I was excited to see this but wasn’t expecting it so soon after the release of Yesterday Haze 2nd Edition. Imaginary Authors typically does two releases a year with either a reformulation or a limited edition fragrance for a third one. If they follow the pattern this is their last release for 2026, but I would t be surprised if they had another Holiday promotion. Anyway, it is very woody and reminds me a lot of cape Heartache but without the powdery strawberry note. The focus is on woods and petrichor (the smell of rain on damp ground after a downpour). It’s been rainy and grey for the last few days, so this makes perfect sense for the weather. So far I’m really enjoying it. These kinds of scents resonate very well with me, and it will definitely be a fall and spring staple. The bottle is beautiful, too. I have yet to see the movie it’s inspired by, but all indications are that its extraordinary. And just for fun, do yourself a favor and shout “Petrichor!!” Like Michael Scott doing parkour in the office. You will never hear the note the same way again.

Today I’m wearing Gustavo by Montagne Parfums. This is what I’d call a tobacco freshie. You get that crisp, almost mountain-air freshness up front, with citrus, green juniper and a little spice. Then the tobacco and soft suede come through. Think tobacco leaf with a breeze running through it. It stays clean and airy, with just enough warmth underneath to keep it interesting. How close is it to the OG? Montagne lists the original Ormonde Jayne Montabaco as the inspiration. A lot of the side-by-side comparisons are with Montabaco Intensivo, which is the richer version. From those comparisons, Gustavo comes across brighter and greener, while Intensivo has more of that dry tobacco and suede. They seem to get closer once they settle. If what you like about Montabaco is that mix of fresh air and tobacco, Gustavo gets the idea across. Performance: The reports I’ve seen vary. Some get 3-4 hours of projection, while others say it’s already sitting close by hour 3. The sillage sounds more like occasional wafts than a big trail. Some still catch it around hour 6 and can smell it up close at 8 hours or more. That’s a good example of how a fragrance can last without projecting the whole time. I’d carry a decant if I wanted to bring that fresh opening back later. I am at hour 5 and can still feel it projecting and still getting it in the air. At $40 for this scent profile and not remembering how the original smelled this does what it needs to do for me, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. For those days that I want something different. And the bonus was I wasn’t looking for a heavy tobacco scent.

Part 17: A Fragrance Must Change Dramatically to Be Well Made THE MYTH "If a fragrance smells pretty much the same from the opening to the drydown, it’s too simple to be well made." THE REALITY A fragrance can hold on to the same recognizable character for most of the wear and still be beautifully blended. That’s what people usually mean when they call a fragrance linear. THE EXPLANATION In Part 12, I talked about giving a fragrance time before judging it. Sometimes that extra time reveals a completely different side. Sometimes it confirms that the part you liked in the opening is still there a few hours later. I’m good with either outcome if I enjoy what I’m wearing. Imagine a dry, woody fragrance with a little pepper up front and a soft musk underneath. An hour in, the pepper has eased off and the musk is easier to pick out, but the fragrance still smells like the same dry woods you liked when you sprayed it. It’s changed in emphasis without changing its identity. That’s where I think the word linear gets a bad rap. It describes how much the scent changes during wear. It doesn’t tell me how many materials went into it, how well they’re balanced, or whether I’ll find the scent boring. For me, there are days when I want a fragrance that takes a few turns and surprises me in the drydown. There are also days when I reach for something because I know exactly what I want to smell like. If I picked a fragrance for its clean woods, I might be happy those woods are still front and center by lunchtime. A dramatic transition can be part of what makes a fragrance memorable. But if I love the opening and dislike what I’m left with for most of the day, all that development hasn’t made it a better wear for me. THE TAKEAWAY Give the fragrance a full wear. Notice what changes, what stays, and whether you enjoy the parts you spend the most time with. If you still enjoy the same character a few hours later, that consistency can be one of the fragrance’s strengths.

17. Limit how many fragrances you test at one time This is something I’ve learned the hard way: the more fragrances you smell back-to-back, the harder it becomes to really judge any of them properly. At first, everything may smell clear and easy to separate. But after several fragrances, your nose starts getting tired, and the scents begin running together. That’s when I notice I’m having a harder time picking out the differences, especially once I start dealing with similar woods, ambers, florals, musks, or sweeter fragrances. I’d rather test a smaller group and pay attention to them than try to smell 15 or 20 fragrances in one sitting and remember everything afterward. If I’m in a store, I’ll usually start with paper strips or cotton rounds to narrow things down. Once I find the ones that really interest me, I put those on my skin and spend more time with them. And when my nose starts getting tired, I stop. I’ll step away, get some fresh air, smell a clean shirt or neutral piece of cloth, and come back later instead of forcing myself to keep testing. I also like keeping the sprayed cotton rounds separated in small zip bags so I can revisit them later. That way I don’t feel like I have to make a decision while I’m standing at the counter. For me, fragrance testing isn’t about how many fragrances I can smell; it’s about how well I can evaluate the ones I’m actually interested in. Sometimes testing fewer fragrances tells you a lot more.

Love this fragrance. On first sniff exactly 1/3 second ago can’t wait to rock this!!!