Whispered Myths

One of the recent releases by Josh Meyer of Imaginary Authors, done semi-secretly on the website and by word of mouth, is Whispered Myths, no doubt promoted substantially less than the release that followed it, "O, Unknown!". Whispered Myths marks the first occasion in Imaginary Authors of oud being a prominent, and in this case, a dominant one. The oud used in Whispered Myths is seemingly neither toward the animalic nor soberly smooth extremes of what oud can be, resting somewhere in between. And in that respect, it seems to both a nod to true oud-lovers as well as a movement toward the middle as far as ease-of-wearing. Even at first smell, it's one of the easiest oud fragrances to wear that I've smelled, and one need not be a fan of rose (as in the many rose/oud combos) or another pronounced note to like the fragrance as a whole. The other contributory notes, minor players by comparison, of cantaloupe, cedar, and honey, sweeten and smooth out the oud further, harmonious making it even more wearable. It's sweet and enjoyable while still being bold and oud-intensive. Performance is quite great, stronger than average in terms of both projection and longevity, albeit not quite the beast of some of its Imaginary Authors siblings, such as A City on Fire, Cape Heartache, and Memoirs of a Trespasser. Higher than the usual pricing (of $95 for 50ml), Whispered Myths is priced at $120 for 50ml, due likely to the cost of oud, I imagined, and this was confirmed by Gents Scents on YouTube. 8 out of 10

If you can pull off aromatics, oud, woody notes, and subdued fruity notes -- yes, you too may find this perfectly wearable! I'm a little astonished at all the reviews talking about how aggressive or creepy this fragrance is (?) and do wonder whether the dark, surreal backstory given by IA is influencing people's perceptions of the scent. At any rate, Whispered Myths is indeed unusual, but to me its unique combination of incensey depth and aromatic, melon-lifted lightness best suit walking around a New England coastal town, poking into old gift shops. I do get some dustiness, but it's not a powdery dustiness so much as weathered wood -- the burnished mantel of a fireplace in an old pub, maybe, that has seen neither alcohol nor flames in many years but still whispers of summer sailors dropping by for a pint and a laugh. I imagine individual skin chemistry plays a big role in how this develops; on paper, it's harsh and spiky, but on my skin, it's zesty and a little intriguing. Its longevity is quite good, better than quite a few more extravagantly priced fragrances, and the use of authentic oud rather than synthetic may be less approachable for the masses but speaks to my personal preferences. Wearing Whispered Myths delights me, and as I am not an oversprayer, I have no fear of wearing it out and about.

Sometimes woody smells are like the lumber aisle in a Home Depot, but this is more like a fallen tree; a damp log that's just started to rot at the edges. This fragrance greeted me with a subtle sourness, like a blueberry, or like a well-fed sourdough starter. I'm not necessarily picking up on the melon, but that isn't to say I'm not getting haunted by the ghost of its sweetness; a sweetness that you see moving in your peripheral vision, but vanishes when you turn to look at it. The dry down reminds me of a used bookstore I once visited in downtown New Orleans; stacks of books climbing to the top of musty ceilings, shelves so close together you had to turn sideways to get through corners. It's a little powdery for my tastes, and I find myself wishing I could nail down the advertised sweetness and musk. But there's just enough of it to break the sharper edges of the cedar, keeping it from splintering off into something truly dry. While Bull's Blood is my personal favorite, this is the sample I reach for when I am heading outside; I'm sad IA has discontinued this one!

God, I love the fragrance profile of Whispered Myths, but for the way it (and ANY of Imaginary Authors' "Eaux de Parfums") performs the most I would ever pay for a full bottle is $30. UPSIDES: Gorgeous, well-blended, and imaginative dry woods fragrance. I cannot pick out any of the individual notes, but it's woodsy enough to satisfy me, the oud is front and center without being overly animalic, and it has a hint of sweetness to balance it out. All in all it's like sticking your nose right in the middle of an old book and inhaling-- and I do that to books so I mean that in the best possible way. Unisex IMO since I am a gal that loves my woods, resins, and spices. NEUTRAL: Entirely linear, but that's all of Imaginary Authors. DOWNSIDES: Lasts about three hours as a skin scent only. No projection, no sillage, no longevity, and not strong enough for this or any of Imaginary Authors fragrances to be classified as EDPs. At best it's an EDT, but honestly more like a cologne splash. For the price, it's inexcusable.

The opening is nice and bright, and a bit salty aquatic. I don't really get a big cantaloupe vibe, but that's probably for the best because I don't love cantaloupe. If the opening stayed linear, I would not be much of a fan of this. Thankfully, in the mid, I start to get a spicy, slightly woody effect, which is when this fragrance starts to get exciting. Then, in the dry down, I start to pick up a beautiful musk, photorealistic woods, and yes, a definite animalic oud. It is definitely a bit of a body odor smell, but not an ugly arm pit smell, more a pleasant musty smell due to the wood element. I understand how some would not like it, but I find it intoxicating. I cannot stop sniffing my wrist. This is probably my favorite from the house, although I very much like A City on Fire, and Cape Heartache, two very different takes on wood centric fragrances.

I love this, although I can understand why others might not. It smells at first like reading old books and taking notes in pencil in the sunny atrium* of an old wood paneled university library, with a whisper of cantaloupe wafting through, as though someone was cutting one up in another room. After a while it smells like warm wood and the old book smell becomes the smell of first rain - or perhaps a salvaged shipwreck. It has fascinating notes that I really love, but it's not something I'd wear for the benefit of others - it's subtle and personal, and I put it on very sparingly and under my clothes so that only I (or someone VERY close) would know it was there. *User Harlotan's observations (July 2022) are similar (and wonderful) , and "sun streaming through the windows of a dusty museum atrium" is exactly what it's like.

The reviews here seem to reflect just how much IA's fragrances sit differently with people. I love this, in part because of how its impression, notes, and story all fit together, and in part because it just smells great. A pronounced, spicy wood dominates, but is lifted and made more interesting by the melon notes. I don't tend to be fond of ambrette/amber notes these days, since they're so often cloying longevity-boosters in sickly-sweet compositions, but the ambrette here underscores the melon and makes it slightly overripe and rich rather than sweet. Don't let the honey fool you; this is a dry, woody kind of sweetness, not a gourmand. Longevity isn't great, unfortunately, especially for this style. Many IA formulations are nearly eternal on me, but this one quiets down after a few hours. I still love it.

when i picked up the complete works sampler, i skimmed all the offerings and, noting this one, told myself: "okay, don't fall in love with whispered myths, seeing as it's the discontinued one!" of course, now it's the first full bottle i've purchased from this line (still on the way to me!) — what a relief that it was still relatively easy to find. just absolutely gorgeous, extremely unique and distinctive but still wearable. i cannot get enough of the cantaloupe, which is realistic and fresh and delicious, but i love the woody drydown just as much — so often a fragrance either has an opener i miss once it's gone, or a drydown that i'm impatient to get to, but whispered myths i love every single second of. beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

I adore Whispered Myths. It’s one of my favorites that I got in a sample set. Cantaloupe, salty oceanic vibes, and oud are the main notes I got while wearing. Sillage was average with 3 sprays, and it lasted on my skin overnight. As a woman this felt perfectly unisex. The problem for me arose when two family members said it smelled like body odor both on my skin and from the sample vial. I assume their noses are more sensitive to the musk mallow than mine. I’ll happily wear it before going to bed until it’s used up, but in the interest of the public, I’ll probably buy a different bottle from IA (Yesterday Haze, Saint Julep, and Memoirs of a Trespasser were my other favorites).

As usual for me with Imaginary Authors, it brings to mind vivid memories. 1) I'm hit with a flashback to growing up, it's a cool spring day, my dad driving me around in his truck as we run errands at Home Depot & my child self is hypnotized by the light fixture department. 2) I'm in the West Village, middle of winter, ducking into an old bookstore to escape the cold. Old books, lumber, very light cantaloupe, and just a bit of that rubber tire smell someone mentioned, like you'd smell on those hydraulic platforms taking up half the aisle. I'm a -huge- fan of this scent.

This was my second bottle of perfume ever. I absolutely love this scent, like many say it smells like old books at first. To me this has always smelled like an ancient Grecian garden. This is a really amazing woodsy/spicy scent that can be hard to pull off but if you can you should. I get a late summer into fall vibe with this scent mostly. If you want to smell like a Grecian library, garden in the woods, or simply want to make your own myths by wearing this, this is a go to different scent.

Totally enamored by the cedar in this. This fragrance is like Cerberus with the heads of Oud, CEDAR, and cantaloupe. The ambrette lingers in the nose escorting you like Charon down a strait of distant honey & the 3 note headed Cerberus. Smelling these creations and inspiration behind em my fascination for the sole perfumer grows. Would love a convo w/ Josh because this house truly feels niche in that these scents are catered to your inner-youth and tailored for your imagination’s desire.

This one is lovely, reminds me of a recommended dupe for a Final Fantasy perfume (Emet-Selch) that was also woody and musky but unfortunately set off my allergies. The melon is sweet at the start but faded very quickly on me down to the woods and musk. The Abandoned Mansion is one of my favs, this one is similar but with Oud in place of the strong powdery paper smell. Will definitely be picking up a full size.

spending all my nights all my money going out on the town doing anything just to get you off of my mind but when the morning comes i'm right back where i started again and tryin' to forget you is just a waste of time baby come back any kind of fool could see there was something in everything about you baby come back you can blame it all on me i was wrong and i just can't live without you

It smells really soft and powdery on my skin. At first the oud, cedar and amber was all I could sense, but then the cantaloupe appeared and saved the day. I didn't think the cedar and cantaloupe together would make such a wonderful combination and blend so well in the drydown. Honestly this is a really lovely scent for slow days and casual outings.

I am obsessed with this fragrance, truly unique and a masterpiece for its value. I picture a ghost breaching the realm between theirs and the alive, journeying through dusty backrooms- hence I first picked up a dust accord which I think is very well balanced with the melon. It does give off some slight sense of melancholy, but also mystery.

Bought this as soon as I heard that they're discontinuing this. Smells like an abandoned library with a highlight of cantaloup. Also heard someone say this smells like the backrooms which makes sense weirdly enough. Imaginary authors may not have the best stuff overall, but they have some crazy unique scents. scent: 8.5/10

Lovely smooth woody oud. Dries down to honey with a bit of a funk - not unlike Zoologist moth, but a little less funky. Starts out a bit heavy. Oddly I don't get melon at all, but quite a bit of cedar. Lasting power is ok. Really nice cold weather scent.

Super extravagant! Lots of sour and tart resins mixed with dark smoky notes (black tar maybe?) and some oud wood. It has slight urinal undertones from honey, but it still smells good. Brilliant fragrance tbh, but you need to be brave to wear it.

This smells like a Lovecraftian shipwreck and I love it! It's wierd, kind of dank, dark and has a sort of "abandoned" feeling to it. I completely understand that this isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but I truly enjoy it for what it is.