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Imaginary Authors Cape Heartache
Imaginary Authors

Cape Heartache

woody
aromatic
sweet
conifer
fruity
fresh spicy
fresh
EDP · 2013 · unisex

Imaginary Authors is an indie fragrance house known for creating unconventional scents with literary inspiration. Founded by Alex Lees, the brand prioritizes artistic storytelling and bold compositions over mainstream appeal, releasing fragrances that often challenge conventional fragrance categories.

Cape Heartache opens with a sharp, resinous top of cassis, cinnamon, and conifer notes -- cypress, fir, and pine create an immediate woodsy freshness with subtle sweetness. The heart mellows slightly with cognac and peach layered over fir and labdanum, adding warmth and a touch of vanilla-like smoothness, while lavender provides aromatic balance. The base settles into a woody, earthy foundation of cedar, patchouli, and vetiver, with musk adding subtle skin scent qualities and a grounding woodsy drydown.

The fragrance walks a line between aromatic sharpness and amber warmth, making it work well for someone seeking a woody-amber with personality and complexity rather than conventional comfort. It suits cooler seasons and occasions calling for something contemplative and slightly brooding. Cape Heartache pairs with the profiles of The Tactician, The Aristocrat, and The Homesteader.

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Main Accordsreported by community
woody
100%
aromatic
75%
sweet
50%
conifer
50%
fruity
50%
fresh spicy
50%
fresh
50%
Fragrance Notescommunity verified
Top · 0–30 min
cassis
cassis
The French name for blackcurrant, cassis has a dark, distinctive fruitiness with a slightly catty, herbal edge that makes it unlike any other berry. It's more complex than blackcurrant juice: both sharp and rich, with an almost savory depth. A signature opening note of certain classic and contemporary fragrances.
cinnamon
cinnamon
Sweet, warm, and instantly comforting, cinnamon bark has a familiar warmth that slides easily into oriental and gourmand fragrances. Used sparingly it adds a pleasant warmth; used heavily it can dominate. It has a slightly sharp, peppery facet alongside its sweetness that keeps it from being purely foodie.
cypress
cypress
Dry, resinous, and slightly medicinal, cypress has a sharp, coniferous sharpness with a faintly smoky, pine-like quality. It evokes the tall, dark trees of Provence and Tuscany, austere, Mediterranean, and quietly beautiful. A grounding note that adds structure to woody and aquatic compositions.
fir
fir
pine
pine
Sharp, resinous, and forest-fresh, pine adds a crisp, green-woody quality to fragrances that is immediately associated with mountain air and coniferous forests. Unlike sweeter fir balsam, pine reads as clean and slightly medicinal. Used in sporty, outdoorsy, and classic masculine compositions.
Heart · 30 min – 3 hrs
cognac
cognac
fir
fir
labdanum
labdanum
A resin from the rock rose plant with a dark, animalic, honeyed quality that anchors many classic oriental fragrances. Labdanum is simultaneously leathery and sweet, with a raw complexity that synthetic materials struggle to match. It's a cornerstone of amber accords and chypre compositions.
lavender
lavender
One of perfumery's most essential and beloved notes, clean, herbal, and slightly sweet with a calming, familiar quality that works in almost any context. Lavender is simultaneously the most versatile and the most human of ingredients: it appears in barbershop colognes, romantic florals, and sophisticated orientals alike. A note that simply works.
peach
peach
Ripe, juicy, and velvety, peach has a warm, slightly creamy sweetness that feels lush rather than childish in the right context. It adds a fruity sensuality to floral and oriental fragrances, and its slightly fuzzy quality can even play into tactile, skin-like accords. A note that feels like high summer.
Base · 3–12 hrs
cedar
cedar
musk
musk
The base layer of almost every modern fragrance, a soft, warm, skin-like scent that extends longevity and bridges other notes together. Natural musk was once derived from deer (now banned); today's musks are synthetic and range from clean and soapy to dark and animalic. The right musk makes a fragrance smell like 'you.'
patchouli
patchouli
Dense, earthy, and darkly sweet, patchouli is the scent of damp soil and dried herbs with an almost chocolatey richness. It polarizes people because in high concentrations it's overwhelming, but as a supporting note it adds depth and longevity that almost nothing else can match. The backbone of countless oriental and chypre fragrances.
vetiver
vetiver
Earthy, smoky, and complex, vetiver root is extracted from a grass native to India and has a scent that is simultaneously rooty, woody, and slightly lemony. It's one of perfumery's great base notes: tenacious, unisex, and endlessly adaptable. A fragrance built around vetiver feels grounded and deeply confident.
woody notes
woody notes
Who Wears ThisScent DNA matches
🌿
The TacticianBest match86% match
Precision over excess. Always.

Crisp, dry, clean, worn close. Citrus, aromatic herbs, light woods, soft musks.

🎩
The Aristocrat86% match
Timeless doesn't try. It simply is.

Cool, clean, commanding. Heritage aromatics, classic citrus, dry fougères, refined woods.

🏡
The Homesteader85% match
Rooted, warm, and entirely self-sufficient.

Warm skin musks, sandalwood, soft cedar, clean vetiver. Grounding, intimate, unhurried.

Based on this fragrance's accord profile · Find your Scent DNA →
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Most Popular with this Scent DNA Type?
🌿
The Tactician
Precision over excess. Always.
Crisp, dry, clean, worn close. Citrus, aromatic herbs, light woods, soft musks.
Discover your type →
Scent Profile
woody100%
aromatic75%
sweet50%
conifer50%
fruity50%
Fragrance Family
Amber/Woody
EDP
Decants Available
2
listings in stock
1ml$4.99/ml2ml$3.50/ml

Imaginary Authors Cape Heartache— Prices, Coupons & Buying Guide

Best price today: Cape Heartache is $115.00. Without a coupon the lowest price is $115.00. Gush tracks 47+ retailers updated every 2 hours.

Are grey market retailers authentic?

Yes. Jomashop, FragranceNet, and MaxAroma sell 100% authentic Imaginary Authors fragrances through unofficial distribution channels. The fragrance is identical to department store stock. Grey market refers to the supply chain, not product quality. The price difference comes entirely from the distribution channel.

Frequently asked questions

Cheapest price for Imaginary Authors Cape Heartache? +
$115.00 at Imaginary Authors. Gush compares 47+ retailers updated every 2 hours.
What does Imaginary Authors Cape Heartache smell like? +
Imaginary Authors is an indie fragrance house known for creating unconventional scents with literary inspiration. Founded by Alex Lees, the brand prioritizes artistic storytelling and bold compositions over mainstream appeal, releasing fragrances that often challenge conventional fragrance categories. Cape Heartache opens with a sharp, resinous top of cassis, cinnamon, and conifer notes -- cypress, fir, and pine create an immediate woodsy freshness with subtle sweetness. The heart mellows slightly with cognac and peach layered over fir and labdanum, adding warmth and a touch of vanilla-like smoothness, while lavender provides aromatic balance. The base settles into a woody, earthy foundation of cedar, patchouli, and vetiver, with musk adding subtle skin scent qualities and a grounding woodsy drydown. The fragrance walks a line between aromatic sharpness and amber warmth, making it work well for someone seeking a woody-amber with personality and complexity rather than conventional comfort. It suits cooler seasons and occasions calling for something contemplative and slightly brooding. Cape Heartache pairs with the profiles of The Tactician, The Aristocrat, and The Homesteader.
What are the notes in Imaginary Authors Cape Heartache? +
Top: cassis, cinnamon, cypress, fir, pine. Heart: cognac, fir, labdanum, lavender, peach. Base: cedar, musk, patchouli, vetiver, woody notes.
What fragrance family is Cape Heartache? +
Imaginary Authors Cape Heartache belongs to the Amber/Woody fragrance family. It is an EDP.
What is a grey market fragrance retailer? +
Grey market retailers sell authentic fragrances sourced through unofficial distribution -- typically excess inventory from authorized distributors. The product is real and identical to retail. FragranceNet (est. 1997), Jomashop, and MaxAroma are well-established with millions of verified reviews.

Gush earns a commission on purchases at no cost to you · Prices update every 2 hours · Coupon success rates based on affiliate feed data · Grey market = authentic, unofficial supply chain