The Story
Why it exists.
Josh Meyer created A Whiff of Waffle Cone for Imaginary Authors. The concept was straightforward: capture the sensory memory of standing near an ice cream counter, watching waffle cones pressed and rolled in real time. Meyer wasn't interested in the cold dessert itself, he wanted the warmth surrounding it. The name tells you exactly what to expect, delivered with the literary wit that defines the Portland-based house. It's a fragrance about comfort and nostalgia, but executed with the kind of precision that keeps it from becoming saccharine or one-note. The interplay of caramel sweetness and buttery notes creates an immediate sense of indulgence, while subtle spice undertones prevent the scent from feeling simplistic.
If this were a song
Community picks
Sunday Morning
Marlon Williams
The Beginning
Josh Meyer created A Whiff of Waffle Cone for Imaginary Authors. The concept was straightforward: capture the sensory memory of standing near an ice cream counter, watching waffle cones pressed and rolled in real time. Meyer wasn't interested in the cold dessert itself, he wanted the warmth surrounding it. The name tells you exactly what to expect, delivered with the literary wit that defines the Portland-based house. It's a fragrance about comfort and nostalgia, but executed with the kind of precision that keeps it from becoming saccharine or one-note. The interplay of caramel sweetness and buttery notes creates an immediate sense of indulgence, while subtle spice undertones prevent the scent from feeling simplistic.
What makes this composition work is the balance between sweetness and warmth. Salted caramel and vanilla form a foundation that's rich without being cloying, while Vietnamese cinnamon adds a warmth that feels like standing near the waffle cone machine, not spice heat, but ambient warmth. The Amyris wood provides a subtle woody structure that keeps everything grounded, and sandalwood in the base ensures the drydown doesn't simply evaporate into sugar. The result is a gourmand that smells like something real: a waffle cone, warm and buttery, rather than synthetic dessert candy.
The Evolution
The opening announces itself immediately. Salted caramel sweetness, vanilla cream, and underneath it all, something that might be orgeat, a nutty, almost almond-like warmth. Within the first thirty minutes, the caramel softens and Vietnamese cinnamon begins to emerge. Not as a dominant force, but as warmth. The kind of warmth you feel when you stand near a waffle cone machine. The heart is where this fragrance becomes genuinely interesting. Sugar, ice cream, and whipped cream blend into something that reads as rich, almost decadent. The cream notes are beautiful here, there's a lactonic quality that feels like actual dairy sweetness, not synthetic whipped topping. What could become cloying stays grounded by the woodsy amyris and the growing presence of cinnamon. The drydown is where the waffle cone finally arrives. Warm, toasted, buttery, less dessert, more the memory of warmth. Sandalwood and Vietnamese cinnamon linger, keeping the sweetness in check.
Cultural Impact
Warm, cozy, comforting wear defines this fragrance from the start. It's become a favorite among those discovering niche perfumery for the first time, accessible enough to love immediately, complex enough to keep noticing. The gourmand sweetness is prominent but sophisticated, avoiding the pitfalls of overly synthetic candy-like interpretations. It occupies a particular sweet spot in the category: not juvenile, not pretentious, just deeply pleasant. The blend works equally well in air-conditioned offices or intimate dinners, though it's best suited to cooler weather where the warmth can fully develop on skin.
The House
United States · Est. 2012
Imaginary Authors is a Portland‑based niche fragrance house that frames scent as a narrative medium. Founded in 2012, the label releases limited‑edition perfumes, scented soaps and hand‑poured soy wax candles that reference literary forms such as memoirs, mosaics and secret journals. Each launch arrives with a story‑driven name and a modest glass bottle that lets the fragrance speak for itself. The brand’s catalogue spans more than a decade, from the debut Memoirs Of A Trespasser (2012) to the recent First Peach of the Season (2026), offering collectors a curated library of olfactory chapters.
If this were a song
Community picks
This fragrance sounds like a lazy Sunday morning, sweet without aggression, intimate without becoming saccharine. The warmth builds slowly, like a song that takes its time before you realize you've been listening all along. It has the comfort of something familiar, the kind of track you put on without thinking when you want to feel held.
Sunday Morning
Marlon Williams
