Cape Heartache

As a born and raised PNW native who recently moved far from home, this perfume genuinely, honestly reminds me of home. It makes me feel wistful. My only gripe is, I don't know if it's me, but I feel like it doesn't last long at all. Maybe a few hours at best. And it's very low projection/sillage. However, I haven't actually worn it since I've moved to the midwest (it's currently summer,) so maybe it smelled so much like my surroundings back home that I went noseblind to it. For what it's worth, the people who have smelled it on me–pretty much exclusively people I've hugged/sat very close to–all loved it. I just wish it was a little more potent. Also, I genuinely forgot there was supposed to be strawberry in this perfume–I've never once noticed it on me. It smells very woody and has a fresh note, reminiscent of fog, but no strawberry. Chalk that up to body chemistry.

To me, IA uses an interesting dry, almost bitter woody accord that I find and like in some of their fragrances. I smell it in Memoirs, Yesterday's Haze, In Love with Everything, and this one. It's hard for me to imagine a damp and fresh forest with this one; more like an old diner on an overcast day. I like this one :)

Man the strawberry and vanilla in this are so interesting. Mixed with the pine it creates this beautiful spicy smooth amber accord. Addictive as hell

Again, it must be noted, that the 'hemlock' in Cape Heartache, and in most other perfumery (...though seemingly not Jo Malone's Hemlock & Bergamot) is the conifer hemlock (Tsuga), in this case the western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) of northwestern North America, ...NOT the poisonous Apiaceous herb hemlock (Conium maculatum), of Socrates fame/infamy. Just today, I had to point out this same error in the note pyramid for Pineward's Brokilän, though the species used in that case is the mountain (or black) hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana). Anyway, this Cape Heartache is a resinously sweet blend of conifer oils (afore-mentioned hemlock, pine, and douglas-fir) and a syrupy sweet strawberry jam accord. The image this generates is breakfasting on strawberry pancakes in a forested campground, which is indeed a an exceptionally pleasurable image. Cape Heartache is mostly just that, ...but if you're enjoying it, that is quite enough. The effect also reminds me of Siberian pinecone jam, though this is much more berry-forward than that. Another fun fact: the light tonality of vanilla in this scent is meant to reference the northwestern forest herb, vanilla-leaf (Achlys triphylla), though Achlys actually derives it's hay-like sweetness from coumarin (like tonka), rather than vanillin. Also note, though Philip Sava's Cape Heartache may be imaginary, Cape Disappointment, at the mouth of the Columbia in River is very real, as are its two lighthouses, both vaguely similar to the one shown on the bottle. Edit: That sweet piney strawberry jam has stayed on my left hand all afternoon, ...and now it is night. It only grew more softly yummy with time.

I tried this on a tester trip only and will not be trying this on skin. I am jealous of all the folks who see this as a realistic pine scent, or an enchanted forest... All I get is hyper-intense church incense at Christmas time combined with the taste of the pink numbing gel dentists use (which I think is the too cloying and artificial strawberry note). As someone who does love forest-y, pine-y scents, there is nothing natural, warm, or inviting about this to me. Definitely not a blind buy. Could not even recommend.

fascinated by the way people who are from oregon love this, and everyone else hates it. as a portland native living on the river next to a forest, whose favorite permanent salt and straw flavor is strawberry balsamic vinegar and black pepper, i'm firmly on team 'bathe me in this sh!t Right Now, please!' i would wear this year round, but it's really giving spring and summer to me, surprised to see so many people saying the opposite. edit: i tried this on again a few days later, and did feel that the pine note was REALLY scratchy and abrasive- i have fondness for that type of chemical pine sol vibe, but it did ping to me 'wow, this is technically very unpleasant. i hope nobody around me is pissed about this smell....' so maybe it's not as wearable as i thought. i still enjoy it, but probably would not spend full price to have it in my collection.

the synthetic strawberry is so strong and just awful really paired with the hemlock. any pine notes feel synthetic along with the strawberry and this is just headache inducing. its certainly an uncomfortable combo and I will be nourishing a migraine now. had to give my wrist a wash after trying. pure unsettling nausea instead of a sweet forest

this with acqua di gio profondo parfum smells like a sea breeze pine forest. Either like a misty oregon coast, or if you live on the east coast like me, an early september, late august North Maine coastline.

This one has the usual imaginary authors dry down that most of their fragrances have, a cloying sweet woodsy base that sticks around on your skin forever and it has turned me off this brand for now. This was the last sample I finished from the discovery set and Im so glad its over!

Cape heartBREAK for forest lovers... I had dreamed of smelling Cape Heartache for a long time. When I finally got a sample, I tested it on paper. YUCK! The opening was loud, artificial strawberry that completely overwhelmed everything else. I was hoping it was just on paper, so I gave it a proper skin test. The opening on skin was a pleasant surprise. Much more balanced. The strawberry wasnt the bright, candy-like kind anymore. Now it reminded me of tiny wild strawberries growing on the forest floor, surrounded by green leaves and damp pine needles For the first time, I could actually smell the forest! Hurray! Dark wet pines, dark woods, an autumnal atmosphere. Not photorealistic, still had a perfumey quality tho. But it carried the same nostalgic, atmospheric feeling I found in its sibling, The Abandoned Mansion. I was excited. Fleeting happiness… Because unfortunately, that didn't last. As it dried down, the forest slowly disappeared. Became masculine, synthetic strawberry fragrance. Lost everything that had made the opening feel special. What a shame :(

its a very realistic balsamic scent. if you want to smell like a christmas tree this is perfect for you. i feel that it smells exactly identical to a room spray that i have for the christmas seasons. It's definitely a great scent if you love the smell of balsam fir. definitely NOT blind buy safe though. I'd recommend getting the 2ml sample of it from their website.

Smells like a sweet version of pine sap, very warm and inviting. The notes are still clear after wearing it for longer periods of time, it makes me feel like I'm sitting by the fireplace while the windows are open and the Oregon forest air is wafting through. One of my favorites, if not my all time favorite.. highly recommend!!

fresh pine and woods, faintly sweet. like stepping into crisp morning air at the cottage. as it settles, the vanilla becomes more prominent, while still lushly green. the bitter, tart, strawberry is faint, but brought forward greatly layered with a strawberry scent. wish it lasted longer. a rich green, and beautifully sweet.

Smells exactly like the PNW. A lot of people say it's reminiscent of Twin Peaks, but I think it smells too normal to me-it's more like a hike on the Oregon coast. Tragically doesn't last too long on me, but I wear it whenever I'm homesick.

The opening and mid are fantastic on this. It has a wonderful earthy resinous fur and pine fragrance with just a hint of strawberry in the beginning, but after the woods fade away that strawberry becomes very dominant and sticks around, especially on clothes. Personally I would’ve liked just a hint of strawberry the entire progression. To me the strawberry just gets stronger and it goes unisex leaning feminine. More so on clothes than skin. I’ve smelled the semi fake strawberry lasting on clothes up to two or three days. Ultimately, this is a very interesting fragrance, but the overpowering strawberry becoming the main accord later on eclipses everything else. It’s still good but not something I’m going to want to wear too often.

This is sweeter than I thought

I’ll start by saying i absolutely love this perfume. before spraying it i sniffed the bottle and it smelled kinda sweet so i was surprised and curious as to what it would smell like after spraying. af first spray i was immediately transported to my childhood. my brother and i used to sled down a hill in our neighborhood but we would have to push through two big pine trees. the smell reminded me of all the little pine needles that fall around the tree and get damp by the snow. and then the fresh pine smell as we would push past the trees and slide down the hill. it almost made me emotional to smell it! it does have a little bit of an incense note in the beginning but that sort of wears off pretty quickly. i mainly get a super realistic pine tree smell. it smells like walking through the forest in the fall. stepping on dry leaves and mossy patches of earth. as for the strawberry note, i actually don’t smell it at all. i have heard people say it smells unrealistic or fake strawberry chapstick but i literally don’t smell strawberry at all. there’s a slight sweetness to the whole perfume that makes it feel wearable without being sickly sweet by any means. take it from me i hate gourmands and vanilla cupcake type smells. overall i adore this perfume and i can’t wait to wear it this fall!

There's the pine and the strawberry but its far fainter than the woody, almost incensy scent to it. It's like I walked into a church in the middle of a pine forest. Very unexpected since the usual incense notes aren't part of it.

Imaginary Authors has blown me away; this scent is exactly what I imagine walking through an enchanted forest would smell like. You get a blast of pine mellowed out with a juicy strawberry. This is another fragrance that just shows how amazing Imaginary Authors can be. Projection 5/10 Scent 9/10

i don't get any woody notes. there's something sweet and warm about it, almost cloying, definitely heavy. it reminds me of a men's perfume, but can't think which one. might work for other people; just not for me.

This has the scent of pine wood by a lake surrounded by trees in Scandinavia with the last strawberries of the season still being present. It is lovely but a bit weak compared to Imaginary Authors other scents.

Very true to the listed notes, it's like bathing in rich pine resin and strawberry. Personally a huge fan of the sappy, fir body. My only wish is if there were slightly less strawberry (do not know how others have said they don't smell any strawberry). It's teetering on too sweet for how deep / powerful the rest of the scent profile is. The pine forest feel is there in spades, you won't be wanting for more woody green. To describe it in a feeling, it's like a day spent woodworking and your hands are tacky from all the resin. Like earning the respect of the forest through labor. Then you have a strawberry lollipop afterwards. The sileage is very healthy, and the longevity matches it. 6-8 hours is right when I start to notice any decay. I really enjoy this one, not an every day pick, but certainly remains in the rotation in the cooler parts of the year.

like a cold breeze rushing through a boreal forest, spooking you from behind picking wild strawberries

This one is quite fascinating, mossy and green in the cold and invitingly, fruity sweet in the heat.

One of my favorites in spring fall or winter to wear avoid wearing in summer,🌲I've searched fragrances everywhere for a long lasting realistic forest scent& this is the only one.My true forest fairy scent! Adventures in nature 💚 I love how it doesn't smell like a men's cheap colonge,like most pine scents, and it doesn't smell like cleaner,it's running through the forest hunting witches as they bow to me,hehehe like the movie hanzel & gretal the witch hunters ⚔️ except this is realistic & beautiful captures God's nature perfectly 🌲🌲🌲I love to swing through the trees.

I really wanted to like this but when I smelled it all I could think of was “ew what the hell”

I really don't get strawberry at all, but otherwise I do like it! Very natural and wearable, like you just came out of a 3 hour hike through a covered forest canopy (but without the sweat). Reminds me of a summer camp, sitting around the campfire when all you can smell are the coniferous trees.

disappointing, get no strawberry and it's purely just woody and pine notes, which isn't horrible but not what I expected

more piney than it is strawberry, kinda disappointed but its still very pleasant

on a mission to prove to myself that theres alterative to stora skuggan pine before i buy a bottle of that... for this i just got the haylike pine but my coworkers at a distance only got strawberry candy. interesting mix. prob wouldnt buy a full bottle, but its a fun one.