Yesterday Haze (Second Edition)

Imaginary Authors is my favorite house. The OG Yesterday Haze is, out of so many perfumes, one of the only scents that I feel captures my essence. The #1 I think of when asked about a “signature”, despite the fact that I always wear different things. So it goes without saying that I was anxious to hear about its reformulation for this new edition. I figured, how could you improve such an already perfect scent? Well folks, they did. I received the sample today, and am both pleased and displeased. I’m pleased that they somehow managed to keep the true nature of this beautiful fragrance perfectly in tact, while also making it even better. I’m displeased, because now I like it even more than the first edition and I can’t justify two bottles. One day! It has just the right amount of juiciness from the fig giving it a beautiful edge that I never knew I needed. It has a richness and a spice in the drydown that it previously lacked. But again, the heart of the scent is somehow all the same. It’s masterful. The soft fruitiness from the fig reminds me ever so slightly of their offering “First Peach of the Season”. It’s a juicy, sweet, slightly tart softness that gives it a warm but ethereal energy. It’s just beautiful. I’m so glad that I no longer have to worry about my signature scent as I know it going away. Now I just have to worry about the fact that I like the newer edition a little bit more than the full bottle I already have! Well done. I never should have doubted you Imaginary Authors. :)

The reissue is what I'd hoped for from the original Yesterday's Haze but didn't find there: a ripe fig, on the edge of being overripe, enjoyed in the dry afternoon warmth of a dusty orchard, faintly redolent of nostalgia and the sunscreen you put on that morning. The fig is aromatic without being sticky, and without even a hint of under-ripe greenness or fig leaf, which makes this completely distinct from other fig fragrances I've tried. I really can't stand most sweet-dessert fragrances (I adore Imaginary Authors, and Waffle Cone is the only one of their scents that I find completely unwearable), and the original Haze had enough foodish whipped cream to become nauseating for me. Combined with that dessert-ishness, the dustiness of the original felt stale. Here, the creaminess and dustiness combine to evoke a sense of sweaty, dusty late summer afternoon skin that ends up synergizing with the fig to yield an overall impression, rather than overwhelming it.