Reviews of Eau de Cologne Impériale (1853)
by Guerlain

Guerlain Eau de Imperiale is probably my favorite of the classic Guerlain eaus not including Eau de Guerlain of course and its prodigious caraway note. The opening is fresh citrus, lime to be precise, and then lime blossoms backed up by the lightest of cedars and the mere essence of tonka and verbena to create an aristocratic ambiance. Imperiale is well, imperial. It is short lived and has poor sillage, but that's what it was meant to be. Having worn this for a couple of days I can certainly say that I smell indolic flowers and an animalic musky tonka in the base albeit extremely light and close to the skin. This is what aristocratic Napoleonic dreams are made of (Napoleon III mind you as Napoleon I was dead before Imperiale debuted in 1853)! It's affordable, so spritz some on with reckless abandon of course!

A beautiful, realistic citrus opening, but quite short-lived. A touch of lavender, cedar and tonka underneath. A must try classic Eau de Cologne. I personally prefer Guerlain’s Eau de Cologne du Coq, as providing a little more complexity and longevity. But there is nothing wrong with this 1853 classic!

A lovely citrus/green smell. Very fresh! Unfortunately, this only lasted 20 minutes on me. It is an eau de cologne, so you can't expect it to last long. As such, it still gets high marks from me. Great for scent-free work places...hehe

Fairly straightforward and good for Guerlain collectors of those that like a bit of green in their cologne style fragrances. Doesn't last at all on me.

The opening is immediately a bit sour, but the sourness disappears in seconds and the opening settles down to a very refreshing and clean citrus accord that is a little less interesting than before… I liked that that sour note. The remainder of the top notes is a delicate citrus with a light verbena and bergamot accompaniment. The middle accord is supposed to be lavender, but it is quite light, and I miss it unless I directly sniff my skin. The middle accord is gone very quickly, to move into the very light cedar drydown, which also lasts for a very short period of time. This could very well be paradigm for the classic citrus cologne. Its lasting power is minimal, but it is lovely and sensitive and its historical story is as attractive as the fragrance itself. Refined, transparent, unbelievably refreshing… it is certainly a thumbs up fragrance, but, personally I slightly prefer Roger and Gallet’s Extra-Vieille for a citrus cologne… E-V retains the sour note longer and lasts a little longer on my skin.

Eau de Cologne Impériale is one of the oldest EDC's on the market, and in my opinion one of the finest. Like many EDC's, Impériale is a "top note" fragrance. It's basic character is based primarily on an extremely fine bergamot, neroli and lemon accord. There are slight undertones as well, but you have to really smell carefully to find them. The undertones include petitgrain, lemon verbena, a mild lavender and some slight tonka and wood in the base. People who complain about this having no longevity are not familiar with this genre of fragrance. A classical eau de cologne is based on the idea of a refreshing splash. This is the oldest fragrance type with the characteristic of being fresh and natural. Natural fresh notes are made from fine essential oils with extremely high volatility. This means that the fragrance develops very quickly and is finished. If you want the experience to continue, frequent reapplication is necessary.

This is not a bad scent at all. It is cologne, so the most you are gonna get out of it is a good 15 minutes before it completely leaves your skin no matter how much you apply. The top notes are every single type of citrus possible: lemon, neroli, lemon verbena, orange and bergamot. And it is quite potent, unbroken splash of Vitamin C hitting your skin, to be sure. And then it very quickly moves to the basenotes, which are tonka bean, a very strong rosemary and a slight note of cedar. Lemon is ever-present though.

I must say, maybe it is the obnoxious modern fragrance consumer in me speaking, though it is in no way disappointing, it is so not ground-breaking. It will not shake you to the core, and 15 minutes is anyways to short to experience any type of strong sensation, especially with notes like these. But normally 15 minutes is long enough for a complete olfactory orgasm if the notes combined are genius, that is for sure. I suppose what makes me feel a little blase to the whole thing is the fact that this scent has the most regal and colossal name in the entire fragrance universe; 'Eau de Cologne Imperial'. That is pretty bold, and one does expect great drama, and challenge in a frag named like that. Stuff like Bulgarian roses, violets, amber notes of some sort: rare and natural ingredients that will make you feel 'regal'. None of those are here in this water-clear scent, in the most gorgeous bottle possible.

In no way I hate this fragrance, but I am a little underwhelmed. Not by its longevity, but its lack of bold character. That being said, if I were a woman, and could carry this gorgeous bottle in my purse anywhere I go to apply every 15 minutes, I most certainly would. By the way, no picture does the bottle any justice. It is perfection: so decadent and delicate looking, it is an ode to beauty. True work of art, but Guerlain always designs a chic bottle, even during the 19th Century!

Tried this at Barneys, and at first I liked it a lot. I put on a very heathy dose. The sales clerk bemoaned the fact that the fragrance doesn't have a great following, even though she thought it was fantastic. I tried it for a day, and I lost interest within a few hours. Although it started off possessing unique aspects, after awhile, it morphed into something rather ordinary, smelling very much like a lot of other perfectly nice but not unique fragrances. So, I would conclude with two words: attractive, but ordinary.

As with most things Guerlain it's not cheap, but I feel it's well worth it.

Like Eau D'Orange Verte and other eaux I own, this is for when I want something feather-light that doesn't skimp on quality. Particularly good for days where I may want to wear something later on.

It's not likely to turn anyone's world upside down, but for those who want to experience a classic eau de cologne this is one of the better places to start.

Simple, clean, fresh, and under-stated...

I do get a vague Bay-leaf note, as 'germanomio' suggested.

Simply the best Eau de Cologne on the market; others are either too woody, too citrusy, lacking in herbaceous substance, lacking in woodiness, or have far too much rose (Acqua di Parma), or achive nothing short of a poopy-rubber-mouldy orange peel watery-ness (Kolnishwasser), or develop into nothing in 32 seconds (various rip-offs), or are simply just "meh...?" (Roger and Gallet, and Original)...

This one does the job nicely, especially layered with Eau du Coq and/or Eau de Guerlain...

Clean and simple.

And just to digress:

I heard a rumor that Guerlain was going to create an "ultimate" Eau de Cologne, based on an original recipe for Eau Imperial, with further inspiration drawn upon from Eau du Coq, Fleurs de Cedrat and Eau de Guerlain, combining the best elements of these together, in an Eau de Toilette strength...

I even have a construction of the possible notes.

Top: Lemon, Orange, Bergamot, Vetiver, Lime Blossom, menthol.

Middle: Lavender, Rosemary, Verbena, Majoram, Mint, Jasmine-Rose-Carnation accord, Vetiver, Tarragon, Neroli.

Base: Sandal, Cedar, Vetiver, Patchouli, Tonka, Juniper, Petit-Grain, Orris.

(Lavender, rosemary, verbena, neroli, vetiver, cedar, lemon, bergamot to dominate)

It is supposed to be cool, crisp, fresh, clean, aromatic and refreshing from beginning to end, whilst showing a clear progression in the dry-down. Apparently to be available in refreshing splash, EdT spray, and deoderant.

This just info gathered from a few friends and bloggers from other sites. So by no means should u take it to be serious.

But here's hoping they get it done!

simply perfect cologne
fresh and light but with some persistent notes (rosemary and bay-tree?)
an ideal fragrance for "no-fragrance days" and hot summer days

fresh,light and easy going.Simple but delightful.It does not last very long-spray as much as you can.....you will never have the feeling of being too much-tasteful, classical and very nice-a cologne for all day use whereever and wheneveryou want!Very well composed!In comparison to all the so called eau´s and colognes of the last years this one is really a cologne and on top a timeless and distinguished one!Great work of Guerlain!

Utterly fabulous. This is a classic eau de cologne, don't expect it to be anything else; it will not endure like an edt. The notes shine through as clear as day, they are just as listed. The top notes are gone in no time but with a heavy application the lavender hangs around for a while to be followed by a quite persistent but faint accord of cedar and tonka.

The heart of this reminds me of acqua di parma in a way, though the guerlain was first.

It is clear, with no sweetness. Great for situations where a light but classy fragrance is required.

This fragrance was, in fact, (according to the official Guerlain website): "Inspired by the beauty and elegance of Empress Eugénie, the master perfumer Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain composed Eau Impériale in her honour.
The glass flacon, engraved with a motif of bees recalling the coat of arms of the imperial family, was a homage indeed.
Delighted by the refined Eau de Cologne, the Empress ordered that Guerlain be awarded the title of "Appointed Supplier of Her Majesty", which was at the time the highest imperial warrant."
Being an Eau de Cologne, it is not surprising that it disappears completely after about half an hour. The top and middle notes very quickly give way to the base, woody notes.

Why BOTHER? You can get the same thing by Muelhens (or any number of companies) for far less. Furthermore, this stuff -- while pleasant and inoffensive enough -- has no stamina whatsoever. A waste of money. Nice enough scent, yes, in that middle-of-the-road, old fashioned, unisex toilet water kinda way, but it has no staying power and no "oomph." Nice bottle, though.

Truly sublime. Impossible to describe. Unisex for sure. It smells like a fragrance that's been around forever and a day. Spicy and floral and herbal at once. Sophisticated without being stuffy at all. Suitable for formal and casual. The only down side is that, being a true EDC, it really doesn't last at all. Multiple applications per day. But then, this becomes the sort of thing you put on once or twice during the day, then switch to something more "nightly" after sundown. Never smelled anything like it. Unusual, unpredictable, fresh and new while being comfortable and immediately likable. Another Guerlain scent that really doesn't smell like "cologne" at all. More like a part of yoursel if you want it to be.

Hands down my all time favorite fragrance. Aboslute olfactory perfection. The cedar is a wonderful compliment to the citrus, giving it a delightfully crispy and refreshing edge. My one and only complaint is that it doesn't last very long at all - half an hour tops, even after a very liberal spray application. Do yourself a favor and buy this one on sale, as it won't last very long.

I agree with the others about its too-short life, but the scent is great. I believe it was created for the Emperor Napoleon, though I don't know if it was I or III. It's about as good as a fragrance gets, though it's a little bit like the dry citrus of Roger & Gallet extra vielle. A pity that it goes away so soon. Vive L'Empereur.

A perfect neroli with a citrus top and a nice cedary dry down that keeps it from being even the least hint of cloying. A wonderful bedtime scent. Mind clearing and relaxing. My only reservation is that for the price, it completely disappears within twenty minutes of application.

Staying power aside, this is a wonderful scent that I truly love.

A classic - fresh, refreshing but masculine and not sweet. The only downside is strength, they should make the 100 ml spray bottles with a screw cap so that they can be refilled from the larger pour bottles.

Drats, wish this one would last more than ten minutes on my skin. :( I bought it dirt cheap at a local Syms department store (I'd tested it at a Nordstrom months before). But even just for $30, I can't see myself recharging the fragrance every 10 minutes! Come on Guerlain, put some of that last-all-day stuff into it. >:-)