Slow Explosions 2016

Slow Explosions by Imaginary Authors
We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.
6.9 / 10 188 Ratings
A perfume by Imaginary Authors for women and men, released in 2016. The scent is fruity-spicy. It is still in production.
Pronunciation
We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.

Main accords

Fruity
Spicy
Leathery
Floral
Smoky

Fragrance Notes

LeatherLeather AppleApple BenzoinBenzoin SaffronSaffron CashmeranCashmeran Rose absoluteRose absolute

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
6.9188 Ratings
Longevity
7.6148 Ratings
Sillage
7.1151 Ratings
Bottle
7.3150 Ratings
Value for money
7.163 Ratings
Submitted by Franfan20, last update on 07/25/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Cuir Cavalier by Parfums MDCI
Cuir Cavalier
Rudis by Nobile 1942
Rudis
Tendre Est La Nuit - clair by Majda Bekkali
Tendre Est La Nuit - clair
Cielito Lindo by Rasei Fort.
Cielito Lindo
Brera by Milano Fragranze
Brera
Safran Colognisé by Nishane
Safran Colognisé

Reviews

14 in-depth fragrance descriptions
7
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
7
Scent
Smellavision

205 Reviews
Smellavision
Smellavision
2  
Kinda like the kitchen utensil that you always forget...
... because it's placed in the back of your drawer - but every time you use it, you praise it's skills.

Slow Explosions opens with a very dry saffron, very different from others I've tried, bordering on dusty and almost medicinal, band-aid like and oudish. The saffron is then joined by a strong leather note as well as spices and later the rose joins in, slightly muted by the benzoin and without making it overly floral or feminine. The drydown is a musky benzoin and cashmeran affair, but I personally do not detect any apple notes as listed - funny thing is, my girlfriend says I smell like fermented apple when I wear, so it must be there. If i stretch my imagination, I can see how the saffron/leather opening depicts the smell of newly lit fireworks in an almost incense-like way and the spices give off an image of a bazaar or spice market. Projection for the first few hours is quite strong and after this it dries down quite quickly, while the projection settles in a state of closeness to your skin.

Overall, it is surely unusual, creative, unique and niche-like - if you are into stronger smoke-inspired scents, this one could be for you.
0 Comments
Delonwheels

42 Reviews
Delonwheels
Delonwheels
1  
This Is Like That Salad I Had That One Time
I got this in my Imaginary Authors Short Story collection because the reviews on That Other Site were all over the place and that intrigued me. I always bet on the weird little guy. Green apple? Leather? Saffron? Like all together?

I don't know why this works but it does. I wouldn't say it's incredibly well-blended (not that that is even necessarily bad or unintentional) as you can very distinctly smell suede, saffron, and apple. This fragrance reminds me of a fancy wedge salad I had in NOLA once that had a bunch of aromatic herbs on it, one of which was mint. Wedge salad is just iceberg lettuce, bleu cheese, tomatoes, and bacon. You wouldn't think that mint, bleu cheese, and bacon would compliment each other and if I had noticed that the menu listed mint I would never have ordered it. Yet I'm still talking about how good it was. That's this fragrance.

I do kind of get the chemical-y-ness that some other people have pointed out but to me it's faint and not that big of a deal. It kind of reminds me of vinyl.

The apple is persistent and doesn't disappear after 10 minutes. The leather isn't very strong - I would say it's apple and saffron with a little leather in the background.

Verdict: I will be buying a FB of this.

0 Comments
7
Pricing
7
Bottle
6
Sillage
8
Longevity
10
Scent
DressUpWitch

50 Reviews
DressUpWitch
DressUpWitch
1  
This has become my signature scent!
I'm not sure if it was bottle shock or that I was overwhelmed with other samples to try, but I completely overlooked this scent at first spray. Once I started wearing it I was hooked though. The tart apple stands out nicely and lasts all day. Paired with the rose and saffron, it almost comes through as berry for me.

One of my friends came over the other day, and the first thing she said when I opened the door was, "You smell good!"

I have to exercise some self-control not to wear this every day. I have so many other nice scents to wear, but this one really scratches an itch for me.
0 Comments
8
Pricing
8
Bottle
6
Sillage
7
Longevity
9.5
Scent
Banjeekundt

103 Reviews
Banjeekundt
Banjeekundt
1  
Fallen fruits
This perfume wasn't what I expected but I loved it anyway.

At first spray, the apple, leather and rose are apparent. It's leathery, a bit smoky, as well as tart and boozy in a way that borders on smelling like wine. The apple is green and sour, the rose is heady, and the leather gives it a rustic feel.

It reminded me of walking to church in the summer by this one tree that would drop its fruit all over the road. The fruit would be smashed and scattered everywhere, left to rot and ferment under the hot sun.

It remains this way for most of the wear, with the leather and apple notes fading as the wear progresses though the rose remains steady. I couldn't pick up on any saffron in this, nor any cashmeran. This lasted on my skin for a little less than eight hours.

Overall, this is a beautiful and nostalgic fragrance to me. Pretty linear but what it lacks in evolution it makes up for with sensation.
0 Comments
6
Pricing
5
Sillage
10
Longevity
7
Scent
LastWonder

483 Reviews
LastWonder
LastWonder
1  
Medicinal to Interesting
At first spray, I thought I wouldn't like this. It started off as medicinal or even metallic, with a peppery-ness to it. Then there is strong leather middle with bit of sweetness to it. The dry down is a powdery apple. Its very much like a firework, a chemical burst followed by beautiful colors. This scent lasted for a while, about 5 hours. I kept getting a whiff of it, even though it did not project very strongly.
0 Comments
More reviews

Statements

10 short views on the fragrance
MagpieMayMagpieMay 24 days ago
That cushion that you buy in a hippy shop that has its own smell but you can't quite pin it down. Hint of campfire.
0 Comments
KatzevogelKatzevogel 5 months ago
A sour fruit-forward scent, there's a slight smokey leather in the dry down but it's brighter than you'd expect.
0 Comments
Pandora22Pandora22 4 years ago
6
Sillage
8
Longevity
2
Scent
Yikes. Childhood low blood sugar episodes, complete with stomach pain from guzzling cheap apple juice. No thanks.
0 Comments
AsnikpohAsnikpoh 2 months ago
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
4
Scent
I think this is an objectively good scent, but not for me. The benzoin, cashmeran, and rose absolute come through the most for me.
0 Comments
gobtholemewgobtholemew 4 months ago
This smells like if you put a Cracker Barrel gift shop in the middle of a rose garden.
0 Comments
MaiavsMaiavs 8 months ago
6
Sillage
6
Scent
Spiced apple with leather and a hint of rose. Nothing that special, especially in comparison to their other scents
0 Comments
JpnerdJpnerd 12 months ago
Gorgeous spicy leathery rose with a spiced apple top note. Strength, elegance, and intrigue.
0 Comments
GavarrusGavarrus 1 year ago
8
Sillage
4
Scent
Dried fruits overpowered by sour, bitter leather. Reminds me a bit of Ambre Russe
0 Comments
FreshKatsuFreshKatsu 2 years ago
7
Bottle
6
Sillage
6
Longevity
7
Scent
The leather is so faint it's only there to make the sweetness palatable. Fruity and woody in a synthetic way but not unlikeable.
0 Comments
ZangaPFZangaPF 4 months ago
8
Bottle
8
Sillage
8
Longevity
5.5
Scent
Mainly get the trinity of green apple, rose, and leather. It's unpleasantly sour. I can see someone else pulling this off, but def not me.
0 Comments
More statements

Charts

This is how the community classifies the fragrance.
Pie Chart Radar Chart

Images

7 fragrance photos of the community
More images

Popular by Imaginary Authors

Memoirs Of A Trespasser by Imaginary Authors Saint Julep by Imaginary Authors Cape Heartache by Imaginary Authors Yesterday Haze by Imaginary Authors Every Storm A Serenade (2015) by Imaginary Authors The Cobra & The Canary by Imaginary Authors A City On Fire by Imaginary Authors Sundrunk by Imaginary Authors Fox in the Flowerbed by Imaginary Authors O, Unknown! by Imaginary Authors The Language of Glaciers by Imaginary Authors A Whiff of Waffle Cone (2023) by Imaginary Authors A Whiff of Waffle Cone (2020) by Imaginary Authors The Soft Lawn (2021) by Imaginary Authors Telegrama by Imaginary Authors Falling into the Sea by Imaginary Authors Whispered Myths by Imaginary Authors In Love With Everything by Imaginary Authors Bull's Blood (2023) by Imaginary Authors The Soft Lawn (2012) by Imaginary Authors