Slow Explosions

An impressive work of art from the house of Imaginary Authors, I could confidently say I was blown away by this one. It seems everyone has a completely different description of the profile and what it smells like to them, and I'd say that's a testament to how unique and well-made this fragrance is. Deep, rich, magical, warm, and emotionally evocative, this is truly a stunner from start to finish. Upon smelling this, my mind immediately goes to watching fireworks at my neighbor's place as a kid, spending time with friends and family on the 4th of July. The way the deep yet refined leather accord is made is absolutely beautiful. It doesn't really smell all that much like real leather, which is a good thing in my opinion, but it's incredibly smooth and smelling of a biker jacket like many other leather accords. At the top of the fragrance is a warm, spiced fruitiness which is made of apple and something else that to my nose smells like cherry. To round it all out there is a subtle underlying note of something smokey and sulfur-like which really brings everything together and truly aligns with the imagery of fireworks. Never thought I would like that in a fragrance as much as I do with this. Performance is great, projects and last crazy well. Like many Imaginary Authors fragrances, I would say this is completely unisex and could be worn by both genders, but it's still niche enough that it would be a difficult wear for many. I want an introduction to wearing more unconventional fragrances, and I'm strongly considering choosing this and picking up a full bottle when fall comes around. I honestly think you could totally wear this on summer nights as well. Overall a fantastic and creative take on a leather fragrance. Beautiful work, definitely sample this one if you haven't as it's 100% worth experiencing.

Imaginary Authors Slow Explosions is a continuation of the story begun by An Air of Despair, a saffron bomb limited edition summer fragrance launched in 2015. Slow Explosions features the same signature note of saffron and adds another signature note, one I've longed to see used in this house, of rose. However, apart from the saffron and rose stars there are a handful of other supporting notes that stand out on their own and contribute to a rather unique mix. Specifically, apple comes out a lot on my skin, and the perfumer speaks to this specifically in an interview. I also get a little leather and benzoin. So the mix overall is unusual but pleasantly-blended, an unexpected treat coming mainly from the versatility of the saffron. Performance is good,not as much of a beast as Cape Heartache, Memoirs of a Trespasser, or A City on Fire but still good for an EDP. I recommend watching the YouTube video on Looking Feeling Smelling Great with the perfumer, Josh Meyer, for more insight. Not the very best of the house (my favorites are still Cape Heartache and Every Storm a Serenade) but this is perhaps his most unique and surely one I'll be buying a full bottle of at some point. 8 out of 10

What a journey! The opening is very distinct and I suspect very polarizing. Imagine if you will an incredibly realistic sun-warmed leather sitting right next to a ton of saffron, and a wooden barrel of half-fermented apples. It’s a cacophony of different smells that aren’t blended, one sniff and I get the leather. The next sniff, saffron. After that, more leather. It’s fascinating, but I really dig how much it seems to change with each moment. It settles down into something much more floral and rosy, the leather keeps it interesting. I reminds me somewhat of Rose Anonyme from Atelier, only a little bit less “blended” — which IMO is an improvement, since it helps tone down the potpourri dry-down vibes of the later. The push and pull between the different discordant notes add a lot of vibrance to the scent. It reminds me of late nights at country fairs, I think this would be a better evening fragrance than day fragrance. This is definitely a fragrance that I don’t think would work for everyone, it’s quirky and has a lot going on. It’s got a considerable amount of staying power and silage that could make it overwhelming if over-applied.

2ml sample. Very nice, in the running for the best composed from the house from what I've sampled so far. Sweet apple rose for the nose, touch of leather and some warmth from the benzoin that hints at vanilla. I have a few fragrances this reminds me of, the apple rose in promise from Frederic malle, in slow explosions the rose is more pronounced. Also reminded of the leather/oud rose combo in musk oud by Kilian. Musk oud lacks sweetness from the apple. But this is very similar to an original from Alexandria Fragrances , Pure Bliss. Pure bliss has a subtle oud and dries down with some incense, slow explosions is giving almost an oud vibe with the saffron and leather combo then dries down with a warm hint of vanilla. It's a combination of notes that can be found in many middle eastern fragrances, that being said slow explosions is blended so very nicely, the notes all work perfectly and balanced so well. Longevity is excellent, projection is excellent, if I didn't have a few fragrances with similar scent profiles I'd probably order a bottle of this right away. Although still going on my want list.

This is mainly apple pie with a Middle Eastern twist. The saffron and rose season the apple and the warm benzoin bakes them all together, sinking the saffron and rose deep into the warmed apple. The leather note reigns in the otherwise gourmand baked apple and provides a sense of maturity. The leather in this is spicy, dry, and unfinished. The dry quality in this is so sharp as to be effervescent. It’s a quality one might be familiar with in regards to a salt note although this is not salty. The effervescent quality in this is very unusual in it’s surroundings but also very appealing. It’s really lifts this fragrance. This is a rich, warm, and strong fragrance but it’s not so heavy as to be stifling. You can really move around in this. This is obviously a cold weather scent. I like it best around late Autumn until Christmas. The delicious baked apple aroma and the dry effervescence (evocative of champagne) are very festive. It’s the perfect option for a holiday get together if you want to get a little quirky.