Slow Explosions

it’s so easy for leather to be overpowering in a perfume but this one does it PERFECTLY. it’s such a pretty mix of smoky leather and apple, reminds me of baked apples without the sugar and fall nights spent near the fireplace :) big fan big fan

Apple. Just cloying apple. On my skin, at least.

Out of 20 samples from the brand, this is in the top 5 Weirdly, this smells like what I thought A City On Fire would smell like (that one ended up smelling like burnt sausage, sadly). I don't know why it feels so smokey to me. But I get smoke, leather, rose and spices, with a bright touch from the apple. It's interesting, is it wearable? Honestly yes, contrary to many of the brands which are interesting but not at all wearable. Unisex leaning masculine. 7/10

This did not like my skin chemistry. First notes I got were swimming pool, gasoline, and salt. As it dried down I got notes of ammonia and grape kool-aid. And it was so strong. Fortunately I tried it on an at home day. Deeply unpleasant.

This is one of the most captivating fragrances I've smelled! Somehow (and very on theme, might I add) it makes you slow down and appreciate the moment. That leather note is killer, and the apple that comes *just* before it makes it bearable for a longer time in my opinion. I would only need two or three sprays of this one to have a nice, warm, but exciting, scent trail. Definitely needs a wear test, but depending on the longevity, I think this is signature scent worthy. 9.7/10

با رایحه ای تُرش و میوه ای همراه رز آغاز میشه تُرشی میوه ای که از سیب سبز نشات می‌گیره و گذرا و شکننده است اما به نظرم خیلی باحال شده هرچند حس سنتتیک داشت برام رز گرچه با نت های جانبی‌اش مثل چرم و صَمغ و ... کمی متعادل شده اما همچنان اون حال و هوای حرمی رو ازش می‌گیرم و این بو با گذشت زمان کمی بهتر میشه زعفران در شروع کنار رز نمایش داره و بعد از اون به وجه چرمی می‌چسبه رز توی این عطر حرف اول و آخر رو می‌زنه.چه در شروع که بسیار تند و غلیظ کار شده و کاملا حس و حال حرمی داره،چه در میانه و پایان عطر که به چرم و نت های دیگه مجال نمایش میده قطعا برای ذائقه ایرانی بدون تست خریدن‌اش یک ریسک بزرگه مگر این که با رز میونه‌ی خیلی خوب ای داشته باشید جز زمستون و خنکای پاییز نباید تست‌اش کرد چون حسابی توی ذوق می‌زنه ************** scent:7/10 longevity:8/10 sillage:7/10 purchase value:2/10 ******* overall:6/10

It smells like Imitation Man but better IMO. The leather note is the most prominent, but I can smell saffron and rose. The smell reminds me of fireworks.

One of the best uses of rose I've smelled so far. (I usually dislike rose scents). The apple in this allows the rose in the opening to lean on it and smell like a truely fresh picked rose. Not powdery or overly floral. Just perfect. Aside from that the leather and the saffron in the drydown make this such a smooth scent to wear in the fall or winter. Definitely one of the most wearable scents by IA. Scent profile: 10/10 Longevity: 6-8 hours Sillage: Strong for the first 30mins. Moderate until about 3hrs in on me.

Leather and Saffron are the two notes that really own this fragrance. I am not the biggest fan of leather, but this one is well made and not too loud. Likely best for autumn.

🎆 Saffron Explosion in an Autumn Orchard 🍎 You walk through a dilapidated, old orchard on the edge of a forgotten road, and the cold autumn wind whips your face. Under your heavy boots, you crush fermented, fallen apples. A powerful, uncompromising scent lingers all around: sharp, medicinal saffron blends here with the tart, vinous accord of decaying fruit, swarmed by wasps in the afternoon sun. There is also something dense and smoky in this blast, something that unsettlingly resembles the smell of sulfur and fireworks burnt out the night before. With this heavy, raw air in your lungs, you get into an old Mustang parked on the side of the highway. The interior smells of worn leather upholstery, and a monumental bouquet of burgundy roses lies on the backseat. Forget about light, powdery freshness, though. These flowers smell dark and so extremely oily, as if someone had spilled pure, traditional rose oil over them. This dense aroma instantly mixes with smoky benzoin and warm cashmere wood, creating a sticky, hypnotic cocoon around you that cuts you off from the rest of the world. Everything around begins to freeze in this thick evening silence, but this olfactory explosion has no intention of dying down. A titanically long-lasting trace of resin, heavy petals, and raw leather remains on your skin, vibrating with you for the rest of the day and all through the night. It is one of those fragrances that brazenly drill into your senses and stay with you long after the car engine finally dies and complete darkness swallows the autumn orchard. Visual archive on TikTok / IG: @the.scent.files

This perfume smells excellent. I love the saffron leather combo and the rose note sets things off perfectly. I didn’t think the longevity was very good, it disappeared on me after about 2.5 hours but maybe I needed a few more sprays? I don’t plan to buy a bottle but it did make me want to look for other perfumers who have put saffron and leather together.

EXTREMELY strong!! Do NOT wear if you don't want to smell like this from at least a 10ft radius. I might not even be exaggerating, this scent is powerful. I notice the saffron the most, along with the rose. It's almost overwhelmingly saffron. It's actually a pretty decent smell, I'm not a big fan of scents like these but on certain occasions I'd wear this. It is an acquired taste, especially for how strong it is. Wear with caution. Pleasantly surprised with it overall.

One of my favorite ever fragrances. It's one of the few rose perfumes that doesn't smell powdery and old-lady-esque, but rather fresh and green like a new bloom (probably due to the apple). Don't be put off by the extreme saffron note at the first spray; it dries down after just a few minutes into a much more balanced mix. The spicy warmth at the base melts beautifully into the skin. I love wearing this with my favorite worn-in leather jacket.

unique complex blend, my favorite IA scent! Fruity, leather, spicy

This is a very well blended fragrance. I can see this has a low rating, this kind of scent profile usually doesnt cater to a western audience the best. That being said, I like this! I get a striking resemblance to Xerjoff Tony Iommi Monkey Special, the leather saffron combo is nearly identical to my nose. But, slow explosions veers off into a softer, more rosy direction, which actually meshes well with the leather & saffron. Performance and projection are decent, i can smell it a few feet away from my hand. If you like heavy saffron leather combos, you will like this! Personally, I'm not a fan of wearing rose so this is just one i like to smell out of a sample. 6/10

the green apple exploded upon skin contact and i wished for more of a saffron/leather scent on my skin.

One of my friends wears this frequently. It smells incredible on her and suits her perfectly. Slow Explosions has a fuzzy, ethereal quality about it, the way a memory always seems more beautiful and poignant in your mind's eye than when it was actually happening in real time. This fragrance wears like a cocoon of dense, mauve fog. It's equal parts playful and sultry. Fruity, yet doesn't feel juvenile. Sweet, yet not saccharine. Rugged leather, yet not masculine. Lots of interesting push/pull dynamics going on in the composition. I tend to get headaches from rose notes, but not here. A decent scent bubble forms around my friend when she wears this and lingers for quite some time, so I'm thinking that the longevity issues others are writing about must be due to individual skin chemistry not agreeing with the fragrance. If you want to smell like a hot butch jack-of-all-trades with great tits, an infectious laugh, and a bunch of endearingly crappy stick-n-poke tattoos, this is for you. Edit: I wrote this review back in October and accidentally submitted it for the wrong IA fragrance, so I deleted it and posted it here for the correct one. Since then, I have thoroughly fallen in love with this “friend” and we are now together :’) three cheers for perfume and love, y’all.

The opening feels like a saffron risotto, which I find lovely. Past the first few minutes, it becomes quite abstract; the leather and fruits merge into something greater, and nothing here is fully legible. It's distant but inviting. Not necessarily something I would reach for but it's a fun experience.

This fragrance has a very strong opening. I love how it dries after a few hours, though. It becomes something very soft and contemplative on my skin. I wore it while falling in love, so I'm biased. The saffron in this is very distinct and beautiful. I don't get much apple. I think it can smell a little dusty or stale in the opening, which might turn some people off. This is one that I really love after hours of wearing it. I wish there was a rollerball or EDT concentration.

everyone saying this smells like an OLD CAR but all i smell is that synthetic leather new car smell thats bottled and sold in walmarts auto section:

I think I’ve driven too many old cars because this perfume smells like peeling ‘leather’ seats, rose air freshener, stale apple gum, baked dashboard, and Clorox wipes. TBH this whole house gives trying to cover up smoking weed/cigs in your shitty ride with cleaning products and Little Trees™️, bummer. edit: okay, to make it work you need the LIGHTEST spritz (in the air, wafting your wrists through, no más) and to give it an hour or so to cook into your skin, so I guess you have to be the hot car to make it work, but if you are a hot car, you can make it work! July edit: IA scents need to macerate, it’s much less acrid now

i don't quite know how to feel. in theory i should like this but in reality it smells like a permanent marker

Used fireworks, hay, leather soaked in moonshine and synthetic green apple in the hot sun. Its abrasive and spicy, too harsh and strange to be wearable. Gave me a headache.

just a classic valentine's day perfume. I think it's too generic smelling but that's just me. kind of exclusively the sort of thing you'd wear on a date--not really ideal for any other situation imho; it's RomanceTM in a bottle. I think there's a sterility to it, too. like I said: DateTM. this is for wearing on routine dates or for men you're indifferent to. not really so much for seduction.

Fruity leather with a strange tension. Sharp at first, then oddly addictive.

a spicy, oriental, leathery fragrance with a strong exotic vibe that really matches the story it’s trying to tell. On the dry down, the spices calm down and it becomes a safer, more familiar Arabic-style spicy leather fragrance. Still very pleasant. I usually don’t like rose at all,especially when it’s loud and dated,but here it’s done right. The rose is subtle and doesn't overpower the other notes. This is one of the rare rose fragrances I actually enjoy. Overall, a very nice spicy, oriental, leathery rose scent. 6.5/10

You don't want to like this one, but it does something to your nose. Saffron AND LEATHER.

Late afternoon at my town's Labor Day Carnival. I'm fifteenseventeen bothneither and deeply in love with my best friend. We stumble our way between the shelves of a stall selling leather purses, cherry slushies melting in our hands, laughing like we're scared to lose the time we're in. We are vulnerable in our freedom and in our captivity. Did she ever know I loved her?

So I got this with my box of every storm a serenade and man. As someone who doesn't like saffron, leather or rose in his scents this is very good. Would I buy it or wear it? No. Is it awful? Also no. Not a safe blind buy at all. It's pleasant but not for me.

This one took a few tries to grow on me. The opening is HARSH, with a big apple, saffron, and leather note. It’s like a cocktail in a gay leather bar. Fruity, sexy, animalic. Not for everyone. This fragrance smells way better on me than my partner, so I think body chemistry can make or break this one.