"If you are looking for the pieces of a broken heart, you might try rifling through the twigs and needles on the forest floor." Cape Heartache is the lone American contribution to Philip Sava’s wildly popular series of exploration novels. It is based loosely on an expedition he made to the Pacific Northwest as a teenager in 1881 and is generally regarded as the most candid of his works. Revolving around a homestead he built in a coastal grove of old-growth trees, the novel documents his romance with a young woman who was a descendent of the Nehalem Indian Tribe. Its themes of leaving the familiar and finding comfort and solace in a new place still resonate today.
WHEN TO WEAR: For any new adventure including - but not limited to - beach bonfires, first dates, party crashing, or simply barhopping alone on a rainy night. Like a scarf, wear Cape Heartache in the fall and winter and observe how people gravitate to your warmth.
NOTES: Douglas fir, pine resin, western hemlock, vanilla leaf, strawberry, old growth, mountain fog
Posted by Angie on 11th Aug 2022
I wholeheartedly agree with the review by "picklethat" beneath me; that's exactly how I would describe it too!
I think this would be a lovely Christmas scent, to break away from all the spice-heavy perfumes and embrace the majesty of the woods.
Posted by picklethat on 5th May 2020
I love this one, it has so many layers of shadowy needled trees, incense, and the strawberry is a burst of sunshine shimmering through.
Posted by Tania on 11th Aug 2016
The notes in Every Storm a Serenade are so gentle and natural, where Cape Heartache smells very artificial and cheap to me. It smells like those pine scented car fresheners that are shaped like pine trees, plus some sweet strawberry bubblegum.
Posted by Frazier on 14th Aug 2015
When I think of creative niche fragrances the house of Imaginary Authors comes to mind. I haven't tested much from their rather extensive line yet but everything I have tried has been a pleasant surprise.
Initially, this fragrance is all about the excellent Pine Resin and wood notes, although I must confess that I cannot differentiate the Western Hemlock from the Douglas Fir. And as for the "Old Growth" and "Mountain Fog" notes are concerned, I think Imaginary Authors is just exercising their artistic licence.
At about the 30 to 45 minute mark the strawberry note begins to surface and If it wasn't for the fact that it mostly compliments the forest-resin notes this experience would be a mess. However, the strawberry stays just far enough below the surface to make this fragrance rather alluring, albeit less than the masculine scent I think it wanted to be, or perhaps that I wanted it to be. Projection and longevity were about average. Not a bad value at this price and had the strawberry not been so "present" I would have given this 4 stars.
Posted by Unknown on 21st Jul 2015
The mix between fruity notes and darker note (fir and pine in this case) has been done before but it still catches my interest. I would like the strawberry to stand out more but it is still a very enjoyable scent with elements that makes it suitable to wear year round.
Posted by Ania on 14th Aug 2014
I admit it, I bought this one without smelling it before - the notes were just too irresistible. When it arrived, at first I thought 'Cape heartache' and me are not gonna be friends. It's not a scent for everybody, it's a little demanding, especially with the dry, powdery-sweet opening note. However, the longer it stayed on my skin, the more I loved it - it gets more woody and leafy with time and unveils a whole new set of layers, including the scent of old growth and mountain fog mentioned in the description - I would imagine this is indeed how forest fog could smell. Now I adore even the opening note as sweetness is necessary in this mix. This is a scent that gets really addictive once you've fallen in love with it - 'Cape heartache' and me are now inseparable and will in fact be best friends.