Untamable
Eau de Parfum, Imaginary Authors (2024)

A clean, animalmalic musk with great performance. It reminds me of Kielhs Musk but with amped up projection and longevity.

I don’t get anything fecal here. It’s definitely animalic, but to me it mainly complements the leather accord. What really surprised me is the performance. This is incredibly strong for an Imaginary Authors fragrance. I usually find the brand sits on the lighter side, even with their darker offerings, but this is on another level. If I smelled this blind, I wouldn’t have guessed it was from IA.

I never picked up a urinal-cake vibe from something like Figment Man by Amouage, but I do get a bit of that here. The difference is that instead of a soil accord, it’s paired with leather. My partner described it as “piss and men’s soap,” which is actually pretty accurate. There are some light florals in the background, but I can’t identify any specific flower. I don’t have experience with cactus flower, so I can’t say whether I smell it, but I do get a touch of cumin. It’s subtle, yet it adds an interesting twist to the leather.I saw a comment on Fragrantica describing this as “concentrated urine-soaked underwear on a hot sidewalk in Houston, Texas,” and honestly, that made me laugh because it’s oddly accurate.

This is definitely an acquired taste and can be challenging to wear. That said, it’s nothing fecal in the way something like Gold Spot by Sarah Baker can be, which has a fecal nuance in its oud. There’s no oud here. What’s interesting is that on some wearings, this feels leather-forward with animalic facets, and on others, it feels animalic-first with hints of leather. This is absolutely a must-test-before-you-buy scent because skin chemistry will matter a lot.

The saving grace is the green and floral accord in the background. Without it, this would lean dangerously close to concentrated piss in a bottle. Those floral elements add refinement and make the animalic aspect more palatable. Overall, I think the scent is smooth and fairly well balanced. It might be difficult to wear in public, but I wouldn’t call it unwearable, especially if you’re familiar with oud or other animalic fragrances. For beginners, this will feel untamable. For more seasoned noses, it can be managed as long as you control the spray. One spray is more than enough. I’d only wear this in winter, and it easily lasts 2–3 days on clothing.

If you want an animalic fragrance without jumping straight into something from Zoologist, this offers exceptional value. If you’re looking for a leather fragrance specifically, you really need to test this, because you might not get enough leather on your skin. If you want a wearable animalic, this could fit the bill. Despite the pissy association, it never goes fully overboard and remains somewhat restrained and balanced. It will be divisive, but it’s absolutely worth sampling. I’ve rarely found Imaginary Authors fragrances bottle-worthy for me, but I can see some people adding this to their collection. It’s not a full bottle for me, mainly because I find the drydown less challenging and less interesting than I’d like.

Untamable. Holy Cow (Really!). This is very animalistic. I think if you like zoologist Hyrax, you will love this...
It has this sweet Road Apple opening, (the kind left behind some horses when a parade is done). It is not overpowering, but you can feel the barnyard in the background.

As it dries down the barnyard smell does not really go away, but it tempers a little. I think the cumin here really plays a big part. There is also something else to give it such an animal feeling.

This is very well made, but the barnyard is a bit much for me. (The same reason, I cannot wear hyrax)

I do not think I am going to attempt a skin test one this. (Unless I am planning to shower really quickly after) . The final dry down was an animalistic leather with a touch of sweetness.

I like strong scents, but the poo factor will be too strong on me.

First proper wearing of the latest release from Imaginary Authors, Untamable, a dry, semi-animalic, leather-led blend with notes of tonka resin, saguaro blossom, Texas yellow star, and cumin. It’s fittingly a bit spicy and floral, which keeps it from leaning too animalic, I dare say, somewhat less animalic than Bull’s Blood, its closest logical comp, in my opinion. Still it’s quite intense, the sort-of-dry, sueded leather rather sharply pairing with the smoother floral and spicy components, making for a nice ensemble, a pungent experience that’s not overdone, in my opinion, and I generally regard myself as pretty selective when it comes to leathers than lean animalic.

I’d argue that Untamable is the line’s most daring fragrance since Whispered Myths and Bull’s Blood before, not entirely uncharted territory in perfumery but certainly in some respects it is very new for Imaginary Authors.

I really like that despite its provocations, it feels sophisticated and balanced among its contributing accords and ideas. And even though I might find a sweeter leather easier to wear most of the time, I think Untamable is an awesome achievement, something I would wear occasionally, particularly with the approaching cooler weather.

Untamable is in EDP concentration with the current standard brand pricing of $105/42 for 50/14ml, still an outstanding value in the current market and one that makes it possible to own so much of this storied house without breaking the bank, relative to other companies.

8 out of 10