Imagination Louis Vuitton 2021

Soapy fresh perfume with outstanding performance.
Imagination is fresh but not simple is very elegant.
It's longevity and projection are incredible, a bit sharp but also pleasant.
At first it didn't seem like anything special to me, but I tried it servel times and decided to buy it.
Only for lovers of soapy fragrances.

I don’t leave reviews often, but this one inspired me based on the popularity of it in contrast with my experience.

The brief must’ve been “Jacques, make the most boring, pleasant, fresh scent reminiscent of laundry detergent.” Nailed it.

I’ve been wearing this one all week to see what the hype is about. Trying to find an excuse to buy a bottle, because dang it, it’s #1 on the men’s perfumes chart! I really wanted to give it a chance.

Opens nice enough with the citrusy top. If you dig deep enough you get the listed black tea note with a hint of cinnamon. After 30 minutes or so it dries down to some rather boring, pleasant, clean smell reminiscent of dryer sheets or fabric softener. Any rough edge has been carefully smoothed off. I don’t have much more to say than that. That’s what you get scent-wise.

There is nothing here that makes me feel anything. Nothing pulls at my heart. It never says “yes! Wear me today!” Nothing exciting about it, at all. And I think that’s exactly what the kind of people who like this are looking for. And that’s okay! Wear what you like when you like.

I could not imagine (pun intended) a scent more aimed at those looking for a blasé, über-pleasant, non-intrusive-under-any-circumstance, clean, fresh fabric softener smell. If that’s what you’re looking for, look no further. There’s not one person in the world that would find this in any way offensive (or attention-grabbing, for better or worse). It is the antithesis of Kouros and raw animalic ouds. It is, to me and my nose with my experience, the archetype of blah.

In any case, as a collector, it may end up in my collection some day simply because I have nothing else quite like it. For those days that I just want something… meh. Something that doesn’t alter my mood, or make me think, or distract me from the day’s tasks at hand. Heck, I might get it simply to spray down my clothes or bedding after they come out of the dryer. Would be perfectly suitable! Although I’m sure there are cheaper ways to do this…

Disclaimer: this is not intended as either a negative or positive review. It is only my thoughts as they are written down to best describe my personal experience with this perfume.

Edit: 1.5 years and 4 more 2ml samples later and my opinions have not changed. I actually find the original AdG EDT more complex, interesting and pleasurable to wear. For my tastes, I’d take that or Aventus or Elysium over Imagination every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Edit #2: purchased a bottle, wore half of it over 6 months, sold it. Not for me. Boring laundry dryer sheet scent. My review remains unchanged.

Before the pandemic and the blind buys, one would go to perfumery - tell the seller what he/she would like then get an advice and some testers to try -> purchase.

I have done this for many years and now everything has changed: Youtube, Parfumo and the power of suggestion are there.

I have taken 5ml from Imagination from a sharing and I was mega impressed how long lasting this can be, it was really performing for 7 - 8 in a classy manner, to tell you it´s there but not to disturb you like Interlude or even Ombre Nomade.

After few months I got a bottle as a gift from my beautiful wife and I am very glad about this new addition to my collection, however:

Is the scent so good and well blended or it is the aura of LV exclusivity and the power of suggestion because it is rated no. 1 on Parfumo?

I would say it´s a mix of both and if you would like to hear more about it, please check my video.

What surprises me about the reviews of this fragrance is how no one has mentioned how Japanese it is. Not in the Western sense, where Japanese associated notes are randomly thrown in like Hinoki, Sakura, Moss, etc.

This fragrance absolutely checks every box in the Japanese olfactory pallet. To me, this is an extremely light Fougere. If I had to make a mental image, Imagination would be a clear glass pane with the slightest green tint, freshly cleaned with a citrusy ginger spray . Although I’m not here to discuss each individual note, I will say to those curious, the tea aspect smells more like fresh green tea than black.

If you’ve ever been to Tokyo, this smells like the lobby of (my favorite) high end Tokyo hotel, small boutiques, and Ryokans. Fresh and herbaceous of the cleanest and most transparent quality. In my opinion, this is the quintessential Nihon fragrance for the Japanese audience, not for a foreigner looking for a Japanese themed scent. I think it would be a home run there.

Wearing it, I’m instantly transported back to Aoyama, alongside families, businessmen grabbing a quick bite, and trendy store clerks. Not the loud, rebellious, and tattooed lot of Shibuya- although I think the fragrance makes a tasteful juxtaposition with this type.

I’m describing myself a bit here, I imagine the person who wears this is a relaxed but refined young man, living alone in a ground floor apartment nestled in an alleyway of a busy Tokyo district. His apartment is small but organized and he tends to the many plants strung around his place and keeps everything clean. He plays indie folk on his acoustic guitar, and likes to watch the people go by. His life is simple and quiet, but he is content and happy to be a still and quiet observer of life flashing in front of him.

This is not the smell of imagination. It is the smell of acceptance of how insignificant and tiny one’s life is in the world but nonetheless joy and peace in simply existing. Imagination captures the soul of the observer, the rock that has watch the water flow down the same riverbed for a thousand years.

Wish it was Dior Sauvage though

I was so excited to try Imagination when I blind ordered it, especially after seeing all the hype and hearing Alan Ritchson say he 'loves this stuff.' But honestly, it was a big letdown. For the price, I expected something more, something that stood out. But it just doesn’t hit for me.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad-smelling fragrance, but it’s not particularly good either. It’s just... fresh and soapy.

The opening is a bright citrus, kind of refreshing, but it quickly turns into something that reminds me of a sharp lemon cleaning product. Overall, it smells flat, like a fancy soap or a high-end cleaner.

I gave it plenty of chances. I wore it for a full week when I first got it, and to be fair, I did get a few compliments. But I just can’t enjoy wearing this myself. Definitely not worth the price, at least for me.