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.

Really good release. Smells like a much softer Iron Duke by Beaufort, and I love that one, but it can be a little aggressive at times; sometimes you want something a little more comforting, and this fits the bill nicely.

at first, pure isopropyl alcohol. then it smells like melon for a second, then a wood shed full of tires. i kinda dig it tbh. i definitely hated it first spray when i first tried it a few years ago, but i like it now.

I personally love this vintagey scent, like a dusty antique wardrobe. I definitely smell the melon but it's balanced well with the woody notes where it adds a more generally appealing touch to the scent.

i would want my mans to wear this it's so damn cozy. it initially opens with cantaloupe then settles down to a dusty oud scent, leaning slightly towards an animalic smell as it sits longer on the skin

Great reviews below. Beautiful Cambodian Oud in this, took around three hours on skin for it to become the prominent note. Not a synthetic oud at all, reminiscent of a quality pure oud oil.

I hate cantaloupe. This, however. Moist, cold wood with the slightest note of honeyed melon. It feels like walking though a forest full of magic and secrets after a rainstorm.

so spicy and woody and delicious. i usually find scents like this to be kind of overwhelming but this is good

WOW I really like this. Antique mall with sandalwood and oud. Different, but I like it

I have a 2 ml sample that I generously sprayed on about 5 hours ago and it is still performing strongly with a generous sillage. Opens with a big juicy cantaloupe and I really couldn't figure out what it was, I thought it must be pear. It's very aquatic fruit but also blended well with an oud note that I didn't recognize as oud. Once I looked up and read the notes I was really surprised at how much I was enjoying it. The cantaloupe note I think gets an unfair rap here. I dislike eating cantaloupe and dislike aquatic notes but I like pear and the aquatic fruit like note in the opening of Byredo's Mojave Ghost. This note is exactly like that - watery but soft, fruity and sweet. The oud is soft, and not at all overpowering. I have a complicated relationship with oud too, and really like it here paired with the cantaloupe. The cantaloupe is like a more savory pear, it has more fleshy tone to it, and works perfectly with the oud and the ambrette seeds. This reminds me of a *much better* performing Mojave Ghost the more I think about it. This is a really interesting and different take on that fragrance maybe even inspired by it? And, I find it easy to wear. It is worth sampling, and a great value for the money because a little goes a long way.

I'm somewhat disappointed that this fragrance was discontinued by Imaginary Authors, though much like other reviewers, I can understand their reasons. Whispered Myths opens with very strong and forefront wood with oud notes, that I think compliment each other nicely. To me, it smells like the old wood from an abandoned trade ship that was carrying exotic spices and rare woods. It somewhat reminds me of a midpoint between Every Storm A Serenade and Cape Heartache, with their damp but intricate notes. In terms of longevity: it's poor - I think that's the main downfall of this fragrance. It loses its complexity and intricacy increasingly as time continues, and by an hour or two it's barely even present on the tester paper. It would be a very nice autumn or winter fragrance, and nighttime would be the preferred time of day to wear this. Office-safe? In small applications I would say yes. Going out fragrance? Yes if you want something a bit different but not absurdly strong then this is the one to go for. Considering the other options from Imaginary Authors, I will not be purchasing a bottle of this fragrance considering the lengths I would have to go to acquire it.

Ugh, this one is like a torrid love affair with an art school kid. Controversial, challenging, and certainly not for everyone. But also artsy, dramatic, and once settled in, much more approachable. At first sniff, I wanted to be around you all the time. I introduced my friends to you, and they turned their noses away. "Yep, that's interesting." It was an intense affair, burying my nose in your "salvaged shipwreck" dry down. I always hoped someone would ask me what I was wearing, so I could confidently say this most pretentious name, "Whispered Myths," like an art gallery after party in a friend of a friend of a friend's loft. But then, things changed. Something was off. The melancholy, subversive drydown I adored was still there, but you seemed clingy and desperate for attention. Our chemistry was gone, and my fascination wore off. Now, when I woke up in the morning, I was annoyed instead of delighted that you were still in my bed. I'll still try you on from time to time, just to see how things are. But like an ill-advised "wyd" text at 2am, it's never really a decision I'm happy with.

The first time i tried It i thought: what the hell!! What a weird perfume! The mix between the citrus-fruity-sweet scent of the melón with the animalic-medicinal of oud was ununderstandable for me. But today i am trying It again, after having tried some more oud based perfumes, and now i can find a very interesting and original perfume. This is an oud but a different oud! The problem is that o dont know if It really worths the price because the performance is just average and un the market id easy yo find arab perfumes for a fraction of the price of that one. For example 'dhanal oudh raswah' by rasasi has an oud very close to the oud here and it costs only 40€/45ml while that one costs double (100€/50ml). I think i would not buy It but maybe can be interesting for oud lovers as parte of a collection. Unisex but a bit difficult to wear as most ouds. Scent: 7.5 Longevity: 8 Sillage: 6 Originality: 9 Versatility: 6 Quality/price: 4.5 Global: 7

First spray induced a full-face grimace and I was sure I'd be washing this off, but after half an hour of wear, I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists––I've even resprayed this a couple of times just as I'm doing things around the house. Strange, punchy cantaloupe mingles with something very vintage, dusty, dark (the oud, of course, and the listed "sunken shipwreck" note?). There's a definitive antique store/museum/used bookstore vibe to this. Old floorboards, musty upholstery, sweet dark wood lacquer, leather trunks, glossy magazines from the 50s-60s that have begun to mildew. Not sure I'll be wearing this around people often, but it does honestly feel as classy, mature, and mysterious as it does strange and initially off-putting. I've sampled almost half of IA's offerings so far and this is definitely among my favorites––one of the most unique (and long-lasting) fragrances from them I've tried, so I'm sad to see it's been discontinued!

2ml sample Oh I'm so disappointed with this one. I love the scent, performance was terrible. Wore the entire sample and goes on soft to begin with and after about 30minutes it's a skin scent. Which is do unfortunate because this is such a great blend of notes. This oud is like a gasoline oud, I love this oud, and the melon is very prominent, the combination is just awesome, never smelled melon and oud together but they go so well. Add in the musk mallow and it's just an amazing blend of notes. There's a little cedar peaking through later in the dry down(have to smell my arm), but I'd be happy with just this oud/melon and musk mallow, I just want more of it, I want to smell it in the air. Overall great composition, terrible performance, projection/sillage is practically non existent. If this performed like memoirs of a trespasser or slow explosions it be a winner.

Wow is this scent polarizing but it's definitely a unique one that I love! This genuinely smells like a pirate ship that's been washed ashore after a storm. This pirate ship surpirisingly has cantaloupes as their cargo. This opens with a strong oud that's earthy and slightly smoky. The cedarwood is strong here too with a slight dampness to it that's reminiscent scent of the wood from a ship's deck. There is definitely slightly animalic accord here but it softens as this dries down. The cantaloupe note here is so refreshing and fun! It's very unexpected but it's spot on. They're fresh and fruity with a honeyed sweetness to them too. The drydown is a woody, leathery like oud with earthy accords and a sweet, fruity cantaloupe. I can see why people can't get into this but I really do dig the story being told here. Sillage and longevity were both strong

It is as bizarre as everyone below says: bubblegum, melon, 90s plastic toy smell (similar to Le Labo's Baie 19) up top with a fairly generic woody heart-into-base note transition for the dry down. And yet...I keep reapplying it because I want to experience the weird-ass switcheroo again. Would I pay for a full bottle? No. Will I happily gross out my girlfriend for a few days using the 2 mL sample that she happily passed off to me, repulsed? Hell yeah. I can't really see this as an evening scent, but once it dries you can easily layer a safer, somewhat spicy autumn scent over it for the night (YSL La Nuit De L'Homme OG EDT or Le Parfum, Guerlain L'Homme Ideal, Bvlgari Man In Black, Versace Oud Noir, Tom Ford Oud Wood, Chris Colllins African Rooibos, Ormonde Man...you get the drift).

Who would've thought oud and melon can create such a neutral ozonic fragrance🍈🪵I love how you get this cool oud❄️ first THEN this earthy honeyed melon🍯, when it tends to be the other way around! The "imaginary" note is salvaged shipwreck and it truly feels something from the past ready to come back to life. This is a fragrance I can expect an erudite to wear, maybe someone shy, but still excited for an adventure. I feel this fragrance pushes the boundaries on perfume and still serving great quality. Not everyone can pull off this perfume- but if you're someone who appreciates social sciences- this is for you. Zodiac Trio ⬆️Aquarius ☀️Pisces 🌜Virgo

I was intrigued by the sound of this one. Oud, melon, cedar and ambrette. Definitely challenging at the very least. It is one musky, oud, cedar and melon bomb. Intense seems the right word for this. It is almost linear and hangs around for hours. The longevity and sillage are both not much more than average, which is a bit of a surprise. The melon sadly doesn't last long. For most of its lengthy timeline it's a musky, cedar and oud scent. Definitely unisex. It is not a scent I would go for but I'm glad I tested it. I've got to admit I don't do the sniffing scented card strips thing. Probably a bit rash of me 😀

I was SO CONFUSED by this fragrance. Based on the reviews below I was expecting some borderline unwearable beast a la T-Rex or ar least akin to this brand's Bulls Blood which is very bold. Instead it's a very delicate and soft frag. Very aptly named. Of all the IA I've tried it's probably the least discernable on my skin and with a lot less projection. Spraying it on is like walking into an old stone church on a hot day. You're immersed in the cool, almost damp air which holds traces of books, wood and reverence. It is a little peculiar but that's no bad thing.

Upon spraying on a tester, all I could smell was alcohol, followed by ...nothing really. I'm glad I decided to give it another chance and test it on the skin. As other reviews suggest, it's woodsy with a whiff of melon. The melon doesn't really linger for me but the dry down is really aromatic. It's unique and exactly what I want in a niche fragrance. It's super ethereal and almost angelic. The design of the bottle is giving dark academia. I need to test it out more to get a feel for the longevity but so far this is full bottle worthy in my book.

Harlotan (reviewer below) has said more eloquently and completely anything that I could say at this point. I would add that I started out thinking I didn't like this fragrance (at all) but after 40 mins I have completely come round to it and now, quite like it. The opening dusty sawdust library smell dissipates, and the sweet over ripe melon and the warm honey lifts it into a different direction all together, even though the dusty sawdust remains as a backdrop. An unusual combination of smells that would make an interesting autumnal purchase.

Brilliantly evocative, but not super wearable. It smells like an idealistic take on an old, dusty library, where rain has slowly seeped through the roof resulting in heavily waterlogged shelving and volumes of classic literature, and termites have left 'natural sawdust' on most surfaces. This is brightened up by the honey and overripe cantaloupe. Probably one of the Imaginary authors scents where the perfumer's common 'DNA' is most in line with what the fragrance is going for. 7.5/10 Fantastic olfactory art, not so great perfume

Sometimes when a scent is advertised as woody I have trouble detecting the wood, but that is not the case here! Whispered Myths is dark, smoky, and capital-W Woody. The melon fades rapidly, but seeing as how that's my least favorite part, I do not mind that in the slightest. I could see this as a good all-occasion cool weather choice. Definitely leans masculine but I think I would fall in love if I smelled this on a woman. It's a sexy fragrance, at least in my book.

It's a December evening and your mom asks you to help pull the Christmas decorations from the attic. It's so cold you can almost see your breath as you stand, shivering in a coat that's getting too small for you. She pulls out the portable heater that hasn't been used since last winter. As it kicks on you can hear the dust burning away from the coils as they heat up. The warmth hits your face.

I think this is the most potent and long lasting of their entire line. I get tons of oudh and cedar, no cantaloupe. Projects crazy for first few hours. I can smell it on me all day long and into the evening, so I don't get olfactory burnout on this at all. I would have to say, this is my favorite of Josh's creations that I have tried. Two smelly thumbs up.....

If you’ve read “Circe” by Madeline Miller, this is exactly what I imagine Circe’s island smells like. The opening notes are very woodsy, with bright, warm cantaloupe and as it fades its very oud-y but not overwhelmingly so on my skin. 9/10 for me but I do think it’s probably an acquired taste because it’s an unusual scent.

My boyfriend and I recently sampled all the IA scents so here is a dual review. My review: I am working on loving oud and this fragrance definitely helps. I like it and I am hoping to find a good day to test it on skin. His review: I don't like it... What is that??

I really enjoyed my sample, but I don't know if I would purchase a full bottle. It's just not for me personally but I can appreciate it as a unique and well-formulated fragrance. To me, it smells like sunrise on a hotel balcony on the first day of vacation.

Holy moses. Musk mallow forward and a light/watered oud. Hint of sweetness but not fruity melon or honey as a discernible note. Dry and woody. But wearable. Not a skanky animalic barnyard oud in the least. A bit of that "bandaid" smell as it dries down.

Lowkey smells like mulch but if you can get over that, which i can, its very artistic and is exactly what they say it is. I wish the melon would last longer than a couple minutes on my skin though.