Imagination Louis Vuitton 2021

Bottle Design Marc Newson

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Top 1 in Men's Perfume

8.9 / 10 2102 Ratings

Imagination is a popular perfume by Louis Vuitton for men and was released in 2021. The scent is fresh-citrusy. It is being marketed by LVMH. Pronunciation

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Main accords

Fresh

Citrus

Aquatic

Spicy

Green

Fragrance Notes

Chinese black tea CO2

Calabrian bergamot

Ambrox

Ceylon cinnamon

Nigerian ginger

Sicilian cedar

Tunisian neroli

Perfumer

Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud

Videos

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Ratings

Scent

8.92102 Ratings

Longevity

7.92017 Ratings

Sillage

7.52014 Ratings

Bottle

9.01879 Ratings

Value for money

6.31798 Ratings

Submitted by OPomone, last update on 05.06.2023.

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17 in-depth fragrance descriptions

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10/30/2021

5
Pricing 9
Bottle 7
Sillage 8
Longevity 9.5
Scent

Benedikt2019

Translated Show original

Benedikt2019

Fuck...

longer nix written here - at least in long version, but now there is a fragrance that took a long time with me and just knocked me again really hard. Unfortunately, a very very expensive colleague, but, what the heck, for lovers of fragrances, there is "almost" no too expensive, then you have to take up stop ne credit...

Joa, the imagination, what is there to write - or say?
It all started with a simple sample, which I once applied and thought to myself: yep, it's quite nice...then off into the sample box (do you have something like that? A box that is full to the brim with samples?). Then I gave it another chance, possibly out of boredom, because I needed something else than my bottle fragrances. Also this time I was not immediately gone and away, but after a while I thought: wow, what ne horny cloud here always rises to my nose!!!

The fragrance is just perfectly balanced, everything is right here:
- It is tea-like, but not dominantly tea-like...
- He is fresh, but not biting, shower gel fresh...
- It is sensual, playful and cuddly, but not sultry or sweet...
- It's synthetically ambroxan-y, but rarely have I experienced such an obnoxious ambroxan...
- It's cinnamon-spicy, but without being cinnamon-spicy penetrating...
- It's citrusy, but backgroundy and not like classic citrusy scents...
- It is durable and has sillage, but without being too slaying, but finely balanced...

All lumped together, "Imagination" is really a fragrance to dream, it is aloof, sensual, dreamy, attractive, playful, masculine, flattering!

A tea scent that somehow isn't one...maybe everyone has to make their own imagination of this scent, for me it's just perfect! As a fan of woody-fresh scents, it's actually a miracle that was allowed to move in, right?

Have ne nice night and good dreams

06/11/2021

10
Pricing 10
Bottle 9
Sillage 9
Longevity 8.5
Scent

Patpow

Translated Show original

Patpow

Top Review 40

Simply JCB

Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud (JCB), born in Grasse in '62, is undisputedly one of the (living) legends of the perfume scene. He is said to have worked in the perfume industry since the age of 10 and to have created his first perfume at 18. He subsequently studied English and Romance languages and literature before following his father as a perfumer. From 1990 onwards, as part of his employment at Firmich, he was involved in the formulation of numerous iconic fragrances for the biggest houses, including Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera, Ermenegildo Zegna, Givenchy, Oscar de la Renta, Van Cleef & Arpels, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Lancôme, Nina Ricci and Paco Rabanne. Among others, he was involved in or solely responsible for the creation of such iconic fragrances as M7, L'eau D'Issey, Rive Gauche, Tuscan Leather and Noir de Noir. Among his greatest commercial successes is arguably Acqua di Gio by Giorgio Armani.

In 2012, JCB became chief perfumer (maître) at Louis Vuitton. The luxury fashion house is part of LVMH, the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy luxury group owned by Frenchman (and for a time the richest man on earth) Bernard Arnault. LVMH also owns Parfums Christian Dior, Acqua di Parma, Givenchy Parfums, Guerlain, Kenzo Parfums, Maison Francis Kurkdjian and Perfumes Loewe, among others.

After a series of excellent women's fragrances (Matière Noire, Rose des Vents, Turbulences, Apogée, Mille Feux, Dans la Peau, Contre Moi, Attrape-Rêves, Le Jour se Lève (the classification is according to Parfumo), JCB at LV turned to the creation of some of the most innovative men's or unisex perfumes of our time, a series that Imagination follows without a break: L'Immensité (2018), Au Hasard (2018), Orage (2018), Sur la Route (2018), Ombre Nomade (2018), Sun Song (2019), Cactus Garden (2019), Afternoon Swim (2019), Les Sables Roses (2019), Nuit de Feu (2020), Météore (2020), California Dream (2020), On The Beach (2021), Pur Oud (2021) - and finally Imagination (2021).

JCB's fragrance creations for LV are characterized by a special style, which the maître achieves by focusing on two elements in particular: Citrus and high-end Oud. Often with him, these two appear together (with leather, which is, however, less often found in the fragrance pyramid), occasionally dedicating an entire fragrance to one (e.g. On The Beach) or the other (e.g. Pur Oud). But his younger repertoire also includes smoky (Nuit De Feut) and floral (Mille Feux) fragrances. I consider his citrus fragrances to be particularly typical, which he either conceives as pure yuzu, orange, lemon or mandarin fragrances or combines very (!) skillfully with leather (Sur La Route) or other fragrance components (L'Immensité).

Imagination may be counted among the (not pure) citrus fragrances of JCB. He can be easily classified between Cactus Garden and Afternoon Swim: With the former it has (not only) its teen note in common, with the latter in particular the (slightly) aquatic freshness. Unlike Cactus Garden (bergamot and lemongrass) and Afternoon Swim (mandarin), the citrus part of Imagination is dominated by 'Sicilian lemon'. Compared to the 'pure' citrus fragrances, Imagination is 'softer' and 'rounder' due to cinnamon, wood and especially the (at least here unjustly feared) ambroxan. These 'broadening', softening and 'deepening' citrus components in the heart and base notes clearly set Imagination apart from citrus scents like On The Beach and California Dream. In that, again, it very clearly resembles Cactus Garden. The ambroxan also reminds one from a distance of non-JCB scents like Bleu de Chanel, but without (!) giving the impression that one has to perceive the scent through a dense, even almost scentless medium. Rather, the black tea note, especially in the top and heart notes, provides a clear, almost watery olfactory experience (and skilfully keeps the ambroxan, as a possibly more technical than olfactory fragrance component, in check). In the base finally dominate a sweetish bergamot and dry wood.

Since about 10 days Imagination is now in the trade. In the past two to three days could be observed that already a not inconsiderable number of (almost) full bottles in the souk have changed the or the owner*in. Insofar as this must be seen as a disappointment by some Parfumo or Parfuma, I would agree that the new Louis Vuitton is not the 'big hit'. JCB has spoiled his customers a lot and his latest fragrance is no exception within his previous body of work at LV. If I were to criticize anything myself, I would probably refer to the lack of citrus, as I also very much appreciate his pure citrus scents. Due to cinnamon, ambroxan and black tea (and in the absence of a slightly stronger citrus), Imagination may have turned out a bit too sweet? A second reason for complaint may be the slightly poorer durability of the fragrance, where JCB has shown with On The Beach that even pure 'Freshies' can last a very long time and have a very good sillage and an interesting development.

All this is but basically no problem if you appreciate the Louis Vuitton fragrances themselves. I am happy from the heart (as only we fragrance enthusiasts can do) that Maître Belletrud has remained true to his line and continues his series of the most innovative and modern men's and unisex fragrances of our time undaunted. This also allows me to remain faithful to it: an exceptional customer loyalty that no other house has managed to achieve before. So I'm glad that LV's head perfumer didn't 'go for the big time', but stuck with what he arguably believes to be the fragrance of our time - and I'm happy to agree with him for that statement.

To read:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Cavallier]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LVMH]
[https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumers/Jacques_Cavallier?current_page=1&order=y_asc]
[https://de.louisvuitton.com/deu-de/artikel/les-parfums-louis-vuitton-jacques-cavallier-belletrud]

06/07/2021

10
Bottle 7
Sillage 8
Longevity 8.5
Scent

Atanarjuat

Translated Show original

Atanarjuat

Top Review 26

Jacques!

In fact, I like the DNA of Cavallier-Belletrud fragrances under the thumb of the "Société par actions simplifiée" quite like, because they know fresh modernity often complemented with a certain twist and so often quite interesting compositions result.

This has always worked quite well for me in the men's LV perfumes launched since 2018 - and it still does. The Colognes are a little more one-dimensional and just don't have that little edge, yet I also have sympathies for Afternoon Swim and Cactus Garden in particular.
Why just the former a similarity to "Imagination" is attested, I do not really understand, rather still in small the Cactus Garden, whose soapiness and the proximity to the tea could have played a role.

The images between Iceland and sky, water and mist start bright and fresh and quite citrusy, less orangy in the top note. Not acrid, but bright and clear like undulating waters. In the heart we have the black tea, slightly spicy with ginger accents and hints of cinnamon - never smoky though, never resembling an Assam, but subtle and light. I see the classification "woody-spicy" above as exaggerated. The tea is also not drunk with milk (no iris, no sandalwood, no Lost Alice), seems rather watery-woody (guaiac) and the incense makes it float through mist.

A consideration towards signature scent potential is also conceivable, the DNA works all year round, might not make it through a strong winter so easily. For my part, however, I can imagine "Imagination" well in colder temperatures, without him ever reminding me of Christian festivals in December - on the contrary.

Of course "Imagination" is again Belletrud-typically in the popular mode on the way and of course he hits hereby probably again a mass taste. But then I don't care if I find it well done. And that's what I find.

Who is looking for an all-rounder without too common orange and yellow aesthetics with wood rip-off in the base, but does not reject them per se, is open to new old and old new, the / the is really well served in the latest work Cavallier-Belletrud.

09/06/2021

5
Pricing 9
Bottle 7
Sillage 8
Longevity 8.5
Scent

Schallhoerer

Translated Show original

Schallhoerer

Helpful Review 17

The summer scent in 2021

I would categorize Imagination as fresh-citrusy. But at heart it is for me a tea scent. And what a.

A look at the fragrance pyramid tells us right away that we are dealing with a LV of the fresh direction. Jacques Cavallier loves to use citrus notes. We have here in the top note Calabrian bergamot, Sicilian orange and Sicilian citron. Then in the heart notes we have Tunisian neroli, ceylon cinnamon and Nigerian ginger. The fragrance is based on a base note of Chinese black tea CO2 extract, ambroxan, guaiac wood and incense.

I get the full beauty of this citrus right off the bat in the opening. The top note lasts about 2-3 minutes until then the heart note comes in. From here on, the scent becomes a beautiful tea scent, enhanced by a tiny amount of cinnamon in the background. I was initially afraid that the cinnamon in the scent pyramid might get too sprawling and sweet. However, that is not the case here. Everything seems perfectly balanced. The ambroxan gives a minimal shower gel note, but remains well dosed and not scratchy. So it's no comparison to an ambroxan bomb like Meteore from the same house. The guaiac wood in the base note adds a bit more spice and profile to the fragrance towards the end. It remains but over the entire time an ungaublich refreshing tea scent with great coordinated citrus note that provide enough freshness.

The durability is absolutely convincing for a fresh fragrance of this kind on my skin. With 4-5 sprays I come without problems over a complete working day. 8 hours are no problem here. Of course, this can be different for everyone depending on temperature and skin. At me, the fragrance performs in any case excellent.

Let's get to the price. Personally, I feel all of the LV fragrances as overpriced. The trend of expensive "Privee series " of designers is but nothing new. Also Dior has raised the prices for the Privee series. Here one arrived meanwhile also with 220.00 EUR for 100ml. The same applies to Chanel or also the Le Gemme series of Bvlgari. Here, too, you have to dig deeper into your pocket. Whether that is justified, only everyone can decide for themselves. As a big fan of tea scents I could not get past Imagination.

Alternatives would be, for example, Wulong Cha by Nishane. Also a tea fragrance. But this one goes more in a natural direction and less in expensive niche shower gel like the Loius Vitton. The Nishane comes as an extrait de parfum and costs under 100€ for 50ml at the usual discounters. If you then consider the even better perfomance of Wulong Cha, then this is an excellent alternative to Imagination. The Wulong Cha lasts with 2-3 sprays easily 10-12 hours on my skin. An inexpensive alternative would be the 78 Vintage Green by Banana Republic. Also a fresh tea scent that goes in a similar direction to the two mentioned, but is already available for 30€ and 75ml. Here, however, you have to be satisfied with a weaker performance. After 5h, the fragrance unfortunately runs out of breath.

Imagination has convinced me in any case on the full line. LV has published here in my opinion the most beautiful summer fragrance of this year.

07/07/2021

6
Pricing 9
Bottle 8
Sillage 8
Longevity 5
Scent

Ischgelroi

Translated Show original

Ischgelroi

Unfortunately another weak Louis Vuitton

I bought with first a bottling and then a bottle, because I was fascinated by this fresh top note.

The whole thing went like this: I sprayed 2 sprays of my bottling on my arm and smelled it. Briefly, I was like in a trance from this great top note. So I bought me even if this is stupid, in the souk a bottle. After about 1-2 hours, I already noticed on my arm that this great top note had disappeared and disappointment was already spreading. Unfortunately, this disappointment was increasingly stronger and lasted until the end.
Now to the fragrance itself so you can understand my criticism better:

Imagination has as it also stands in the description a beautiful note of black tea combined with orange, bergamot and lemon. Here you can really think here can not go wrong much which is also true, but this strong Nerolinote is here unfortunately out of place and creates it increasingly destroy the top note. I already know the nerol note from Sun Song, On The Beach and Mètèore. In Mètèore, this nerol note doesn't really bother me, but in Sun Song, On The Beach and Imagination, it just destroys the top note for me. The teen note of Imagination somehow disappears in the further course and can only be smelled marginally. Imagination is after about 1 hour at a point where I really have to say yawnnnn !!!! Normally I don't say something like that directly but Imagination bubbles along for the next few hours.

Unfortunately, I find Imagination all along the line failures, because it the advertised Teenote, ginger and cinnamon just do not manage to assert themselves against the Neroli. The whole thing leads to a kind of 4711 with a teen note. It's just not what I was hoping for and unfortunately this is only because of the neroli note. This Nerolinote makes for me the whole fragrance unharmonious.

The durability is good, however. I could perceive Imagination 8 hours on my skin. The silage is here also solid at about an arm's length well perceptible for 4-5 hours.
I was really looking forward to this new Louis Vuitton. Unfortunately, I was here but hard
disappointed. Imagination is unfortunately a flop for me.

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