetness, i didn't get any of the smoked tea, oakmoss, musk, or any of the other darker earthier notes. very one-dimensional, and it's not bad for what it is, but definitely didn't compel me or keep me guessing like i expected given the name & description. update: this one's still a kinda one-note fig newton, but it is growing on me! i find myself reaching for it when i want something comforting, smooth, and inoffensive. it's a very relaxing scent. i still wish i got any of the lapsang souchong it advertises, but it's rather pleasant and wearable.

O, Unknown! is yet another beautiful release from Imaginary Authors. It opens up quite piney to my nose (reminiscent of Cape Heartache pine resin) with a heavy dose of bittersweetness (which reminds me of play-doh, in a good way though) and possibly the slightest hint of saffron. After an hour or so the bittnerness settles down and I am reminded of Memoirs of a Trespasser, there is some vanillic sweetness going on (it does make sense, since the 'author' is Philip Sava) with loads of woods. Great fragrance for the autumn and winter and a great finale to the trilogy of Philip Sava's works. Will have to get a full bottle some time in the future. EDIT: After trying it a bit more, I started to see more facets to it. The sweetness (and some powderyness) stems from the orris butter (which makes it quite feminine), the dark and dry note in this is the black tea, I guess the play-doh feel comes from the tolu balsam, very unusual. In the end, Josh Meyer creates such great unusual, yet very wearable scents. Do try it out, definitely a solid release.

Hmm––my feelings toward O, Unknown are overall neutral, but it did grow on me throughout the day, enough so that I see myself using the rest of the sample I have. It's a powdery iris that definitely evokes laundry/dryer sheets (I couldn't pick out any tea note), but there's an unexpected and borderline unpleasant musty, dirty note present. Definitely think I prefer something prettier and cleaner, like PDM's Athalia, if I'm looking for an iris/powder/musk profile, but O, Unknown is still interesting: mysterious and oddly soothing if imperfect Update: On the second time I'm wearing this (admittedly a couple of months after my first try), I'm really picking up on a lovely almost savory black tea note that's pulling me in in a big way. Because the weather's warmer, maybe? Changing my rating up a notch, I'm really intrigued by this one on second go and surprised to be enjoying it quite a bit. Although! After maybe four hours, the scent of bandaids/hospital is so strong and very bizarre and unexpected

First impressions: My immediate thought was ‘Face cream— smells like face cream’ (maybe that’s the orris) (?) and then ‘Where’s the tea?’...The tea note is there, and funnily it’s actually strong if I search for it, but what I believe is the orris definitely outshines it. I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint tea if I smelled this without knowing it was supposed to be there. This is both powdery and buttery, and as I sit with it it’s reminding me of the smells of construction paper, glue, and colored pencil shavings. In a cool way. The sandalwood makes sense as a base note and blends well with the orris. Smells like how they used to fragrance cosmetics. Lipstick smell, face cream smell. But that sandalwood and a little tea are hiding in the background. I don’t know if this is for me, but it was cool to try a sample. Update: You know...the more this sits on me, the more those base notes come through and the more interesting it smells. It’s definitely odd, but it’s pretty cool.

There’s something uniquely nostalgic about O, Unknown. From the first spray, I’m instantly transported to a quiet bookstore on a crisp fall morning—new pages lining the shelves, the faint hum of imagination in the air. It smells like fresh books still warm from the press, and it strangely brings me back to those childhood moments at a Scholastic book fair—where possibility lived in glossy covers and sticker packs. It’s light, airy, and comforting, like a soft scarf on a cold day. Not your typical “winter scent,” but absolutely ideal for fall or winter when you want something that wraps around you without weighing you down. There’s a subtle powdery-paper note—clean but not sterile—with just enough sweetness and warmth to make it inviting. A contemplative scent. A quiet escape. Perfect for anyone who romanticizes libraries, bookstores, or simpler times.

Interesting! This reminds me of a slightly less refined version of Un Air d'Apogee by Maison Violet, which is weird because they do not appear to have any notes in common. O, Unknown! is mostly woody and powdery. I'm not really getting the tea element. There is also an astringent quality to it, which I can't quite identify but that's why it reminds me of Un Air d'Apogee. Both give me a sense of nostalgia associated with my childhood doctor's office. The wood notes in both smell exactly like a freshly opened tongue depressor. I actually like this despite how weird I am making it sound, but it doesn't last very long. However, I like Un Air d'Apogee better and I suggest checking that one out if you like this. I think this is worth getting a travel size of, but I wouldn't want to get a full bottle of it due to how quickly it disappears.

From a 2ml sample from the storybook collection. This is a nice scent unfortunately it doesn't project well, intimate/close to the skin. This reminds me of moon dust from min new York, slightly smokey, resinous, but with a tea note that's ever so subtle. Unknown is warm amber, smokey tea, buttery iris. Dry down sort of reminds me of interlude black iris man, I think it's the orris with the resinous tolu basalm and sandalwood. Overall i like the scent but performance/projection is weak. I'd buy a bottle if it projected even half as well as interlude man. The story of this one I think pairs well with the scent. The more I'm smelling unknown right now and comparing it to moon dust, it's very similar. I think if you like unknown, try moon dust from min new York, similar, more complex better performance.

On the initial spray, something lightly spicy and waxy. I don't know exactly what it reminds me of but it's close to lipstick. Then it dries down to a beautiful photorealistic aged black tea. It smells like being in a boutique tea shop and diving nose-first into an expensive packet of tea to sample it. Although maybe the tea is wrapped in some sort of wax paper instead of a metal tin - definitely no metallic notes here which is something I always get when I'm nose-sampling tea. This fragrance is definitely not brewed, it's dark jammy tea leaves, with a hint of sweetness. Very mysterious, smooth, and comforting. I could see this being an introverted book lover's signature scent, but it's not my kind of scent personally.

Im not sure what this is supposed to smell like and I can’t quite place it. Salty play-doh? Not quite. It’s a really specific scent I’m remembering and it is going to drive me nuts trying to figure out what it is. I get the powdery note but note quite what I expect when I think powdery. It is neither a good or bad smell. Crayons? No. The thing is this scent isnt unknown just forgotten. Ah my mother’s stage make-up - that’s it exactly. Facial powders and waxy lipsticks. Colors to paint your face. She had all that stuff in a fishing tackle box (before caboodles) My mom died this year so if they still have it I might pick it up since this makes me think of her when she was still well.

This perfume is no safe blind buy. On my skin O, Unknown! began with a classic waxy-irisy-Mac lipstick smell with orris. It quickly melted into a warm tea scent that I wanted to take a nap in. I had no expectations with this scent because I personally have only maybe two tea scents in my collection, and I didn't know what to expect from it. I will say that the dry down is lovely even though the initial lipstick smell was a little peculiar, and I was prepared to pack my sample away forever, but the scent turned into something I found very beautiful and odd. I would most definitely try this before buying it though because I am sure this may not be for everyone.

A unique in-between of IA Telegrama & Estée Lauder’s spa like offerings such as: Tenderlight, sensual Stars, or Radiant Mirage. Now I’m sure you’re immediate response is to compare these notes and eagerly discredit my nose but I assure you, the EL cranberry water dna is there after this one settles as well as a whisper of telegrama pushes back. I smell the proposed notes and would deem this squarely unisex leaning towards your current disposition. For me this feels like I’m actively detaching from the back of an escort vehicle insolated from outside bumps & noises. Just steeping in this pamper & silence while the world moves around like a stream under ice.

I loved the heart and the drydown on this (super balanced mixture of creamy milky flowery orris with the tea's greenish woody facet, plus a comforting musk), but it became a 4/5 to me instead of a 5/5 because I swear to god it smells like tofu and powder on the first 30 minutes :'(. Its probably my skin chemistry, i've read another person saying they felt some sourness when applied on the skin too... Will absolutely wear it again, tho, just spray a bit earlier before leaving the house. Projection is quite ok (from one arm at the opening to 20cm about 8 hours later) and longevity is great. Reminds me a lot of Penhaligon's Omniscient Mr Thompson.