Hi there Crew. Way back in 2012 Imaginary Authors brought out an original offering of 7 perfumes. It was overwhelming at the time and I kind of ignored them until a friend was wearing Bull’s Blood one day and I became instantly enamoured of the sillage, asking what that deliciously toxic monstrosity was. It was spellbinding. This was January 2013, I instantly bought a sample set from the Imaginary Authors site (GOSH! The set was only US$38 delivered to Australia). I remember sniffing them and writing about a few. Azar, Poodle and Ainslie seemed to write about them the most on APJ in the next few years with a lot of love so I left the brand pretty much to them.
I have written about Cape Heartache before but recently I was sent a GWP sample in an order from one of Australia’s big niche retailers LKNU. When I tried it on it sparked such a good feeling for me that I thought I might give it another outing in print.
Cape Heartache by Imaginary Authors 2013
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Fir, Big Strawberry, Pine Tree, Woody Notes, Vanilla, Hemlock
Strawberry ice cream topping and a woody back beat. the two are so decidedly incongruous that it makes me smell and smell my wrist. It’s like one of those lenticular pictures that flash between two images depending on the light. Here I have sharp, dark woodland this unbelievably luscious lolly version of strawberries vying for my brain space. It’s enthralling. Hovering on the brink of falling into a huge vat of both but choosing neither.
That hemlock adds a green bitterness through the heart, it comes and goes. Like biting a tree branch after pulling off the bark, that vegetal bitterness.
I’m thinking the vanilla is what gives the strawberry its cartoonishly confectionary flavour, interesting how well that accord stays present during the life of Cape Heartache.
You know, I’ve had trouble trying to think of a person who would wear this as their stable go to fragrance. It’s a very weird gourmand, definitely jumping out of the box. A interesting ride, when I smell it it makes me so happy perfumers are selling such boundary pushing perfume. I feel like it should be ion a Must Try List of weird assed perfume that will blow your olfactory mind.
Portia x
Undina's Looking Glass 
I really like this one, even though I don’t wear it often. Maybe today would be a good day. :-)
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OOOHHHHHH! Do it!
Please come back and tell us how it went TaraC.
Portia xx
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I tried this one, too strange for me. I have no luck at all with this brand. All their fragrances smell strange on my skin. Or maybe I just don’t like them and I’m blaming it on my skin! Not sure, but not for me, more for everyone else!
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HA! Yes, they are a very out there brand. Strange but lovely…….. but STRANGE. Not for the faint hearted, or siniffer.
Portia xx
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I feel the same. I was so intrigued by their story and presentation and in the end I was so disappointed. I even got an allergic reaction in my nose to Memoirs of a Tresspasser and I never had any allergic reaction to perfume in my whole life. Definitely not for me as well…
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I don’t remember if I ever smelled any perfumes from this brand even though I saw them several times at a store. I just don’t like the bottles and names: these have the same vibe as Tokyo Milk and Smell Bent – and it’s completely outside of what I think perfume should be. There is a tiny chance that I smell one of the perfumes on someone and realize that I love it and was wrong or to try it, but my experience tells me that it’s very unlikely to happen. But I know that the brand has many fans, so I don’t think it’ll suffer from my snobbishness.
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HA! At least you’re aware Undina. Shame about them though, they all three have some good scents.
Portia xx
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This is weird but not in an off-putting way. It just doesn’t feel good to me. Cape Heartache invokes grand romantic feelings and you get a concoction of humid woods, wet pine needles, strawberry mixed with incense. To me this is more like a cheap air freshener. The one I would never buy.
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Thank goodness we all have such different reactions to the same perfumes Neva. Sounds like Cape Heartache is awful on you. BUMMER!
Portia xx
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