Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Imaginary Authors - Slow Explosions As many of you know, Imaginary Authors is known for stories and fragrance that go hand in hand.   Slow Explosions (“Explosions”) is an oriental fragrance released in 2016 that tells the story of a life reimagined.   (See brand story below review.) Explosions opens with that quintessential saffron note; it is an edgy, raw, and rubbery.   A ccompanying the saffron is an equally bold leather.   The leather and saffron seem to combine to give the essence of an oud or woody note.   There is nothing “slow” about the opening of Explosions.   After the initial notes make their appearance in the opening, they are closely followed by a hint of apple.   The apple is juicy, tart, and sweet but somehow seemingly just beyond reach.   As Explosions wears I get a light, warm rose that seems to waft across the fragrance.   It is here in the wear that the fragrance takes on a mesmerizing smokiness from the benz...

Gallagher Fragrances - Evergreen Dream EDP Today I am testing the newest release from Gallagher Fragrances – Evergreen Dream.  This juice is a fougere and does follow the more traditional formulation model of the fragrance category but finishes quite differently. This fragrance opens with a slightly bitter yet fresh, green aromatic.  I clearly get the scent of evergreen trees.  The opening is strong and surrounds you in the wonderful aroma of being in a lush green forest.  About an hour in, the lavender appears.  Lavender is a note that I struggle with; I think it’s one of those notes that people tend to be polarized on.  The lavender in this juice is bold but it has been tempered with a rich birch tar, wood note, and pine resin.  The accompanying notes add a warmth to the lavender making it more, and in my opinion more universally wearable, than the individual note.  After roughly another hour, the base notes enter and the juice begins i...

Vince Camuto - Ciao I received a sample of Ciao in the Macy’s Beauty Box that I subscribe to.  Touted as a “fruity, floral, oriental” that is supposed to be an “enchanting scent of an unforgettable woman”, I was happy to test it. Ciao should have opened with mandarin, grapefruit, and strawberry but instead all I get is fresh, ripe, sweet strawberry.  The strawberry is lovely of course but I was disappointed to not detect any mandarin or grapefruit.  As the juice develops on my skin, I do get a hint of a bright blackberry.  The blackberry is rich and adds a little fruity complexity to the strawberry that has not faded.  I don’t get a specific floral note per se, what I do get is a blend of florals where the honeysuckle and passion flower seem to perhaps be the strongest notes.  The drydown begins fairly quickly with Ciao and the liqueur and sandalwood seem to be the notes that appear.    Ciao is a bright and pleasant fragrance that see...