Eau de Cologne Impériale (1853)
by Guerlain

This is an eau de cologne which I spritz on after a shower during the warmer months of the year to feel fresh and complete. It is not a fragrance to weat for other people....it is my own after shower splash. It is a beautiful citrus -- light and airy --and it makes me feel even cleaner after my shower and shave. Thumbs up all the way. It wears off completely in 15 minutes to half-an-hour, just in time for me to apply the eau de toilette I want to go out of the house wearing. Thank goodness it comes in the 500 ml and 1000 ml size. I apply it with abandon. Imperiale is just grand

9th October, 2011.

Thumbs up for its perfect iteration of the EDC genre, although I agree with those who point out that you'll have to be as rich as Napoleon to be able to use enough of it. It is lovely but fleeting.

2nd March, 2011.

A brief encounter... However, one you will wish to re-visit time after time. This exudes pure quality and is genuinely unisex. Despite its heritage it somehow seems contemporary and invigorating, in fact it does this better than many modern fragrances that aspire to do exactly that.

Frequent applications required, but then why wouldn't you? Its sublime.

1st February, 2011.

Worth having, but it's even worth more getting it from a discount place.

Cologne is by definition fleeting, and you will need Imperial means if you buy it new and want to use it the Imperial way.

Yes, it's something that's fun drowning yourself into, just like Bonaparte did with Farina's cologne. I wish the alcohol therein was unadulterated because I'm sure it could make a great drink! (Eau de Cologne was indeed drunk until Bonaparte forced manufacturers to put on the label their ingredients. From then on, Cologne makers labeled their product "for external use only" and used adulterated alcohol.)

I drown myself in it after a good bath, bask it its smell for its short duration, and put on another Eau de Toilette once it's gone. I also like to use it when I'm feeling yucky or sick. It focuses the brain on something bright and nice, soothingly.

30th January, 2011.

This is a beautiful, classy EdC cloud. It has lovely and refreshing citrus notes, followed by light wood and hay (from the tonka). Orange blossom lingers in the mix for a respectable period. Don’t get lavender as a distinct note. The tone and longevity are appropriate for this sort of of classic scent. One could bathe in it, and certainly re-apply many times a day.

10th January, 2011.

To review Imperiale as one would review a contemporary fragrance misses the point entirely. One can hardly apply current standards of review to a perfume pushing 150+ years old. Imperiale is a true historical artifact and a glimpse into perfumery past. That it remains in production is a nod to the grand history of Guerlain and its place as the matriarch of French perfumery. It will not last very long on the skin, it does not contain any exciting or novel citrus/floral accord, and it is not going to replace your current favorite citrus cologne of choice. In fact, the next time you enjoy your favorite cologne you can thank it's great-great-grandfather Eau de Cologne Imperiale.

So how does one enjoy Imperiale? It so happens that Imperiale was my father's 'signature scent'. Years after I became interested in fragrance I made an uninformed comment along the lines of "well it doesn't last very long." My father explained that he doesn't want to small like any fragrance all day, but rather splashing on Imperiale after a shower was his morning 'wake up refresher' - part of feeling clean and awake and ready for the day. Given its bright and bracing lime-centric citrus topnote blast this makes perfect sense to me. Thumbs UP.

29th August, 2010.