Description
When a tip from a clairvoyant leads 23-year old Neal Orris to a rural Connecticut barn housing his deceased father’s secret obsession, a pristine 1964 Shelby Cobra Roadster, it is the getaway ticket he was desperately searching for. After liberating his best friend Ike from his dead-end job on the family farm, the two hit the open highway. Aiming for the Palm Springs race tracks, their journey is a blur of seedy motels, cool swimming pools, hot debutantes, cocktails, and cigarette smoke. Each stop finds the friends inventing new pseudonyms and personas for themselves, their innocent game hurtling into the depths of decadence and desolation.
Notes: Lemon, Orris, Tobacco Flowers, Leather, Hay Fields & Asphalt
The Cobra and The Canary was launched in 2012. The nose behind this fragrance is Josh Meyer.
Xeroxguhmu – :
Opens with a fresh and bitter leather; the leather is quite raw and I am surprised on how well it’s blended with lemon; this stuff is really nice. Combining a dry but warm hay note with the leather and lemon is surprisingly good and lifts the composition to another level. The hay also brings a mentholated smell and the combination somehow reminds me of septic bandages and hospitals.
Within 2 hours, the smell shifts into a new direction; the leather, which seems to be more in the top notes mostly disappears, there are no more traces of menthol or hospitals, but the freshness remains there; it’s still citrus and it’s paired with a beautiful iris and a sort of a coconut/fig leaf that’s milky and creamy.
By the 5th hour it shifts again as the freshness is gone and the leather comes back with a motor oil vibe; a weird combination, oily and creamy at the same time.
This and A City on Fire are the best Imaginary Authors fragrances for me, both being an unusual combination in a palette of mostly mediocre blended scents.
7.5/10
usetadent – :
Sometimes you got similar sense in most perfumes of one brand. Dry down’s special accord that reminds you of other that brand perfumes. For example, Thierry Mugler, Elie Saab, Narciso Rodriguez have own special signature. Now, I found new case, after my explore for 6 Imaginary Authors fragrances. This special character combination is old dusty, sweet, powdery & resin-like smell that you can find it in Yesterday Haze, Memories of the Trespasser, O’Unknown, A City on Fire and the Cobra/ the Canary. I like this sign that specially made by Iris base.
the Cobra/ the Canary: Fresh Lemon cut just at the first moments…strong & pleasure dry herbal smell of hay in opening, middle and till last hours will play with your emotions. Also I can recognize Iris root undertone very clearly. Such a lot of wood dust, I found woody sign too. just a bit sour that help to making its light animalic accord. In dry down there is petroleum products smooth scent too. I like this fragrance. Herbal, earthy, dry, woody & animalic. This is not leathery scent in my opinion! The Cobra & the Canary has special performance that I didn’t experience never like this. Not easy wear but make you different to others in fall/winter wearing.
nvp416speagoessenda – :
Sweaty horse saddle in a barn full of hay then turns into a campfire. Masculine smoky leather. More wearable version of City on Fire. Great for fall
all_Night – :
The Cobra and The Canary is pretty loud and flat on my skin. It has a familiar “burnt rubber” accord that recalls Moto Oud from Blackbird for me, which may be the leather/orris/tobacco in combination. It doesn’t smell like traditional leather on me at all, something (hay? “asphalt”?) is making it more sour and oily. It’s synthetic, but not in a cheap or cloying way, just recalling a tire shop, mechanic store, hospital (slightly), something. Any self-described lemon is non-existent on me, with the aforementioned notes overpowering everything.
I wish it had a few more complex layers, because in terms of that sort of burnt rubber/auto repair smell, I prefer Moto Oud. However, I’ll say the loud burst at the beginning that slightly turned me off does transform into something quieter and seemingly more complex on the dry down. I get a little more powder, and maybe even a tinge of something cold like iris.
Sillage is a leather bomb on opening, longevity is good too. This is somewhere between a 6.2 and 6.6 outta 10 from me.
eugene 20272 – :
I recently purchased a sample of The Cobra and The Canary. I was curious about it, but not expecting much.
I’m oftentimes leery of a hay note, as its primary component is coumarin, which is also prevalent in tonka bean (which I’m not fond of), and hay is the second highest voted note after leather. I’m either anosmic to leather or for some reason otherwise usually unable to identify it.
Asphalt and tobacco aren’t listed here, but they are part of the composition.
On first spray I smelled a sweet lemon mixed with a dusty iris. My beloved note, iris, is prominent! I can’t ever recall smelling iris and lemon together before. I’m beginning to love this! The tobacco and, yes, a whisper of leather make an appearance. The hay is there, as is the asphalt, but neither are obnoxious.
Many reviewers have described this as being masculine, but to me, this is a true unisex. The combination of notes is uncommon enough that anyone who enjoys them can and should wear this!
Sillage and longevity are good. Not legendary as is the case with Memoirs of a Trespasser by the same house, but this perfume exceeded my expectations in every aspect. Will likely be seeking a full bottle soon.
dimmaz – :
Black Russian below said it right: this smell like the bandages he mentioned. I tested today and I got to think I smelled this before, not in the fragrance realm, but in a hospital. Yup, bandages. It’s not bad, but I don’t think I want to smell, somehow, like a hospital.
tafilord – :
Love this!!!!!
I’m getting lemon very strong in the open.
A little bit of tobacco lurking in the shadows.
Then, the lemon is gone, and I get a leather/flower, and something that really does remind me asphalt, though it’s way in the background.
The drydown is to die for!!! It stays leather, the flower slowly gives way to a earthy soil with a hint of pine or spruce.
Loved it after it’s maiden wearing and bought a bottle.
Very special and different.
Stays on my skin for 6 to 10 hours, and has very good to moderate projection as it ages on my skin.
I highly recommend.
kell – :
فوق العاده
چرمی بسیار با کیفیت با روکشی سبز از یونجه و علف
به شدت خاصه و مشابه نداره
———–
Scent & Qualiy: 10/10
Longevity: 9/10
Sillage: 7/10
Creativity & Uniqueness: 10/10
Affordability: 4/10
———–
Overall: 8 + 0.5= 8.5/10
Pavlovskiy – :
There is definitely more in this scent than what is listed. The beginning starts of very unisex with this weird combo of iris and lemon as listed but has a plastic thing going on as well as some fruity thing. Leather joins in after like 20 min. From there the dry down is something totally different. What I get is dry woods, that’s it. Similar to the dry down of Dunhill Icon.
ebts1 – :
Very much like vintage Kouros and nearly as good.
Aerohopleneridkb – :
Absolutely amazing how close they managed to reproduce unmistakable scent of … medical bandages with Vishnevsky liniment (cream) on heavy wounds! Good question is: WHY?
scs628bedyWelty – :
This is a great leather scent. Don’t be discouraged by the harsh opening. It settles down to a very strong leather scent that leans more masculine than Tuscan Leather.
slava7777777 – :
The lemon gives this otherwise dreary scent a burst of energy and freshness and offers a nice counterbalance to the dark aura of leather and hay. The iris gives it a bit of sweetness and the lemon offers a freshness that makes it perfect for wearing in spring or summer. It is unique enough to separate it from other scents that begin and open with citrus.
As with the other scents I’ve sampled from Imaginary Authors, the fragrance quality is superb and the longevity is excellent. I will definitely put this on my list to purchase.
fabrikant – :
I like this so much that I’m not going to wear it till my wedding day. 12/10 amazing
sxsh2008 – :
Interesting leather and hay combo, it’s a good city smell that actually blends well with all the car fumes and smoke in the air. The initial blast is kinda bad and made my roommate cough, but on skin and hair it’s much better.
Edit: the strange blast of leather is new car smell, can’t believe it took me so long to recognize it
santided – :
Little powdery and muddy. It smells quiet nice especially for women.
Bevzon – :
I like this perfume because it’s different and performance is excellent, no argument here.
It’s not mainstream and I doubt you will smell it on someone else, and it’s not that available in Europe so adding to the uniqueness of this perfume.
I tried a couple of IA perfumes and they all perform very well, some quality juice.
I don’t tend to smell the notes mentioned here. I sprayed it and sprayed “florentine iris” on the other arm, I couldn’t dig the iris note in TC & TC at all.A day after I sprayed golden boy and aoud leather, and TC &TC, no leather either. To me this perfume smells strong of green and herbal notes, no more no less.
All in all, very well put together and excellent performance, it’s not mainstream and I believe it suits ambre mature crowd. Certainly worth trying.
mynameis201 – :
The Cobra and The Canary is a fusion of 2 past loves, and immediately got my attention.
The Canary: A circa-2001 unisex frag named ‘Tobacco Flower’ from Gumps, San Francisco.
The Cobra: 1998-release Bvlgari’s Black, riding in with dominant notes of leather and tire rubber. At the time, the use of ‘rubber’ in perfumery was considered kinky, avante-garde. Dominatrixes with whips & chains, and all types of fetish gear lingered in this corner.
It’s the synthesis of the two– a gargoyle-hybrid, that makes TC&TC special. Where the Bvlgari’s offering was icy, urban, and edgy; Cobra & Canary is warm leather & car tires in the scorch of summer. Heat shimmers rise from distant asphalt. You’ve got an adventure ahead of you, and you’re gonna love this ride.
Dante77 – :
THIS is the best leather scent I’ve ever tried. The beginning is quite harsh but the dry down is absolutely amazing.
Longevity is also great – 12+ hours.
6alex666alex6 – :
I had to change my review. At first, I really disliked this fragrance, but upon a few wearings, I completely changed my mind. It starts very rugged with leather, hay, and just a little tinge of dried lemon. After about 10-15 mintues, it tones down and I start getting some sweetness, which I would think is the iris, but not overly sweet like in other fragrances containing this note (DHI, VUI etc.). It is very nice, gives me the feeling of being out on an open road in a convertable with a leather jacket on on a warm summer day in rural America with large hay fields. Masculine, rugged, kind of traditional. Feels like this would fit more of a rural badboy rather than an urban one. That hay note gives off a rural vibe. Definitely check this one out, though it might not fit everyone. It’s not as safe and a mass pleaser as Every Storm a Serenade, Slow Explosions or Memoirs of a Trespasser.
Sula1985 – :
This bears no resemblance to Stash!! Stash is a wood heaven. TCATC is a delightful mid weight unisex leather beauty. I do like the way the hay and citrus really lift and accent the leather. The iris has its usual cool powdery effect. It’s sad the citrus is not around a lot longer but that’s the nature of the beast.
The silage quickly retracts and then it stays close to skin but lasts a good few hours.
zenya92312 – :
Bears a fair resemblance to Sarah Jessica Parker’s Stash – obviously this one came first – yet is more complex and more tenacious. The orris and the asphalt/leather notes combine in an earthy mineral way that somehow says “clean” to me, without using any of the aquatic notes or white musk notes I’m used to.
shuma22 – :
If this is supposed to be the smell of asphalt, then I vote we pave every road in the country with it. This stuff is great!
no1user – :
I am a BIG fan of traditional masculine scents, such as Leather, so I recently picked up a bottle of IA’s The Cobra and The Canary I am very glad I did! TC&TC is all about leather.
TC&TC has a very strong, heavy leather opening, almost like a peppery, spicy burnt rubber on a freshly tarred road.
A Very masculine scent that is not for the faint of heart. If you are into clean and fresh scents, this one is not for you. TC&TC is not a kind and gentle leather, instead it is a very dominant, stand up take control type of leather.
Tip of the hat to “Gigi The Fashionista” below me. Her review does an excellent job capturing the metal image projected by this scent.
I get great projection and longevity on my skin. But I find this scent works best in casual attire.
Bottom line: If you like strong leather / masculine scents, you should try a sample of this one.
tyr32 – :
** Anyone have a bottle of this that is unloved? Would love to swap!***
The zingy and earthy goes well with the leather which you get a full blast of upon first spray but then dries down to a more earthy citrus floral, this is somewhat similar to the soft lawn in my opinion, minus the tennis ball note and add in a little sweetness. It’s nice, and lasts well.
I have 100+ niche samples for swap within Europe – updated spreadsheet of samples on my profile, get in touch!
mamba_adik – :
I wish the synopsis of these stories were real! I wish they could actually be the perfume equivalent of an actual published novel. They sound like books I would totally get my hands on. This one sounds more like an Indie movie about a guys road trip in the 60’s, almost like Easy Rider and Midnight Cowboy mixed together, except for the fact that these guys are broke and driving in a car that probably doesn’t belong to them.
The notes really do evoke quite a story so let your imagination do the work. I could visualize two men in their 20’s, good looking “good old boys” like the guys in Dukes of Hazard. They come from states and areas in the US where there is no culture, no nightlife, a small rural town in Kansas, maybe one of the Dakotas, or even Arkansas. They are wild spirited and adventurous. They want to go far in life but they want it easy and want quick money. They drive a stolen car, evade police, and spend the money they have very quickly and then try to make more by scheming and defrauding others. This fragrance is more masculine than feminine so let’s start with that. Right off the bat even though this advertises as a unisex fragrance that women can try I don’t think too many women will wear this. It opens with citrus a very astringent lemon or lemon based after shave. Then it takes a different direction. I can detect something hard and a bit rough like actual asphalt which evokes the roads and highways these men are taking on their journey across America. There is musk and leather which give it that men’s cologne scent but on here it’s unbelievably sexy and strong like a man has had sex and his cologne has rubbed off on the girl and has filled the air. It is meant to evoke the men seducing lonely women on the road. The tobacco scent is very strong and it does smell like cigarette smoke. Smoking after sex perhaps? Does anyone do that anymore? Then there’s something green and earthy could be a touch of patchouli though it’s not listed but it could be the hay that is listed. This does smell like you have not been sleeping in warm comfortable soft beds but on the ground or on hay in barns. These guys must have been sleeping in barns to avoid anyone noticing them checking into motel rooms. The scent is strange, complex, and despite the few notes in it has a long life and progresses into mostly aromatic leather. This is not as nice on me as I thought it would be. However I do like the iris and orris root which give it just a touch of femininity like powder but it’s crushed by the leather. This is all leather on me. I don’t mind leather but this was way too strong for me. I can only wear this once in a while when I want to smell like leather and while wearing leather. This is a smell that matches up with your leather outfits: jackets, coats, pants, dominatrix outfits lol…or motorcycle riding outfits in leather. Smells like a biker chick, or biker man. Very much something to wear if you’re a motorcyclist couple and you’re on the road a lot. Enjoy.
sulim-nsvu – :
EDIT: Sprayed this on again last night before bed, and umm nope!
All I get is fresh paved tar with this. Nothing more or less.
I got a sample of this, and I really didn’t like it. I just thought it smelled like sidewalk. (LOL)I’m guessing some people like “different” when it comes to the scents they wear. But this was too much for even me.
edanchik – :
I was not expecting to love this so much, because at first spray I think it smelled too masculine. I was sure that my bf would notice and think I was wearing men’s perfume…I still liked the smell, i just found it to be a little masculine.
As the day progressed, I fell in LOVE. We were driving along windy roads on the coast of Corsica, through the woods and along the sea, and what made my day was smelling this on me throughout the experience. Unforgettable. So exhilarating. This perfume really does take you on a journey.
Before spraying the cobra and the canary, I put on Nina Ricci L’Extase, but about 2-3 hours earlier. I think this layering actually made the scent so special. I might make this layering combo my signature…If you find Cobra and the Canary is too strong or masculine, you might want to pair with something a little sweeter or gourmand. The effect is heavenly.
mislivez – :
I felt almost zen waiting on the shoulder of the desolate Nevada road, leaning against my car and willing its sun-scorched metal to sear my skin through my tank top. Unoccupied livestock pastures spread for acres and mountains shimmered in the background beyond the convection of summer air. A lorry rumbled by, kicking pure heat through my hair. Every inhale was tinged with hot asphalt and dry, high desert. I leaned into my inoperative vehicle through the window, rifling urgently through my large purse for a crumpled pack of Kools before the scent of broiled leather interior and lemon Little Tree choked me out. I smoked five cigarettes before the yellow tow truck, gleaming like the Holy Grail, rolled up the the rescue.
“I dunno, sir – I don’t know what could’ve possibly happened”, I lied to the tow operator, suddenly ashamed for neglecting to change the car’s oil for so long.
…The Cobra and the Canary took me back to that memory from when I was 19 years old. I love the Imaginary Authors scents for that reason – the fragrances always spark my memory or imagination in some way!
rus.rs – :
I tried this based on the fact that it contains 2 of my favorite fragrance notes (leather and hay) and because I think Imaginary Authors brings a playful sense of humor to their line that is much needed in the often far too serious world of niche perfumery.
The opening is dry hot asphalt and bright hay, like driving down the highway in the Midwest, all horizon lines and green fields.
The middle section is cigarettes and a bit of hothouse flowers, as if our travelers stopped to dance with pretty girls at a cocktail party in Miami Beach, in the swinging 60’s.
On the drydown, this is a mild, warmed leather, the smell of the seats on a vintage muscle car that has been parked in the sun on a hot day, before you drop the top and feel the breeze in your hair, gunning the V8 toward the next adventure.
I think this makes a lovely unisex, and a good choice for those who don’t ordinarily like leather or smoke, as this is a free spirited and sunny take on both.
Definitely full bottle worthy, as it combines some of my favorite notes in a fresh, free spirited way.
kirill_tsure – :
This is an acquiring smell, it put me off when I first tried it with the harsh opening of asphault and hay notes but once you wear it a few times your senses start to adjust and you start to like it. this one is perfect for fall weather. my favorite from the imaginary authors line and is very masculine.
d-nomad – :
Thanks to my Scent Trunk subscription, whose praises I will continue to sing, The Cobra and the Canary is the very first niche fragrance that I ever had the pleasure of putting on nose on. It also may very well be one of my favorite smells that I’ve ever experienced from a bottle.
The notes are (undifferentiated top-middle-bottom): lemon, orris, tobacco flowers, leather, hay fields, and asphalt. It was created by Josh Meyer in 2012 by the Imaginary Authors. The press blurb for the fragrance reads: “When a tip from a clairvoyant leads a 23-year old Neal Orris [really? Orris? really?] to a rural Connecticut barn housing his decreased father’s secret obsession, a pristine 1964 Shelby Cobra Roadster, it is the getaway ticket he as desperately searching for. After liberating his best friend Ike from his dead-end job on the family farm, the two hit the open highway. Aiming for the Palm Springs race tracks, their journey is a blur of seedy motels, cool swimming pools, hot debutantes, cocktails, and cigarette smoke. Each stop finds the friends inventing new pseudonyms and personas for themselves, their innocent game hurtling into the depths of decadence and desolation.”
It opens with a bright, grassy lemon and a soft, dewy, hippy-ish hay note that smells like it has a soupcon of patchouli and intense mixed in with it. As always, the citrusy top quickly disappears and a subtle, luscious rubber note (not industrial, not chemical, so banish that thought!). It’s like the barest hint of fresh tennis shoes that have just played a game on a grass court. On the top of all of this, there’s a tobacco note – again, unlike most tobaccos you might be familiar with. As you can tell from the notes, it’s actually tobacco flower, which is probably what lends itself to the leather accord, too – a leather that smells like it’s from a high-end English or French equestrian shop. Believe it or not, the leather note is light, almost citrusy, and floral. It’s absolutely stunning.
In the dry down, the leather/tobacco flower never quite goes away, and that’s how it softly dies down on my skin. If you could distill the dog days of summers long gone into a singular scent, this would have to be it. I’m still young, but I’ve always had a fondness for nostalgia, and this is it. For anyone interested in a tobacco that’s not chokingly masculine, but rather a fresh, grassy one that breathes on its own, definitely look into this. It might be the tobacco for everyone who thought they previously hated the tobacco note. I plan on treating myself to a bottle as soon as I can and spending long spring nights with my nose buried in my wrist.
STREET1991 – :
This is the first fragrance I’ve tried from Imaginary authors and I have some preconceived ideas about what I’m going to get from them. Well TC&TC confirms them.
Imediately I’m reminded of the strange but uniquely interesting fragrances from 4160 Tuesdays. I think it’s the hippified ‘hay’ note in here but it makes me think of brown envelopes or that rough sugar paper you used to get as a kid in school. Coupled with that is top notes of sharp lemon and a smokey approximation of leather and woods. It seems like a balance is struck between them as it dries down but certainly not in the opening, that just serves to have gut punch impact.
This gets better as it dries down to be fair, the lemon is less sharp the hay settles to a woody skin scent a bit like vetiver with hints of patchouli and tobacco (well more like ashtray) gently smoky and tar like.
Personally I don’t like it and can’t really understand a desire to smell like this but…
is it ‘bad’?
Well, not really.
It’s kinda okay and a odder composition just made for the sake of it.
I look forward to trespasser and bulls blood.
MilanMilos – :
The Cobra and the Canary’s acidic opening and slightly sweeter dry down lend credence to its name, and while I do regard the opening as undesirable, TCATC is definitely not as harsh as Bull’s Blood in any phase, though TCATC’s projection is more limited. The lemon note is the most obvious complementary note to the leather, putting TCATC somewhere between a leather chair and lemon pine sol on wood, neither of which I regard as flattering to smell at length individually, but together they do make for a creative leather scent. Imaginary Authors again crafts something different from the standard repertoire, which I respect, even if TCATC is not something I would purchase myself. I only warmed up to Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather recently, though, so my not being a fan of leather should be taken into account. TCATC’s longevity is decent, as well, into the 6-8 hour range after which it become a skin scent. It never hurts to remind again that the Imaginary Authors EDP juice comes pretty cheap at $85 for 60ml (and at some sites, $55 for 30ml), so that always adds curb appeal to a scent you love, like, or can appreciate.
A fascinating scent, and one that leather fans should clearly flock to, as should those, like me, that continue to be intrigued by the Imaginary Authors line.
7 out of 10
egorochkin111 – :
When i first smelled this I was not a fan. It was harsh and dirty to my nose, the tobacco and leather combo reminded me of a biker bar or something. I put it back in my sample bag and kind of forgot about it.
A few weeks later I decided on a whim to try again and now I think it is my favorite from this line (no easy feat as Cape Heartache and MOAT are both awesome). The opening is still harsh, but I find myself compulsively sniffing it. I love the imagery it conjures up (something that the whole line does well). Washed-out, sun-baked days of escapism and adventure. I get a rustic americana vibe that I just love, but it definitely is not dated or overly mature. At some point the leather and tobacco calms down and it becomes a slightly sweet, dry iris-hay-leather combo that is absolutely fantastic. I was also totally surprised at how many compliments it garnered me. My girlfriend told me to buy a bottle instantly and I think I’m gonna. Quality is great as well, lasts around 16 hours on me and sillage is no slouch either.
tarini – :
I was hesitant at first to break out “The Cobra and the Canary” because I was afraid it would smell like a barnyard based on some of the reviews. Thankfully, no barnyard here! It’s hay, and leather, but in an amazing way. It’s like riding through the country during the hay harvest in the back of an old car with the windows down. Very comforting really. No lemon or citrus here for me at all, and the iris doesn’t make an appearance til the dry down. It’s a very relaxing scent for me, and I could see purchasing a FB.
sedoy877 – :
The Cobra and the Canary opens with a slightly damp tobacco, not the “dusty,” smoky tobacco most people are used to, as well as some sweet hay and the sharp, chemical smell of tar (asphalt in the official notes list). It’s immediately leathery and tangy in a way other reviewers have found off-putting, but I thought it was really intriguing.
The tobacco remained the strongest note on my skin throughout the day. I also got more and more leather, along with some orris, as the day progressed. Interestingly, I didn’t smell any lemon until the middle of this fragrance’s lifespan. When it arrives, it has a thin, tart quality. I don’t get any iris until the drydown, and even then, it’s quite faint.
I really love the evolution of this fragrance and the “story”–you can actually smell the cobra becoming a canary. But I’m only giving it a “like” because it doesn’t have the same longevity as the rest of the Imaginary Authors line and I didn’t get any sillage. That’s not usually a nitpick with me (I’m a dainty spritzer), but I found that even with a good 5 sprays, The Cobra and the Canary sat close to my skin.
zartan – :
I did a sample wearing of this today and although I’d have to agree with other reviewers’ comments that it is bitter and almost too strong right after application (the cobra), I became a big fan once the middle and base notes emerged (the canary)!
I’d go so far as to say that I love this fragrance. After about 35 minutes, it becomes a really powdery, masculine iris, enhanced by the lemon and tobacco which serve only to enhance the iris rather beautifully.
Bulls Blood was my first purchase from this label and I disliked it, but I am now considering buying full bottle of The Cobra and the Canary.
lion76 – :
another amazing creation, this one reminds me of Stephane Lucas’s stamp. i sense a slight bitter almonds in here and some nutmeg as well. i can sense the the kind of leather that is found in Vierges et Toreros by Etat Libre d`Orange and the kind of iris in Rein by ELdO as well. it is quite good.
valensia4083 – :
This is a leather bomb. The only thing about it is that it lacks the raspberry note that makes Tuscan Leather and Clive C so mesmerizing to me. This is a beastly performer and you will choke people out with it if you over apply. I liked it, but in the face of so many great leather scents, this one gets lost and unfortunately overlooked.
My Score: 6.5
davidgio – :
This review is based on their sample. I get mostly just leather supplements by tobacco. It has moderate projection and good longevity on my skin. If your love is in the vein of Tuscan Leather/Aoud Leather/Golden Boy, definitely give this one a try.
Dianor – :
Very pungent opening at least the first 5 to 10 mins but give it time, I’m sure this is the cobra with its strong zest, asphault, tobacco and leather notes. Smells a lot like beeswax or carmex. The hay and other notes listed are very detectable as well, a very unique scent if you are daring and bold enough to wear it, it settles in quite nicely and calm in the dry down guessing this is the canary part of this fragrance, not something I would wear everyday but definitely wearable in fall and winter seasons.
Great creativity I will say that.
…changed my mind, I wud def wear this everyday if I only had 3 or 4 scents but I wear this quite often now and I must say CandC cud be my new signiture scent, but not quite
avarg – :
One thing I’ll give The Cobra and the Canary credit for is that when you smell it, you’ll be able to detect most of the notes listed in its pyramid immediately. A very clear hay note and leather note sit right up front. Leather is one note I usually have trouble identifying, but I find the leather in this very true-to-life. it’s not the leather of an expensive, designer jacket or pair of shoes, but something a little more rugged and worn. Next to it sits the hay, dry and aromatic, summer in a barn. Keeping in tune with the hay note, comes the tobacco–also dry, leafy, and fresh–the tobacco of unsmoked cigars and plantations, not pipes. These 3 notes work well together, and while they don’t necessarily offer contrast or interplay, they create a certain warm, pastoral atmosphere that’s comfortable and without disturbance. There’s also a mineralic edge to the entire composition, which suits it fine, and stays in line with the drier, natural quality of the fragrance.
I smell The Cobra and the Canary and I envision a barn in the summer, on a farm where tobacco’s grown, with maybe some mountains in the background, or a stream passing through (this accounts for the leather, hay, tobacco and minerals). Reading about it, I see the perfumer envisioned a young man driving a Shelby Cobra (the leather and mineral…asphalt) smoking a cigarette, after picking up his friend from the family farm (the hay). Either story fits, and what you imagine when you smell this could be something entirely different. But you will pick up on the 4 main notes listed in the pyramid. They’re distinct and presented well, if not a little obviously.
I enjoyed this one and found it a pleasant, easy-going wear. Imaginary Authors succeeded in creating a very relaxed, personable fragrance. I’d have no problem throwing it on and heading out the door for an evening with friends.
Thumbs up.
P.S. For a darker, more challenging take on hay and tobacco, you may want to look toward Sova by Slumberhouse. And for a more complex, chic, and modern take on hay and leather, there’s Cuir Pleine Fleur by James Heeley. All 3 are great options and it will really come down to what you’re looking for at the moment.
_XaXoL_ – :
This is all about the ride of the fragrance. And it’s a hazily beautiful one.
Opening is immediately (and only momentarily) pungent- like almost green lemon zest. It’s the smell of a knife after you’ve peeled off the rind. But wait– you’re in the back of a vintage car, the leather seats warmed by the sun, doing this. The leather is pretty dang awesome. In many ways, it feels like those exposed car seats had residual Cabochard by Gres or maybe