Imaginary Authors is the amusing concept by independent perfumer Josh Meyer in which he houses his perfumes in bottles made up to look like the spine of books which never were. In 2012 he released the first seven volumes in his scented library and followed up in 2013 with two more. I have always loved the idea of making up literary inspirations for perfume. The perfumes were all above average but none of them really motivated me to write about them. I look forward to each new release to see if the latest edition will be the page turner I’ve been waiting for. It looks like the tenth volume Yesterday Haze is the one I want to take down from the shelf and spend some time with.
Before you even try the perfume you are greeted with a bottle and packaging so arch they bring a smile to your face. Yesterday Haze is penned by “author” Lenora Blumburg (1909-1983). Ms. Blumburg wrote one of the earlier volumes, Violet Disguise. Yesterday Haze is described as a “subtly sinister follow-up” around a love triangle between a crop-duster who is having an affair with his employer’s wife. Each volume comes with a quote and here is the one for this perfume, “Just as sunsets are more beautiful on hazy days, so, too, are the memories of yesterday.” What is clear after wearing Yesterday Haze is all of this takes place in a fig grove as that is what Yesterday Haze evokes.
Josh Meyer
Mr. Meyer is working the complete fig tree experience in Yesterday Haze, not just the fruit. As a result the opening of the perfume has not only the creamy aspects of the fruit but also the smoothly woody facets of the tree. Tonka is used to tilt the fruit of the fig more towards the creamy. Iris is used to powder over the potentially rough edges of the bark. This is where Yesterday Haze lingers for quite a long time on my skin. Very late in the development there is a bitter note matched with a slate-like minerality. These notes are identified as walnut bitters and orchard dust in the note list. They are much more common aromachemicals but the fancified names convey the feeling that in the end this story ends in bitterness and dust as there seems to be no happy ending.
Yesterday Haze has 14-16 hour longevity and above average sillage.
Mr. Meyer has “penned” a diverse collection which should find one volume to appeal to most. Take your time with the line and give each one a try. Somewhere within the ten stories there is probably one which will have the right ending for you. Yesterday Haze is definitely the one I want to read over again.
Disclosure: This review was based on a sample provided by Twisted Lily.
–Mark Behnke
