Sundrunk

We are leaving the cold, stormy fjords of Every Storm a Serenade, and today we are shifting dramatically into the dazzling, sun-drenched heat of summer with Imaginary Authors’ Sundrunk. This fragrance is inspired by a fictional novel detailing a lost summer spent on the beaches of the Mediterranean, immediately signaling a transition to a bright, citrusy, and solar floral experience. This scent promises to capture the feeling of sun-warmed skin, a neon orange glow, and sweet, iced cocktails. The central question for this review is whether this combination can deliver a truly refreshing, euphoric summer scent that avoids common pitfalls like being too sticky or too synthetic, or if it simply fades under the midday sun. Let's chase the summer light and find out. Opening: The opening is citrusy, floral, and green. The primary notes I perceive are orange, rhubarb, neroli, and honeysuckle, with the orange and rhubarb being the most prominent. The fragrance starts with a heavy blast of photo-realistic orange, described as orange zest by the house, that is bright, invigorating, and properly zesty as its name suggests. There's a slight bitterness behind it, exactly like what orange zest would smell like. Coming in behind the orange is the rhubarb, imparting a sharp tartness accompanied by a bit of greenery. Next up are the neroli and honeysuckle. As both are white floral notes, they provide a similar soft, floral accord, but I can distinguish the two: the neroli carries a gentle, airy, and clean tone, while the honeysuckle is distinctly lush, sweet, and dense. Both together help to create the radiant, sun-drenched solar accord required for the narrative. I also pick up on the "orange soda" accord that others have mentioned, and the strong orange note even reminds me a bit of Louis Vuitton's Afternoon Swim. Dry Down: The dry down remains citrusy, floral, and green. The primary notes I detect are still orange, rhubarb, neroli, and honeysuckle, and the strongest notes are still the orange and rhubarb. The dry down is strikingly similar to the opening, making it quite linear. It is worth mentioning that the neroli and honeysuckle are a bit more noticeable in this stage, bolstering that namesake solar accord. However, it remains an orange-dominant fragrance throughout its development. Performance: The initial projection within the first hour was surprisingly strong for such a fresh scent and reached out at least six feet. Likewise, the sillage was surprisingly powerful with a sparkling scent trail that was impossible to miss. After about 3–4 hours, the projection was still about 5–6 feet, while the scent trail was a bit lighter but still easily noticeable. At around the 7-hour mark, the projection had died down to within arm's length, and the scent trail was only faintly noticeable. The fragrance became a skin scent shortly afterwards. When to Wear: Sundrunk, as its name suggests, is a spring/summer fragrance crafted specifically for daytime wear. It's bright, playful, and easy-going, making it a perfect choice for anything casual. However, for those same reasons, I would not wear it for any special/formal occasions or to the office. Blind Buy: If you like hyper-realistic orange notes, this is a safe blind buy for you. Few fragrances come close to this level of orange-y realism, so if that's what you're after, look no further. Also, if you're a fan of Afternoon Swim, this might be worth looking into. Final Verdict: Sundrunk is a fantastic, uplifting fragrance that thoroughly impressed me a lot more than I thought it would. The brilliant blend of bright, zesty orange, sharp rhubarb, and the luminous, warm solar glow of neroli and honeysuckle makes for an exquisitely pleasant, perfectly unisex wearing experience. Being that I usually go for dark and heavy fragrances, it’s not often that I come across a fresh scent that leaves an impression like Sundrunk did. While the performance is good—with excellent initial projection before settling down around the 7-hour mark—the overall scent profile, perfectly evocative of a Mediterranean summer, is what ultimately won me over. I will definitely be adding Sundrunk to my personal collection for use in the warmer months. Scent: 10/10 Longevity: 7/10 Sillage: 8/10 Versatility: Low Mass Appeal: High Gender: Unisex Value: Fair

I chose Sundrunk today because the end of February is quite literally the most depressing time of the year for me personally. Up in the PNW of the USA, it's been predominately overcast since October, and I suppose I was drawn to the name and packaging here...as surface as that may be. I'm so glad, because I freaking love this. And I'm so impressed, this really lives up to it's title. I'm realizing that I really love hibiscus as a note, and as a beverage to drink. It has a really uniquely sweet, floral profile and evades description, but if you know it, you know. Well, I disagree with the note votes here because I actually smell quite a lot of it and would rank it as one of the leading components. To me, it's the heart of this fragrance. But neroli is here too! The tartness of the rhubarb along with the florals does something to my brain, leading me to perceive the "orange" as "grapefruit", because it's a little more bitter than orange typically is. At any rate, this keeps very far away from being a cloying orange (which I actually hate), and it's a rind-y, tart and REAL citrus fragrance. I tried Falling Into the Sea as well, which is lovely, but I prefer this. This has so much body and character, and it lasts a very long time, even on skin. The neroli is just...exquisite. I've always considered neroli a masculine floral (who cares, wear what you like). And so with it drying down the way it does, I think it's extremely unisex if not veering toward male territory. So if you are a guy who doesn't necessarily want to smell flowery, I still would give this a shot. This really gives me true impressions of the beach. Not cleaned up, generic screensaver background looking beaches either...but legitimately rugged, realistic and stunning Hawaiian beaches, possibly on the backsides of islands away from tourists. It's a little planty, and again, the orange is quite a peel/rind smell. Freaking fantastic. 🌺🏝

Summer in a bottle and my go-to when it’s stupid hot outside. IA Sundrunk opens with a cloud of juicy, realistic orange. The comparisons to orange pop (or soda, depending on where you’re from) or orange slushees are accurate - it’s exactly what you’d imagine if someone told you “this fragrance opens up with a lot of orange.” It’s also a very happy, casual, and carefree opening - a definite mood lifter. Depending on the number of sprays, whether or not you hit clothing, and outside temps, these characteristics last anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes. After that, the mid and dry down move very close to the skin. For me, this is perfectly acceptable because Sundrunk is for you and your outlook. Think of it this way - the people around you will experience Sundrunk through the happy mood it can put you in, rather than through sharing the scent with everyone around you. Will Sundrunk get you a compliment? Probably, though most likely because of the chill attitude required to wear it. And for that, I think it’s perfectly fine that this fragrance is not a beastly performer. I recommend going heavy on the trigger (as in 8-12 sprays) and the Sundrunk experience should last you the better part of 5 hours. Reapply as you wish. Perfect for: 1. Summer mornings. 2. Casual outdoor get-togethers. And here is usually where my reviews stop. However, I have to say that the hate this fragrance gets (see below) is a bit on the extreme side and I don’t quite understand where it’s coming from. Sundrunk is a fun, happy, orange-forward summertime toss-on fragrance. IA fragrances are well-priced and, from my experience (having sniffed most of their catalog), they aren’t trying to pose as an over-the-top luxury brand. So, to the haters below: relax. It sounds like you could use a vacation. Or, perhaps, a shift of perspective. Life’s too short.

Im not sure why Sundrunk has such a low rating. Fragrance is entirely subjective and I am a big fan of orange and white florals, so take my review with a pinch of salt. Immediately after spraying you get hit with a nose piercing, carbonated orange scent. It smells like carbonated orange juice to my nose. I don't get many florals until about an hour in, where I detect a bit of neroli and a watery, sweet floral. Im not sure if its the honeysuckle or the rosewater accord, but it smells phenomenal. It stays pretty linear though, which I actually like in a scent profile like this. I get about 6 hours of performance, which in my opinion is great for a citrus dominant fragrance. Projection is okay from what I've gathered so far, nothing special in that department. I dont think it should massively project, this is one of those scents you toss on appease your mind. Overall, I'd give this a solid 8.5/10. I wish I didn't go noseblind so easily to sharp citrus, otherwise it would be a 9 for me. If youre looking to get into the brand, this is a great place to start!

This smells like my father. He passed in 2020, so this brings on a priceless nostalgia for me. I will be purchasing a FB. I will elaborate a bit. It's like a man who freshly showered with Irish spring, but then cracked a beer and went outside to work on his car... Clean but slightly sweaty? Not BO sweaty just someone who's been out in the sun. I smell it and I can see summertime green all around me. Lush leaves on trees and cool grass on my feet. And just seeing my dad working in the garage and I'm running up to him and hugging him. This is that smell. There is something almost like a barley hoppy bitter beer type note that I get? It could be how the rhubarb mixes with the florals. I looked up the fragrance notes of Irish spring and saw that there are orange and rose notes oddly enough, so I guess that connection makes sense.

I think Sundrunk will be my number one scent for the summer of 2019, and a staple for many summers to come. I'd been looking forward to testing it ever since it came out, because I find the note list, the name and the surrounding marketing irrestible, just perfectly up my alley. I was imagining a scent capturing an idealized throwback to the very best aspects of long gone summer vacations - and that's exactly what I got. It's a delicious combination of primarily orange, rhubarb, orange blossom, and a little rose or rose water; a little sharp and synthetic in a nice, comfortable way that makes it easy to imagine that orange pop on the beach when you're woozy from a day in the sun, as the marketing suggests. I used up my entire sample in a couple of days, which is rare for me. I'm ordering a full bottle as soon as I can.

"Effervescent", "fizzy", "sparkling". All of these are perfect words to describe the beauty of Sundrunk. It does indeed smell like orange soda, but in the most romantic way possible. Explosive orange; crisp rhubarb; a glowing rose that reveals itself only after repeated wearings; creamy white florals. This is a remarkable composition which I instantly fell in love with. Josh Meyer has captured sand, surf, sky, and sunlight in a bottle, imbued it with the haze of summer, poured orange soda over it till it's sticky, and mingled it with desire. The performance isn't very good (as others have noted, around 4-5 hours), but to me it hardly matters. Every time I wear Sundrunk, I instantly feel uplifted. One of my all time favorite summer fragrances, by far. 9/10

The initial impression is harsh and chemical. Iwas preparing to scrub it off, when the intense initial blast what smelled uncannily like bug spray when the abrasive edges faded down giving way to a a refreshing and unabashedly artificial citrus -- think tang or sunnyD. The white florals give the scent a slightly animalistic note that gives the blend the impression of fresh sweat. It is an uncanny, albeit idealized scent of eating a sherbet pop in the bright sun. It's upbeat, happy and unabashedly fizzy. I'm a big fan of honest citrus scents (I've been looking for a replacement for orange sanguine) and while this isn't a perfect substitution, I kinda love it.

Imaginary Authors are very well at creating novelty fragrances that conjure memories or stir the imagination. For me, Sundrunk reminds me of walks on the boardwalk with the beach and amusement park in the background. I don't really try and focus on the scent/note profile I just enjoy it for what it is. I get a kick out of smelling it and it really brings back fun youthful memories. However, I really don't wear it much. It's great for conjuring up fun memories but its not something I want to wear out in public. It is not offensive but it's not practical. Novelty = yes, practical = no. I've only ever worn it on warm/hot summer days.

I might just be in a great mood visiting my dear friend who lives on a tropical beach, but I brought my summeriest IA samples to test, and we love this: the tangerine is so bright and bubbly, but not sticky soda-sweet, sweet with hints of honeysuckle, and a hint of warm silky sunscreen, too, somehow––the hibiscus?? No idea, but it's magic; makes me happy just to be spraying it, reminds me of the SunnyD we used to drink at my grandparent's house in the summer––I'll be eager to try this again next week when I'm back in near-zero temps to see if it feels very different

Pretty phenomenal smelling. A big, fizzy, medicinal, citrus burst. Like a soda. Really loved this one but was very dissatisfied with the performance which I felt was fleeting and ephemeral. Didn't last longer than a few minutes on my skin. Kind of unfortunate. Ended up trying 'Karma' by Lush as another reviewer compared the two, and I think they share a similar 'fizzy' citrus quality but are ultimately a little different. Sundrunk feels like the juicy and fizzy parts of Karma were amped up by a thousand. Karma is slightly woodsy.

Sundrunk is totally a summery and shimmering fragrance that is nostalgic and strong . Fizz in this feel like a soda bottle vibe that is really pleasant. Neroli and honeysuckle pops out nearing the heart that is not headache-causing sweet but this is more of soapy, green vibes that make it so pleasant and loving. Dry down here in is salty, and, bittersweet reminding the ocean water feel. Special fragrance for me. Perfect for summer and much evocative. To me, it is like 8.5/10.

This is so nice! I’ve really been into citrus scents this summer and this is a fun one. The orange and neroli are evident, but the neroli isn’t bitter, like it can sometimes be, all of the sweet florals sweeten it up. However, it’s not overly sweet either. It’s not super fresh, it’s also not candy-like, it’s somewhere in the in between. Longevity and projection are okay, not terrible, not great. I really like this and will probably purchase one of their 14 ml.

Pure orange soda. Imagine drinking a fancy Italian orange soda that’s extra fizzy on a blistering hot day. It’s a wonderfully fizzy orange fragrance that’s not at all like anything in the recommended list. No other fragrance, as far as I can tell, even comes close to being this sparkling and carbonated. I used to work at a restaurant where I would have to change out the carbon dioxide cartridges and this even smells like carbon dioxide, I’m quite a fan.

I personally do not get the fizziness or tartness others describe. This isn't bright and punchy orange to me. To my nose, it's mellow orange blended perfectly with soft florals. Instead of a happy summer day, a breezy walk in the summer at sunset comes to mind. This is easily in my top two favorite Imaginary Authors fragrances. I also love that it lasts a really long time on me.

Imaginary Authors makes some crazy good citrus fragrances, I pick up the most on the rhubarb and orange with a little neroli in the back it's sooo good and is the perfect scent for summer. Imagine you're sitting in your room and you open a bright fresh navel orange and put some rhubarb jam next to it. One of the best Imaginary authors fragrances yet! Projection 2/10 Scent 9/10

I have a travel spray. I bought it looking for a replacement for my 7 Virtues Orange Blossom (Discontinued). Though it's not quite a match, I'm very impressed by the longevity of the citrus notes considering how fleeting and volatile they are in other citrus scents I've tried. The orange is just as present as the neroli, and makes for a bright and uplifting bubbly scent.

I enjoy it immensely. On the one hand, yes, everything stated is true: it's a linear, bubbly, fizzy orange scent. That being said, it's that unabashedly. I have pre existing associations (orange crush and sneaking off with girls at church camp) that really hammer it in. It's strong. It's brash. It's unashamed. And it's incredible if that's what you're looking for.

I find this to be a beautiful and true orange blossom. Smells just like standing by an orange tree in bloom. It's sweet yet fresh, and I love this for summer. I usually have a problem with orange blossom turning into cat pee smell on my skin, which is shame because it's one of my favorite notes. That doesn't happen with this, so naturally I got a full size.

I love summer scents and this is one of my favorites. I get strong neroli (I loooove 4711) with honeysuckle and orange blossoms and maybe a bit of pool water. It’s a little cheeky but elegant enough I can wear it to work in the summer. I’m not a huge Imaginary Authors fan but I’m buying the full size of this one.

This is a lovely scent its one of my favorites from IA. It has a very intoxicating Orange with a bit of a floral note. It smells really nostalgic to me. Like eating a orange ice pop on a pool deck as a kid. It sometimes gives me a headache as the orange is so strong but besides that its really really good. 9/10

This smells like summer nostalgia. Initially it smells like like a tart, bright, sparkling orange soda mixed with pool inflatables. The dry down smells you just got out of the pool and a popsicle has melted on your skin. This is a delicious bright photo realistic scent that screams summer memories.

Sundrunk reminds me of orange blossoms and honeysuckle with a tad of orange sherbet. It makes me think of summers as a kid. I don't smell much else and it does not last long, but it is a nice scent when you first spray it. It is different from a lot of the other Imaginary Authors scents.

MORE RHUBARB SCENTS PLEASE!!! The opening on this is very artificial lemon-lime, smells almost exactly like 7 Up, but it dries down pretty quickly to that same vegetal rhubarb smell you would find in Zoologist Cockatiel, a rough, warm, smokey note that isn't quite like anything else.

I love this. It's bright, semi-sweet, rhubarb-y, and complex. Orange soda in the best way, with sophistication from the neroli. It reminds me of my mom for some reason. She's a fun loving Florida gal, but prefers a sunny hike to the beach. Truly a scent to make you happy.

To me this is just an orange sunkist. That’s all I get from it. It’s really bright and amazing for a hot day by the pool and the performance is actually good considering how citrusy it is. Very massapealing nice orange scent 😁

LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT smells like kissing, innocent, hype. Maybe I just have strong associations but holy shit I love this so much, its the only thing I have a FB of because at first smell I knew I needed it.

Amazing orange soda scent. Very similar to Louis Vuitton Afternoon swim, but is much more intense and performs better. Scent:9/10 Longevity:6.5/10 Sillage: 5/10

A lovely, slightly tart and fizzy summer fragrance. The rhubarb helps balance the sweet stickiness of summer

Warm, soft, sweet. The orange is the first note you pick up on and it lingers. It smells like sunbathing.

i love the artificial note everyone talks about. it smells like getting on an airplane.

is doesn’t look like Sundazed never.

Sundrunk top notes ; orange zest, rhubarb, neroli, rose Vibes ; a VERY good vibe. she is giving air freshener, but like. the kind you'd smell at a country club and know you're somewhere nice. not alcohol heavy, thankfully! it definitely does invoke kissing someone at a pool party, where the fruit salad has been out in the sun all day, and the rose centerpiece is starting to wilt from the heat but the party rages on with or without you Smell ; soooo so so tasty. it's very strong! the orange zest is the first and strongest note for me, personally. the rhubarb comes in later, much more subtle. neroli and rose water very much linger around and strengthen the orange zest like nobody's business. again, she gives air freshener but like. classy. my partner describes it as smelling like a jewelry store on the beach - clean but tropical. couldn't agree more! Sillage ; lingered for a good minute or more wherever I went! Projection ; my partner could smell it from upwards of six feet or more. more than arms length, but nothing painfully strong Longevity ; lasted a very long time. put it on after a hot shower, and it stuck around for at least 10 hours. got faint in the later hours, of course, but wasn't totally gone until after. my partner could still smell it if they hugged me! Packaging ; love the artwork on this one. very simple and elegant, some tropical fish over a pool with floaties in it. gets the idea across very well Value ; personally, I wish this one was a bit cheaper? but I'm a penny pincher. so that could absolutely be my personal bias coming through. it's not something I've really smelled before though so points for being very unique !!! Final ; while I wish Sundrunk was little less on the 'clean' side of things and more on the botanicals of orange and rose, I still deeply enjoyed this fragrance. perfect for summer parties and picnics, for indulging in something bright and fresh. 7.5/10

I bought the full sample set, and this is the 15th and final sample i try: This is a mostly positive mixed bag for me. It opens with a sweet orange juice scent with a bitter rhubarb. It is however not a realistic, but more flavored candy sort of orange. The neroli is quickly introduced along with the honeysuckle. A neroli not too soapy, but clean and floral. The name is "sundrunk" and i sort of get why. But there is no suntan lotion or beach notes in it. So to me, it's more a reference to ripe fruit and florals, then anything else. If i was to simplify the scent, i'd say it's a "orange candy and neroli fragrance". It opens with a powerful orange (and i thought orange blossom) that's sweet and bitter at the same time. Once again, i got kind of noseblind to it pretty quickly. Luckily it only lasted for a few minutes, and i believe it's because that opening is very strong. For the mid, i get neroli and honeysuckle for sure. The orange and rhubarb is still a major player, but is allowing other notes to show of a bit as well. It has a clean scent and soapy note that gives it a nice freshly showered feel. Dry down is a orange and neroli dominant fragrance with slight bitter rhubarb nuances. There is still some honeysuckle too, but mostly it's orange with neroli. It's quite lovely. Personal score: 7/10. It's a great smell, but very subtle and kind of simple. I'd happily wear it, but to buy a full bottle, i'd have to get it at a heavy discount or a great deal on the used market. I already own an orange and neroli fragrance with better performance and more realistic orange, although the rhubarb and honeysuckle is a very nice touch to make it something different from most other orange and neroli scents.

On first spray Sundrunk opens with a bright tart burst of orange that instantly lifts your mood. It’s energetic and fizzy, like the scent itself is smiling. As it settles, you start to catch hints of rhubarb and neroli, and after a while, a bit of honeysuckle drifts in too, though it mostly stays true to that sparkling citrus core. This fragrance really does feel fizzy in the best way. It makes you feel like you’re a little kid again, drinking an orange soda at a family gathering before putting it on the bench so you can go play soccer with everyone else or jump on the trampoline while the grass is wet. That’s the vibe for me, bright, happy, carefree, and full of sunshine. Now I will say that I am SHOCKED that no one compared this to Clinique Happy for Men. (Maybe too old school lol). Sundrunk feels like a more tart, lively version, while Happy leans softer with a touch of white florals. It’s like the two share the same cheerful spirit, but Sundrunk feels more playful and unique in its own way. This might sound strange, but a few hours in I pick up this pool float kind of note. It reminds me of being at a water park, standing in the sun with your skin still damp, grabbing one of those warm rubber tubes from the pile before heading up the slide. However that could be what my mind connects with this scent. Overall, Sundrunk is such a happy and uplifting fragrance. I have the 14ml travel spray right now, but I’ll definitely be buying more once it’s gone. It smells like orange soda, sunshine, and simple joy bottled up. Every spray feels like a piece of summer you get to keep.

This is a delicious, summery scent. At first spray, it's orange zest and white florals. The citrus is bright and fresh while the honeysuckle and neroli give it a thick floral base, a bit heady and almost musky. It's like pulp-free orange juice infused with honeysuckle petals—citrusy, floral and subtly sweet. Over the next few hours, the orange begins to slowly fade while the floral notes remain and get a bit stronger. The rose water is more apparent in the middle stages of the wear. Around hour five, the citrus is gone completely for me and the rhubarb emerges. It's very sharp and green, like someone cracked open a thick stalk on your wrist. It remains very green and slightly floral for the remainder of the wear. This lasted on my skin for about nine to ten hours. Overall, I loved the opening of this perfume and wasn't too enamored with the latter half of the wear. I'm not the biggest fan of unequivocally "green" notes like rhubarb, but it wasn't in any way unpleasant. Also, there was more of an evolution with this than with most of Imaginary Authors' fragrances.

Although I tend to like citrusy scents, this one did not really do much for me. The opening was slightly too bitter for my nose, and not in a pleasant way. Compared to Guerlain's Oud Yuzu, which also has an opening that feels like you are sniffing a citrus' peel, this one doesn't quite capture the fresh bitterness of a citrus, and instead falls on the bitterness. After the initial opening, the neroli becomes more powerful and, I never really smelt rhubarb or rose water in it, although it does take on a sweeter quality as the fragrance evolves. This could be the honeysuckle. Out of all my Imaginary Authors samples, this one was one of the more forgettable ones. By no means is it bad. I think this would smell incredible on a boat in the Mediterranean summer. But I would not get anything out of a full bottle that I wouldn't get from Oud Yuzu, for half the price and 50% more volume at discounters. Performance and sillage are acceptable. Wish I had started reviewing fragrances before I had gone halfway through my sample collection.

Orange soda is really an apt description for the opening of this perfume - there's an actual fizziness to it, something that smells like that little "pshitt" moment you get when opening a can of soda. Like in CdG Soda, there's also kind of a bubble fluid aspect that peeks through, in my opinion, a mix of something aldehydic and something more glycerin-like. Honeysuckle and neroli come out after a few minutes, but they aren't very sweet or heady, it's more of a green-soapy interpretation of these flowers that I find very pleasant. The drydown is bittersweet, with a salty edge that will definitely remind you of ocean water drying up on warm skin. This perfume smells very much like what you'd imagine based on the name: shimmering and summery at first, but progressively taken over by a strong, nostalgic undercurrent. It's the first time, for this brand, that the concept of a book-perfume really clicks for me: I can actually smell the atmosphere that the fake quote and blurb are hinting at. I think this is really special.

My first impression of this was orange flavored sweet tea. The notes listed on the bottle seem to have been pulled out of a hat. Or a randomizer app. Now that I've given it a few wears my impression is orange tea, a brand new pair of sneakers and childhood angst. I was a kid in the 80's when Run DMC's My Adidas was EVERYWHERE. So naturally I wanted a pair. But for whatever reason I ended up with a pair of blue suede Pumas with a gray swoosh or stripe or whatever that design detail is called. To add insult to [perceived] injury, my parents refused to let me put fat laces in them at first. If you're of the era you can imagine the outrage and injustice I felt back then. This scent brought all of those memories back. No shade to Puma though, at the time I considered them "fresh" or possibly "fly" anyway. Because I wasn't really a churlish or petulant kid. And besides, what choice did I have? Sundrunk is a brunch scent for a low-key sneakerhead with a generous sense of humor living a fairly easy life.

Guess as I am getting older my taste is evolving in a way I really can't comprehend. I used to be the kind of person who never enjoyed summer or spring fragrances, and look at me, I've become obsessed. I think this one is really interesting, on my skin it starts off as orange rind and a bright musky leathery animalic note, and mellows into a bitter, actually sour orange muddied musky noise. I've noticed this sour note more than once from citrusy new frags, and I wonder if there is a particular note that comes across as sour on my skin? I see some reviews saying they also get a "sweaty BO" vibe, but others saying they only get a nice citrus, so I bet this is the culprit. Luckily for me, I don't mind either way. I think it's interesting, light and simple. I def will try again in the summer, because as it's already pretty chilly out I think I'm missing a lot of what might make this shine. 6.5/10

This is one of my favorites from the Imaginary Authors sample set I purchased! The citrus scent is very prominent in the opening, and reminds me distinctly of a The Body Shop grapefruit body butter I used as a kid. A fizzy and bright scent. I can definitely smell the orange, but I would probably label the citrus as grapefruit if I was smelling it blind. As expected, the citrus top notes fade pretty quickly, leaving what to me smells like a lot of neroli with some honeysuckle also present. This phase lasts for a few hours on me, and I do find the neroli to be almost a bit much if I'm nose-to-skin. Past a few hours, some light musky notes start to come through on my skin (or at least that's how I would describe it, I am pretty new to identifying scent notes). I think this musky phase might be my favorite. Definitely more subtle sillage, but that's my preference. I really like this one!

I only dislike the opening scent. I think what everyone calls a "fizzy soda" smell, to me is a heavy plastic smell. Think fresh out the box beach ball or pool floatie. Either way, once it's actually dried down after the first spray it's very nice. A mild neroli, sweet orange, and a subtle tang of honeysuckle mixed with rose water. That plasticky scent does carry over a bit, but in a very very subtle way that I think carries itself well since it does give and only when it's taking a far back seat can I admit to getting a bit of that "sparkling" effervescence. Definitely a summer scent, I'd attribute it more to a slightly fancy evening than a day in the beach-y sun. It's more of what you do after having a beach day, rather than the beach day itself. I'd almost call this a follow-up to Falling Into The Sea.

At first spray, I get very strong grapefruit or maybe pomelo-- citrus but not sweet, and a bit zingy. It also smells very clean and maybe a little soapy. As it develops, grapefruit is joined by orange and there's some faint, delicate floral and the soap comes out a bit more. It's overall very light and pleasant, but doesn't hang around long and doesn't stand out too much. Sometimes that's what I want though! 3 sprays has intimate sillage and is noticeable on the skin for about 4 hours. A very hot day might elevate this, however (70 and overcast today). While this would normally be a deal breaker value-wise for me, the soap and delicate floral makes the light and faintness feel purposeful and integral to the fragrance. Not artificial on my skin. A safe office scent, definitely summer-coded.

sundrunk is an incredibly special fragrance. it rides the line between bitter and sweet, with a sharp, aromatic quality that makes its way through. at first smell, it reminded me of grapefruit or blood orange juice that dried on my skin on a hot summer day. it's very sweet and has a sparkling, effervescent profile like many others have mentioned (think squirt or orangina soda), but the neroli cuts through that sweetness a bit and adds a green, leafy atmosphere. it would be a great beach scent, and has a decent longevity and moderate sillage, so good for wearing outdoors where you expect the scent will fade over time and kind of blend into your skin/clothes. i will admit, it gave me a headache fairly early on, so it would be a consistent wear for me, but it's super fun regardless!

“Woozy and warm from the sun, we shared an orange pop and watched the surfers’ last lines of the day.” Imaginary Authors is all about conjuring memories. This line here definitely rings true for this fragrance. The scent is definitely an artificial orange, like a soda or a gummy candy, which I actually really love. It's VERY sweet and a bit cloying, which may not be for everyone, but personally I enjoy it. Longevity isn't great, and projection is just okay. I don't think I would purchase a full bottle of this. But if you like sweet and want something reminiscent of an orange soda or orange candy, this might work for you. Probably not a safe blind buy though, because the only note I got was orange.

A photorealistic smell of Fanta or any other soda with an orange flavour. Sparkly and delicious. Upon spraying I am immediately transported years back, in my childhood. Me and my mom are on vacation, at a beach café. It's sunny, relaxing and fun. There's a lot of sand and a lot of water. The general atmosphere of happiness. Very cheerful fragrance with a decent longevity (3-4 hours) and, in my opinion, the best one in the Short Story Collection. I don't think I'll purchase a full size just because I think this would work better as a cream/room spray/something of the sort but among all the samples this one is a definite winner. It brings a smile on my face.

First Impression: have you ever tried a perfume and it turns out exactly as you expected? With the name Sun Drunk, I immediately thought about Sunkiss Orange Crush or Starburst. Sure enough, this smells exactly like Orange Starburst and Orange Soda. At first blush, this seems more appropriate on a woman than on me. But I wouldn't mind testing this in the heat. My favorite orange fragrances are 19-69 Capri, Acqua Di Parma Arancia, and Guerlain Mandarin Basilic. Atelier Cologne Orange sanguine is also good but it legit smells like orange juice. If you like the smell of chewable vitamin C tablets, check out Atelier des Ors Choer des Anges.

Wow! Effervescent! At least in the beginning, Sundrunk immediately hits you with sparkling bitter orange, with a bit of a summery citronella quality that I'm also getting. While mostly a linear scent, the orange pop effect flattens quickly to a kind of fruity citrus-neroli. I'm not particularly mad at the lack of evolution though. As, the simplicity primes Sundrunk to play nice topped onto a variety of other fragrances. Projection is less nuclear than expected from a citrus forward fragrance, but, with some layering, I got a really nice fresh summery scent bubble out of this for a few hours!

not your average neroli! opens up super bitter orange rind and rhubarb - sort of scared me at first, but it dries down within a few minutes and really expands to present those white florals, along with a sweeter orange side. the honeysuckle really stands out for me here. about 2-3 hours later it settles into a musky skin scent - the lack of performance is not a surprise for this light of a citrus/floral scent, but does make it not really worth the FB price. love IA and this is a beautiful fragrance, just wish it had a bit more longevity.

It’s orange pop, right down to the feeling of effervescence and the tickle in the nose. Incredible, really, how this has been recreated in a fragrance. It has a very round, but light as air feeling. It’s something I would wear on a day where I want to project a happy fun energy, especially to myself. (Where our thoughts go, so do we, right) so while it’s deceptively simple it’s actually pretty powerful in that way. Good longevity and projection, and very good value for what it can achieve. Antidepressant in a bottle, no side effects.