Hey Posse, Still getting my sniff on these amazing decants I bought from Surrender To Chance. There have been a few that I didn’t feel enough about to write anything good, or bad. Today though we meet Fox in the Flowerbed by Josh Meyer. One of perfumery’s hot, cool kids
Fox in the Flowerbed by Imaginary Authors 2021
Imaginary Authors give these featured accords:
Jasmine, Tulips, Frankincense, Wildflower, Honey, Pink Peppercorns, Silver Thistle, Alpine Air
In my mind I was expecting something super animalic with flowers to take away the sting.
The opening is flowers, a bit narcissus-ish but really quite a decadent jasmine. Not that heady, eye rolling, indolic jasmine but a cool clear facet. It is strong and smooth. Also, you know when you break the stem of a tulip? That wet, cool, green wateriness so full of life? There’s that too. There is a very slight fizz of pink pepper and I am waiting for honey to arrive and turn the fragrance into a pissy sweet naughtiness.
I’m in the perfume room and Jin is cooking in the kitchen. There is about 10 meters between us and an L shaped corridor. One spritz of Fox in the Flowerbed and two minutes later he asked me what I just spritzed. Yep, it’s got projection and sillage.
So the jasmine also has moments of clean honeysuckle as we head towards the heart. Not that OTT honeysuckle though, in Fox in the Flowerbed it is well mannered and house trained. HA! I just had a Patou Joy moment, the vintage stuff. there are correlations. How is rose not a note?
Having worn this a few times this is the first time i’ve sat down and tried to analyse what it is that makes Fox in the Flowerbed so wondrous. Putting into words how this fragrance flies is a hard job and I’m not sure you are getting the full picture from me. Seriously, I started writing this post in JUNE! It is beautiful, seems seamlessly blended and has excellent projection and longevity. Not for the faint of heart, you will be seriously fragrant for the first few hours. Yes, HOURS!
Lastly, as the dry down comes through there is a lovely bubble gum note that makes everything super fun and turns the fragrance on its head, add a little bit of something like Play Doh but not really and Fox in the Flowerbed trails off into the distance. I spritz it in the morning and there are still whiffs lingering at 11pm.
I wrote about Cape Heartache recently here on Posse too.
So…. Would you, could you or have you tried Fox in the Flowerbed?
Portia xx
so I have been stalking the blog for the past several weeks after falling into the fragrance rabbit hole several months back, never commented but had to today since my sample of Fox in the Flowerbed by IA arrived this afternoon and I have spent the past couple of hours or so snuffing at my wrist in delight. It really is a lovely scent, sun-warmed green garden florals but it doesn’t stray into “I just mowed the lawn and rolled in the clippings” territory. Also fell in love with Memoirs of a Trespasser from IA, it makes me think of bourbon flavored kisses by a fireplace. It’s currently residing on my other wrist, getting equal adoring sniffs and sighs of delight. Pretty sure my family thinks I’m off my rocker.
Welcome to the craving KayKay,
I hope your time in perfume land is fun. You’ll meet some wonderful people in your time here.
YAY! Love that you’re enjoying a couple of the Imaginary Authors fragrances, they are a happily weird outfit that never fails to surprise.
HA! Everyone’s family in the perfume rabbit hole thinks we are barmy.
Portia xx
I have appreciated some Imaginary Authors stuff, so I’d love to try this one! Sometimes jasmine smells a bit like grape candy, so maybe that’s where that bubble gum note came from. I’m totally crushing on an IA scent called The Soft Lawn which is grassy, yes, but also has a note of freshly opened tennis balls! I swear to you, it is uncanny. Fox in the Flowerbed sounds great. Love a floral that doesn’t immediately fade.
Hi DinaC,
Was the Soft Lawn one of their early ones? I feel like I smelled and loved it.
Portia xx
Despite sampling many, I’ve never enjoyed Imaginary Authors fragrances, they all dry down to the same base on my skin. True story, we had a real fox visitor in our flowerbed just yesterday! He jumped the six foot fence to hang out in our backyard!
WOW! That is the Nadia Com?neci of foxes Kathleen!! They are canny.
Portia xx
I have a small sample of this. I love it, but it IS strong and I’ve hesitated to wear it anyplace I’ll be in close contact with others, which describes a lot of my places, really. I adore jasmine, but not everyone does, and few of the people I see regularly wear perfume at all ( I need more local scented friends!)
MaggieCat,
You could start a Perfume Meet Up Group in your area. Meet somewhere local. Have a cuppa and a sniff with a natter.
Portia xx
Great idea for 2023! There was a local group here for a while, but it kind of fell apart. Its worth a try though!
I love Fox in the Flowerbed, as soon as I sampled it I knew I wanted it. That pure, soaring jasmine! Something about it, the alpine air? smells just like early spring here in the Midwest. But on me, I get maybe an hour, with little projection. There’s a body oil too that I purchased, even layering the two doesn’t give me more longevity. I wish I got what you get, Portia! I do spritz the Fox frequently just for a moment of random happiness.
BUMMER Rosarita,
Isn’t it strange how differently perfumes live on our bodies?
Portia xx
That name alone would be worth a go except that the IA fragrances I’ve already tried have all been a no. There’s a great book series here, Rivers of London, which includes large talking foxes. It’s well worth a look (Ben Aaronovitch).
Hey Cinnamon,
A magic fairytale or lives of the foxes?
Portia xx
Hard to explain. Based on the rivers of London having goddesses and the foxes are part of the story lines.
We love that series and have spent a few evenings listening to it as an audiobook! It’s a wonderful mix of urban mystery built on top of the mystical world in London.
Thanks Cinnamon and ElizaC,
Sounds very intriguing.
Portia xx
I’m constantly tempted by this brand but all the pretentious blurb makes me want to rattle Josh until he or his underling writes the bloody books!
Is this really Joy(ous)? Vintage Joy(ous)? Real vintage Joy is getting as rare as rocking horse sh1t & the £££ being asked can be ludicrous. Obviously in the UK at least some Tory donor or Oligarchs wife/girlfriend is stinking the place up wearing ALL the vintage good stuff.
Anyways, if Josh or his Ghost wrote the books would I try/buy the range? If I could sample first maybe cos I haven’t really read any bad reviews or, even worse for me, any meh ones!
HA! Alityke, all perfume is pretentious blurb. I’ve been laughing about a lot of it for years.
It would be fun if there really were books, even novellas.
I think a sample set would probably be enough for you to enjoy their madcap beauty.
Portia xx
Hmmm. You had me until bubblegum.
Sorry Tom.
It’s very pretty and the gum adds a really fun twist. I’d not have picked this for you really. Have you tried Cape Heartache?
Portia xx
Love this one, it was a very successful blind buy. So pleasant and easy to wear!
Agreed TaraC,
It is both those things.
Longevity is out of this world too.
Portia xx