Imagination 2021

Imagination by Louis Vuitton
Bottle Design:
Marc Newson
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Ranked 1 in Men's Perfume
8.9 / 10 6555 Ratings
A popular perfume by Louis Vuitton for men, released in 2021. The scent is fresh-citrusy. It is being marketed by LVMH.
Pronunciation
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Main accords

Fresh
Citrus
Aquatic
Green
Spicy

Fragrance Notes

Chinese black tea CO2Chinese black tea CO2 Calabrian bergamotCalabrian bergamot AmbroxAmbrox Ceylonese cinnamonCeylonese cinnamon Nigerian gingerNigerian ginger Sicilian cedarSicilian cedar Tunisian neroliTunisian neroli

Perfumer

Videos
Ratings
Scent
8.96555 Ratings
Longevity
7.86294 Ratings
Sillage
7.66276 Ratings
Bottle
8.76024 Ratings
Value for money
6.25862 Ratings
Submitted by OPomone, last update on 05/22/2025.

Smells similar

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Reviews

291 in-depth fragrance descriptions
3
Pricing
4
Bottle
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
3
Scent
DrPepe

15 Reviews
DrPepe
DrPepe
Very helpful Review 7  
Huge disappointment...
I couldn't wait to try this perfume, I was expecting the most beautiful fresh scent ever, but having learned the experience before buying, I had to try it. And? Shock.
It literally smells like expensive glass cleaner, has a bit of soap, shower gel and shaving foam. Sometimes it even gives the impression of freshly washed laundry. I can't understand the hype.
Performance is pretty average.
The perfume is not to my taste.
I bought Afternoon Swim but I regretted, but it's definitely better than Imagination.
0 Comments
10
Pricing
10
Bottle
8
Sillage
9
Longevity
10
Scent
Razvanyke

214 Reviews
Razvanyke
Razvanyke
Very helpful Review 7  
Is it that good?
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.
1 Comment
6
Pricing
7
Bottle
8
Sillage
9
Longevity
7
Scent
ScottMcArron

11 Reviews
ScottMcArron
ScottMcArron
Helpful Review 6  
The archetype of blah
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.
0 Comments
3
Pricing
8
Bottle
6
Sillage
6
Longevity
6
Scent
XFengShui

3 Reviews
XFengShui
XFengShui
7  
A Sheer Lack of Imagination
When I first got into fragrance as a hobby, Imagination had been well established as being a fragrance that people point to as being their favorite, or for being one of the best of all time. At that point in time, I had a strong bias against Louis Vuitton and was unwilling to see what all the hype was about. Fast forward to 2025, I find myself in the thick of trying everything in their lineup in order to expand my horizons a bit. I had very low expectations for Imagination having smelled it a couple times on a blotter card, and these mostly held up throughout my sample session.

In the opening, a sharp citrusy note immediately hits your nose with a black tea note that accompanies it and rushes in right behind it. This reminded me of what Cactus Garden did in its opening, where the bergamot combined with the lemongrass note completely took over the opening few minutes before the maté note kicks in. At this point, the very low expectations I had for Imagination were surpassed, and despite its similarity to another fragrance they had done in the past, I didn’t mind wearing this at all.

In the air was a different scent to what I was getting directly on skin. Instead of the citrusy tea scent, I was getting the very soapy neroli note in the air and what I thought was a hint of ambroxan, as the neroli didn’t come off as being by itself to my nose. It reminded me of a soapy neroli with a dash of Sauvage Eau de Toilette or Versace pour Homme Dylan Blue Eau de Toilette splashed into it. I didn’t like this scent as much as what I smelled closer to my skin in the opening, and as I would soon come to realise, I should’ve cherished that skin scent for as long as I could.

In the midpoint of the fragrance, the sharp citruses that were seen in the opening were all but a memory now, and it seemed like it took the black tea note down with it. Now that remained was the hand soap scent from the neroli and any shreds of the faint ambroxan that remained with it. If I had to describe this soapiness, it would be akin to that of Softsoap’s aquarium hand soap; clear hand soap with goldfish printed inside of it.

Later on in the drydown the faint ambroxan smell has completely faded and the only scent that remained was the same soapy neroli that has been present all throughout the fragrance’s lifespan. Soapiness in a fragrance is not a bad smell by any means, however what soapiness in fragrance makes up for in being a safe scent, it lacks in being imaginative or creative.

Some say they get all day longevity from this fragrance, I don’t see it. The sillage was about what was expected but the longevity was just as average. I can’t say I was overall underwhelmed by Imagination, as there wasn’t much of any real expectations to begin with. But, with the somewhat interesting note breakdown this thing has, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I wish this was better than it ended up being.
1 Comment
8
Pricing
9
Bottle
9
Sillage
9
Longevity
9
Scent
Moshikoko

80 Reviews
Moshikoko
Moshikoko
5  
Beyond imagination
Without a doubt one of the more modern perfumes in the citrus-soap scent genre.

I don't believe there is a need to expand too much.

The performance of this perfume is also great compared to other summer scents. The kind of perfume that I believe I will buy again after I run out of the bottle.

9/10.
0 Comments
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Statements

102 short views on the fragrance
ArtistscentArtistscent 3 years ago
8
Bottle
6
Sillage
8
Longevity
7.5
Scent
This is only voted no.1 in Men's perfume because of lemming behaviour. This is a fine perfume, but it's not worth the money or the laudation
1 Comment
EstbienlaEstbienla 4 years ago
6
Bottle
6
Sillage
6
Longevity
7.5
Scent
Good scent. Quite simple is well done. Nothing new to my nose. Quite common. It should be sold 60% cheaper.
0 Comments
ScmemoryScmemory 2 years ago
10
Bottle
5
Sillage
4
Longevity
5
Scent
I am sorry but this one is Overhyped. Whisper of citrus and tea. Boring one from the LV line for me along with Meteore
3 Comments
MauwMauw 3 years ago
6
Bottle
8
Sillage
10
Longevity
7.5
Scent
A violent Arnold Palmer. Maybe it smells good in the air, but while wearing it you are trapped in a prison devoid of any breathable air.
1 Comment
Mhanna1013Mhanna1013 3 years ago
Smell like soap, very bad smell for me, I didn't like it
0 Comments
AlishereAlishere 2 years ago
7
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
5.5
Scent
Overhype
u get black tea with bergamot and ginger
After that u get soapy notes like dove pink bar soap
Similar to bdc line but more soapy
1 Comment
IllParagraphIllParagraph 30 days ago
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
8
Scent
Soapy-clean, fresh, crisp & mass appealing. Classic but rooted in modernity. Unsexy like a good looking person to whom you're not attracted
0 Comments
Dapound01Dapound01 2 months ago
1
Bottle
1
Sillage
1
Longevity
1
Scent
I bought it expecting to love it.
Fragrance was weak and nothing special.
This is about as overhyped and overpriced as they come. I gladly traded it.
0 Comments
ZeinseZeinse 29 days ago
3
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Very nice soapy, citrusy fresh /ginger fragrance and versatile. However the price is insane and feels more a status fragrance than anything.
0 Comments
DevilJuiceDevilJuice 2 months ago
1
Bottle
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
10
Scent
Smells like unicorn semen!!!!! Addictive modern masterpiece. This one grows on you and its different
0 Comments
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