Reviews of Millésime Impérial (1995)
by Creed

Imperial is musky, sweaty, and exceedingly French (as to discordantly mask body odors I mean). Nonetheless, Imperial is one of Creed’s best recent launches (vastly inferior to the likes of GIT and RSL), but acceptable nonetheless. The opening is bergamot, some kind of fruit, and musk. Soon after, the ambergris adds distinction to the compositions. Imperial smells incredibly similar to Azzaro Black/Silver minus the pungent caraway seed and with added ambergris. Imperial does have a certain flair of a middle-aged man who still thinks it is the 1970s. I would certainly try before you buy because the musk is very powerful and unbalanced.

Why do people go ga-ga over this fragrance? I don't get it. Is it the nice gold-colored bottle? I'll confess that the bottle wooed me in my purchase of a 2.5 oz. bottle, my very first Creed purchase, 8 years ago. It smells like it doesn't know if it wants to be an acquatic or a fougere, like it's trying to be Green Irish Tweed, but with much less complexity and a loud, hammering rubbing alcohol/paint thinner note up top that never really goes away. It's not a terrible scent, but that acetone smell just flattens any other note that may be in the mix. It's like Cool Water on crack. I liked it when I first bought it years ago, but it was so loud and strident that I quickly got sick of wearing it and threw it in the trash.

Creed has many fragrances that are so much better than this. Stick with Green Irish Tweed, the real deal.

Normally with all the existing reviews I would refrain from adding my mondane 2 cents. However this is just that damn good. I don't get the "aquatic" vibe that many people allude to. I def get the melon/fresh vibe along with that amber/musk drydown. I also don't really get the Wall St connection. I would say Wall St is alot more like Erolfa (althoug I do agree that Erolfa and MI are similiar in some ways). Longevity is an issue, as with most of the modern Creeds. But hell, everything comes with a cost. This is damn good and I will always have a bottle in my wardrobe. The warm Florida climate that I call home demands such frags, and to me MI is the best.

This is one of the better citrus/aquatics I have come across. Although longevity is an issue for me, I thoroughly enjoy this scent while it lasts. Perfect for the year-round tropical weather I experience. Simply delightful.

In short, MI is mostly a juicy melon note over ambergris (a salty, comforting musk) and some sort of (pretty realistic) sea/ozone notes. It's hard to say just what kind of melon is in this because it's obviously a synthetic molecule that is based on melon. IMO, MI is the ultimate aquatic and would be in in my top 10 favorite fragrances of all time if I didn't find myself getting sick of it so easily. There's just something in MI that gives me heartburn and annoys the hell out of me halfway through each wearing. Either way, it's a milestone in the fragrance world, and a huge compliment getter - definitely worth sampling.

On a final note, don't let Creed's false marketing fool you - buy the scents if you like them, not because Creed says they're special, natural or high quality. While the older, classic Creeds are pretty good quality and have a relatively natural feel, the newer ones, like Silver Mountain Water, Green Irish Tweed and Millesime Imperial are obviously at least 90% synthetic, if not 100%. It may be unfortunate that MI was blatantly copied by Sean Jean and named “Unforgivable” but I don't blame him anymore; Millesime Imperial probably costs pennies to make (synthetic ingredients are super cheap) and they're charging 200$ for this stuff while claiming it uses natural ingredients (which it doesn't). So do yourself a favor and go buy some Unforgivable for your wallet's sake.

8.25/10

Millesime Imperial is a bit difficult for me to review. The sample that convinced me to buy a full bottle and the actual bottle I purchased are clearly the same scent, but the two developed very differently on my skin. In both cases, however, Millesime Imperial opens with wonderful, rich, melon accord with a bit of salt water thrown in. This top is the best I've experienced in any fragrance as of this writing. As the scent dries down, it becomes warmer until it eventually settles into the typical Creed ambergris base. So, why the neutral? The top and heart notes in my sample lasted a good few hours on me - after three or so, I could still smell waves of fresh and slightly warm melon periodicallly. However, in my bottle, the scent went straight to the base after a mere half hour, and I don't find the ambergris base particularly compelling; indeed, it even seems somewhat out of place in a scent that is otherwise fruity and slightly aquatic. This could easily be a thumbs up if I could consistently find bottles similar to my sample, but as the one I purchased was one from the newest batch, I can't in good faith give Millesime Imperial more than a neutral at this time.

The women love it! One of the best creeds My wifes favorite along with tweed.Ihad it own in a restraunt and the waitress was like what is that I had her smell she was like hmmmmm she loved it .One of the best smells cologne I have !

spectacular! 4real. doesnt last that long on me though but thats ok i just have to buy mi more frequently as i apply more.a scent for kings and queens. the elite class of scents with a ripe very slightly rotten watermelon presence.

The freshest of the fresh.

MI is a smooth fresh bright elegant scent. Perfection out of the bottle. However, having heavily applied this on a recent visit to Harrords this wonderful smell was gone without a trace by the time i'd completed 1 lap around the fragrance department. Needless to say i returned for another blast of this masterpiece, only to find it disappeared even quicker. Wonderful smell but £140.00 for one hour in fragrance heaven! Not for me.

With Millésime Impérial im in with the camp that love it. In fact, I'm pretty much 99% sure that if I could only ever use one scent again then this would be it. When I first bought Millésime Impérial I was taken in with the top notes. It is a little fresh and very aquatic but not in a modern trendy way. I grew up on a seaside town and to me the aqua in Millésime Impérial smells like the smell of sea air on a warm summer night. It also seems to have a little fruityness in there, not citrus but an almost melon like accord. Spraying this on makes me feel like a million bucks.

However the real beauty in Millésime Impérial, for me, comes about 8 - 10 hours after I've applied it (longevity naysayers be gone this lasts). To me the basenotes in this just shine, its that lovely far away dry down that even after the day at work, Im sitting having a glass of wine or a beer, I stretch out to put my glass down and even that little muscle movement is enough to trigger a little heat which triggers the drydown again, a lovely warm but crisp amber. I go to bed and I still smell this on and the next morning I get up and go for a shower and the first drop of water that hits my skin makes it smell like Millésime Impérial.

There are a lot of small-a-likes both averagely priced (Unforgivable) and highly priced (Bond No9 Wall St). Unforgivable wears away to nothing in seconds and Wall St, while it has the longevity it doesn't have the development.

I would happily wear this every day for the rest of my life if it weren't for the price. However, excellence never came cheap.

magic stuff...warm and fresh in the same time

I sampled Unforgivable before I sampled Millesime Imperiale. All the rumours about Unforgivable being a Millesime Imperiale clone are true. They smell a lot alike, but Unforgivable has more citrus going on, while I detect a melon note in Millesime Imperiale. Unforgivable does not last long on my skin, but Millesime Imperiale does. Unforgivable was not the kind of fragrance that really suits me. Millesime Imperiale does not really fit with my personality either, but I do like it a lot better. It is casual and classy at the same time. I still like Acqua di Gio better than both of these fragrances (oops, I forgot that saying that is a blasphemy on basenotes :) ). And yes, this fragrance has a tendency to grow on you. I do not think I will buy a bottle of it, but I think I will buy a new sample of this scent. Millesime Imperiale is a good fragrance and I have been doubting between thumbs up or neutral. There is something very likeable in the dry down that I find hard to describe, that shifted the balance for me to thumbs up.

I absolutely love this scent. It's fresh, melon note is the highlight, which warms to a delicious amber. I couldn't stop sniffing myself after the initial application. Unfortunately this joy is short lived. The scent is taken away before it can really be enjoyed. Kind of like a one night stand, but if a one night stand lasted twenty minutes.

If this scent lasted even just up to an Hour, I would raise my vote to a Positive^10. As MI stands, with the price and the fleetingness which induces heartbreak I give it Neutral to Negative.

Delightfully fruity and fresh. Delicate. There is something emotionally warm about it too. Simply beautiful.

Longevity is a problem and silage is average at best but really, catching the occasional whiff from oneself is reward enough.

Image conjured up: A tanned, handsome man that goes by the name of Narcissus-Jack sitting on a white beach next to a blue ocean, repeatedly sniffing himself while imagining eating exotic fruits from the mouth of a woman who has Angelina’s legs and Theresa’s heart. His self-sniffing days end with an ecstatic sigh and then, blindness.

If Creed could make this scent linear, I would buy it.

It is perfect citrus/floral when the bergamot and lemon are strong.
Then once the top notes fade, the florals are fairly feminine.
I think though it's not possible (due to volatile nature) for a natural Citrus dominant fragrance to be linear?

But regardless, it's an extremely appealing scent, with mediocre longevity.

Like other posters, I didn't care for it at first and then grew to like it. My first impression was of slightly rotten fruit in stagnant water. A couple of days later, it became refined slightly rotten fruit in stagnant water and weeks after wards it is now a very interesting salty acquatic blend of slightly rotten fruit in stagnant but clear water.

Erolfa is better, if you're going by the seashore--or anywhere else where there's a sea breeze. On land, sea and air, Himalaya puts it to shame. However, this is just my subjective, humble, and infallible opinion. In any case, that there gold bottle sure is shiny and purty.

I wonder if this is Creed's best seller, running neck to neck with GIT?

Very nice fragrance that bears great resemblance to Sean John's Unforgivable (not as much as GIT/Cool Water though). The problem is, you have this popular, mass marketed fragrance that smells just like the one you paid $200 for. Regardless, as a scent, it is finely blended and is smooth and not nearly as loud as Unforgivable. Mandarin here dominates the other few ingredients but each one has its place in the blend.

This is a really beautiful fragrance. I do also get the aquatic and melon notes as mentioned by other basenoters. It's just so fresh and clean I can understand why it's so popular. Fantastic. I have to admit I'm gutted it's been compared to and mistaken for Unforgivable. Unforgivable is a fragrance I never have smelt and have no intention of doing so, but I am now concerned others may think I'm wearing it! At the end of the day I shouldn't really care because, quite simply, when wearing Millisime Imperial I smell great either way.

This cologne sets a standard. Sean Jean's Unforgivable is a direct ripoff of this scent. So are a few others that fail to come to mind at the moment. It wears wonderfully on me, and whenever I wear it people who know Creed compliment on it. Very pricey but you get what you pay for, believe me!

Smells fantastic! however it didn't last more than an hour on my skin. Due to the lack of longevity, price, and commonness of fresh scents like this, I give it a neutral.

Millésime Impérial is one of my favorite Creed fragrances. To me it smells like a fresh ocean breeze on a sunny day and a glorious orange/melon opening.

It is stimulating, what with the citrus, yet tempered/mellowed by the ambergris and salty marine notes. It doesn't have terrific longevity, and this is the #1 complaint you hear about MI. It does not project or produce tremendous silage, yet it is not a "skin scent" either.

Moreover, MI can be used as a base if you enjoy layering. I never did much layering until I tried MI with another Creed (Bois du Portugal) which produces this tremendous, rich, amazing blend.

No specific references to the MI knockoffs in this review. Those who know Millésime Impérial will understand it is in a league of its own.

One of the best aquatics in town.

It's an uplifting, fizzy, citrus-sweet, melon-like summer outdoor scent. Synthetics at its best: while there probably are natural ingredients in Millesime Imperial (the ambergris, maybe?) it's one of the best themes around calone, or the watermelon-note.

People on a budget can get their Millesime Imperial fix by buying Sean John Unforgivable, but otherwise, this is one of the best youthful summer scents you can buy. Superb, one of the better new Creeds.

I think this is a bit of a victim of its own success. Just smelling the fragrance as it is without caring about Creed, King Faisal etc. one gets a fresh fruity scent that, while coming with a nice ambregris note, has SO MANY competitors these days that I find it extremely hard to justify the extra price tag. No need to mention Unforgivable, even extreme cheapies like Nautica Blue (No, really. Try it!) manage to combine freshness and fruityness, with a base that may be constructed of cheap synthetic musk molecules, but still gives an impression of something-like-ambregris. It's not a horribly bad scent, but neither Creed's heritage nor the high price is adequately mirrored by the scents quality/complexity, which is why I give a thumbs-down.

This is a fine example of a Creed "Fresh" fragrance. For two or three hours this is a glorious experience as you allow your body heat to pulse warm gusts of citrus and bergamot. Sadly the joy is ephemeral, and after this brief period it settles down into something vague and bland. Still, the brightest star often burns the briefest.

On my skin:
- smells cheap
- gives me headache
And it's overpriced, of course.

GORGEOUS.

Fresh, citrusy, melon top and that unmistakable Creed "something" in middle and drydown. On my skin, it didn't finish powdery (thank gosh, most Creeds do), but instead mellowed to a pleasant and compelling fragrance that recieved several "you smell great" comments throughout its day of wear. A crowd pleaser, friend of everyone, and an impressively fine-crafted unisex, albeit not as dashing or daring as other Creed fragrances.

A must-have for the modern, clean-cut, sophisticated professional (male or female, as it truly does smell beautiful on both). Add it to your repertoire and wear it for daytime, nightime, or if you're seeking a safe, non-offending, but high class cologne.

The melon note is marvelous, but the fragrance does not last on my skin, and projection is weak. Quite overrated.

This is my third Creed so far. Waiting for Royal Water and Erolfa. I must say that this is THE BEST FRAGRANCE I'VE EVER SMELLED. It's pretty similar to SMW but it's softer. I perceive two things in this fragrance that makes me love it so much: first, it projects a smell like earth when being water by a very soft rain. Second, the balance of this cologne is so perfect that it projects the image of a mature, reasonable, confident, patient, calm, tolerant and secure man. There are fragrances which are similar but they happen to have something that projects the caracter of a high schoo boy. Unforgivable is similar just in the opening but MI smells really natural and Unforgivable is very linear while MI develops into diferent stages that makes you want to apply more. In my skin it last longer that SMW and GIT. But when I don't feel it as I want to, I just reapply and enjoy the pleasure journey again. The best Creed so far. Nice, warm, elegant and sophisticated. Really imperial.

'Millesime Imperial' is one the rare error in my perfume library. I tried it first time in a pharmacie at Verbier, Switzerland, in winter. I liked the warm richness of this scent, and the bergamot opening. I tried it several times after that in Paris' Bon Marché or Printemps. And ask my friend to offer it me.. I bear it two or three months, and then I was disgusted.
'Millesime Imperial' has a very special marine note, very ioded, which may evocate a walk on a long beach. The combination of floral and citrus notes is very nice, and gives a sweetness to it. The precious woods (sandalwood, (red ?) cedar, perhaps some vetiver) give a warm richness? But it very rapidly dominated by a too strong amber and musk accord , a too rich signature of the Creed Millesimes, which gives to all of them the bad sensation, after an hour, of a sad sameness. This ambre-musky base, combined with salty iode and rich oriental woods turned 'Millesime Imperial' to be quite nauseating. But, actually, rich.
I may reproach all the Creed Millesimes to be overwhelmed after an hour or less by its too rich base, and to lake the very rare refinement and distinction of their Eaux de toilettes, composed from 1780 to 1980.

this stuff is righteous.... smells citrusy, a little green to start, and kinda watery. Pretty good but I don't know if it's worth the money.

A bit disappointed after the experience of Vetiver and Royal Water in the past.
Smells wonderful but very light and longevity is poor!

Beautiful is the word that describes this. From the first spray to the heavenly drydown. Great stuff. I'll just echo what others have said in that it doesn't last long. It is similar to SWM to me but SMW has more longevity. This is lighter and overall a better scent in my book though. I get a little bit of melon with this in the middle.

After dropping $250 on this stuff I was disappointed to find that A, it last about 60 seconds on my skin or on clothing, and B, they have stopped putting it in that cool gold bottle. A waste of cash. Starts off smelling like a really beautiful and expensive scent mixed with stagnant well water, then fades into oblivion.

This is one of only two aquatic/marine scents that I own (the other being Creed's Erolfa), as I tend to favour darker, dry, spicy, woody scents, but I do not have any regrets about picking up Millesime Imperial. It really is in a class of its own, which can be said of all Creed fragrances. This one is no different...another winner from Creed (surprise surprise)! It is a welcome break from all of my heavier fragrances, and is an absolute joy to wear for any occasion, casual or formal. The opening notes of melon and sea salt (or whatever it is; Creed bills it as a 'marine note') are addictive! Just ask any person who has smelled this fragrance...I do not know what it is, but the first few minutes when the fragrance commences are just so edible and delicious! Quickly though, the top notes fade and the heart reveals a combination of lemon, bergamot, green mandarin, and Florentine iris, in a delightful citrus accord. The base is "tropical forest notes" juxtaposed with the standard Millesime ambergris/musk base. I am not sure exactly what Creed means by tropical forest notes, but there is definitely a woody character in the base. In short, it is a masterful aquatic fragrance and the quality alone is far above and beyond the plethora of mass-market synthetic designer aquatics like Bvlgari, and Acqua di Gio (please, let us not even go there). I will mention that wretched Unforgivable cologne that has been out for a couple of years, and yes, some people you pass on the street who are not perfume connoisseurs might think that your Imperial is the cheap Unforgiveable, but you in your heart will know that it is the supreme aquatic, Millesime Imperial! It is a Creed, so as always, wear it with pride and distinction!

THE KING of citrus scents. Cheers me up whenever I wear it. Longevity does kinda suck, but it's SO NICE while it's there. I have to bathe in this whenever I want to get any sillage/projection. Only problem with this is its copy cat, Unforgivable. Whenever somebody compliments me on this they always think it's Unforgivable. Meh, as long as I enjoy the scent right?

It is a nice scent just a little too feminine for my tastes. It is uni-sex but leans to the ladies side of that scale I think. Some men can pull this off but I like broody male scents I guess.

I used to wear this all the time on hot summer nights when I was going out. Females used to love it. My sister even bought it for herself. It lasted a long time on my skin. I stopped using it though, when Sean Paul brought out Unforgiveable, as it smells pretty similar. I use Royal Water now when I need something refreshing.

It's a very clean smell after the dry down, but starting out it smells like I just applied the Bath & Body works Cucumber & Melon lotion. The Bergamot stands out, as does the melon note. At some point it smells like I just walked into a humidor. This is probably better suited for an older man... with gray hair.

I bought this as a summer cologne. What drew me to it was the green/sweet components which other people have noted. This is a great scent and, on me, it's lasts a long time. Small luxuries like this is why I work!

I'm new to MI. In fact, I'm new to Creed fragrances in general. I've fallen in love with them though. They are intriguing to my nose and the complexity of the dry down I really like.
MI starts out very sweet to my nose (on my skin). It doesn't really start smelling more masculine till the dry down when I get a hint of some sandalwood and musk in the basenotes. But for the most part, this is definitely a unisex fragrance to my nose. I love it on my wife and she loves it on me...so it works out.

It is definitely refreshing to smell a fragrance that isn't bogged down in spice and woodsy, leathery smells that are atypical masculine fragrances. This is light, fruity, floral with a hint of the usual masculine scent. I would find it great for a spring or summer day outside...a couple sprays on the neck and one on the wrists and I have my wife hanging off of me for the rest of the day....

If you can pony up the cash for it, I recommend it as an alternative for most of the cliche, run of the mill aquatic fragrances that seem to be pushed out on the market. Its unique and many other fragrances have tried to copy its great scent. Like I said, I'm new to Creed, but I'm sure this is one of their best along with GIT and Silver Mountain.

A dry metallic wood with musks. Well, that's all I get for 30 minutes before it leaves my skin. If your skin is dry try Bois du Portugal which lasts longer. It's just another bottle to sit on the shelf.

9/10 Miss the longevity. But smells like heaven!

This was my second Creed right after Green Irish Tweed, and is my favorite of the Creed line. I feel rich, important and even a bit important wearing this. The only downside is that it's not very powerful and perhaps even a bit "watery" at least on my skin, and does not last too good. Extra point for the very fine bottle.

MI smells aquatic without smelling like all the other scents you see at the department store counter (*update: it does now compared with Sean John's Unforgivable). It has a nice marine accord and I also smell watermelon even though it's not listed as a note. The drydown has the typical Creed house note along with a musky base. The only downside to this scent is that it doesn't last long for me. A couple hours and then it's gone. It's also a little too subtle for my tastes and doesn't project the sillage that I like in a frag. With that aside, this is a very sophisticated scent and is very versatile. It would be really awesome if Creed made an Extreme version for this.

Creed’s website describes Millésime Impérial as “exotic wood and musk notes are enlivened with a refreshing marine note.” I find a dominant melon-aquatic accord, quite radiant and uplifting. Far more interesting than most aquatic scents. I used to complain about longevity with this one, but not anymore. I get many hours out of it. My one complaint would be that it seems to be fickle in how it presents itself. Sometimes it feels very rich, other times it seems lighter.

God I love this scent! It smells nice right from the start! The longevity is just good (but not outstanding) and for me it's the perfect spring/summer fragrance! It's fresh (or clean), while being bright and warm at the same time! The watermelon is what makes it so great for hot weather! I could wear this everday (unlike most other scents I got) and will probably even buy a big bottle!

An absolutely outstanding perfume!

8/10

Be warned for fake Creed fragrances being sold on Ebay, they look exactly like the real thing, but the smell ain't coming close!

One of the stars of the Creed line-up, and launched to the public in 1994 to celebrate Creed’s 140th anniversary as supplier to the Imperial Courts of Europe. This oft-imitated fragrance was one of my first exposures to this house and is a permanent fixture in my wardrobe.

Imperial opens with fresh notes of lemon and bergamot. Its in the middle notes where the magic happens. Imperial contains an unusual aquatic/marine note with a hint of "watermelon" or a "sweet note" which makes it incredibly irresistable. Maybe its the iris blending with the "marine accord". Or maybe its the musk. Or its Creed magic. Whatever it is, it draws people to this scent. The aquatic note is expertly blended here ..its not garish and plasticky like as in many haphazardly put together low budget chemical juices or even in other expensive niche fragrances where this note sticks out like an ugly child (Malle's En Passant is an example). The composition lands on the signature Creed ambergris-musk base. Another note: if you have a bottle of older juice, the drydown will be more rapid.

Imperial is very wearable, fanstastically crafted, works under all situations, often used as inspiration (Unforgivable, Wall Street), all with good longevity. And that gold plated bottle is a cracker (try to grab one fast - Creed is changing the packaging to clear glass). Creed do citrus and aquatics extremely well, and this is yet another example of it. Fantastic stuff.

Rating: 8.5/10

I love Creed Millésime Impérial. It's warm & romantic. It smells like "Bergamots & Florentine Iris' in a stone temple." I love the new bottle!

Am absolutely outstanding perfume! I don't see it as an unisex fragrance, but more as a masculine scent. Very clean, bright and warm, this highly elegant and sophisticated fragrance is a true masterpiece!

Hey I really like this juice! I wore it throughout the summer and give it a big thumbs up for warm weather. The watermelon is what makes it different. The warmer the climate the more the watermelon note shines. For people that have a problem with longevity just apply it to your undergarments.

After hearing so much about MI and how Unforgivable, which I actually quite like, was a rip off of this scent, I thought buying a bottle of MI was a no brainer. Suffice it to say, I was underwhelmed.

This is a very one dimensional scent in my opinion. The initial top notes have this sweet metallic and citrus emanation that certainly speaks to something fresh, novel and sophisticated. However, I was hoping there would be more of a herbal/floral middle note to flesh out the fragrance some more. Furthermore, the dry down is rather weak, leaving faint traces of a powdery and floral scent, albeit not as feminine as it may seem by my description. The longevity is a key issue here, the scent didn't last for more than 3 hours, which is contrary to what we have come to expect from Creed.

I am not saying this is a bad scent at all, it is certainly very light, fresh and sophisticated. The only problem is, you'd literally have to be in somebody's face for them to smell it. The only time such an invasion of personal space would be warranted is when you're on a romantic date and dinner is just the tip of the iceberg, if you get my drift. Thus, it is a good night time scent to wear for an intimate rendezvous but if you're a player looking to draw the ladies close, you'd better have a wicked sense of humor to compensate for the lack of MI's sillage. Colors I would associate with this scent is Gold (yes, like the bottle color)and yellow green, followed by a white, sky blue, pastel green and a touch of baby pink: like I said, relatively weak after notes.

Seemed like a little went a LOONNNGG way. Smelled good once the top notes faded away. Too strong for my tastes, but may make the bottle last longer...

I owned Unforgivable first and thought it was a good scent, although there were times I was sick of it, I always went back to it. I kept reading the basenotes reviews about the comparisons between Unforgivable and MI and told myself that one day I'd put up the money for the Creed fragrance and and see for myself how similar they are to each other and which one is really the better of the two. When I ordered MI, I also ordered Himalaya because it just sounded like it fit my personality perfectly. When I finally recieved MI, I took it out and thought "eh, the bottle's okay, kinda tacky", I expected it to be much more appealing but it was this 'plasticy' looking dark gold glass bottle, whatever, y'know?! Anyways, I finally sprayed it on my wrist expecting this undeniabaly alluring and super sexy aroma and kinda got...eh, it's okay. I definitely saw the similarity between MI and Sean John, so obviously, yeah, he ripped off Creed! But really MI just smelled like a watered down Sean John, (or should I say, more natural) and MI had more 'Green' notes in it, I didn't really get a 'fresh fruit' sense from it. But I didn't give up, I kept on testing it along with Sean John and truthfully, after a while I noticed how much more natural MI smelled, you could spray it on your skin and smell it right away, if you spray Sean John on and smell it right away it will kinda burn your nose from all the alcohol and MI's longevity is better too, Sean John doesn't last long at all. Until then, I never tried any Creed Fragrances and now I'm drawn to them, I can't see myself using too many EDToilettes anymore, Creed is more sophisticated and probably better on your skin considering EDT holds so many chemicals. Anyways I forgot to tell you my results on Himalaya.....It's now my signature scent and it will remain to be. Comparing that to MI, no contest, Himalaya is much fresher, cleaner, more up to date, has better longevity and all, I love it! And just remember, if you never tried a Creed scent and you're used to Department store fragrances, when you first smell certain Creeds or any for that matter, you might not like them at first, because you're used to a lot of chemically produced scents. Keep going back to Creed, give it a few chances, see how it dries down on your skin throughout the day, trust me, you'll come to appreciate them much more.

This seems to behave quite differently depending on the weather. In hot humid weather it gives the wearer a beautiful warm, golden melony glow which garners awestruck compliments. Absolutely lovely.

In any other kind of weather it seems frail and somewheat dirty and has no longevity whatsoever. Strange.

But when it's on, it's right on. Gorgeous.

I have now smelled both Unforgivable and MI and believe that MI is slightly better, but I honestly believe that it is so slight that 99% of people would not have the slightest clue.

YUCK! Heard everyone raving about this so I gave it a shot….pheeeEEeew!! Couldn’t wait to get it off my skin! Smells like hairy dark Shaboo-boo AL-boo-bi men that bathe in cologne to mask their pungent body odor…catch my drift?

everybody can wear this stuff
very fresh ,sweet and citrusy.i like the bottle more than mi.its one of the oh you smell good frag ,should worn hot summer days

The second Creed I ever tried / purchased. Absolutely loved it when I got it, but perhaps wore it too much.

I'm now finding that it is smelling a little too dull for me, and dare I say it, a little sickly.

Shame really, as I used to rate this highly.

Millésime Imperial is sooo clean and fresh and it got this fruity middle note. One of the best scents ever (with SMW and GIT).

i'm gonna be simple. fantibulous!

The sweet, yet crisp topnotes of Millesime Imperial are very, very pretty. Perhaps even a little too pretty for me. Though the strong fruit (melon?) component is charming, the equally conspicuous citrus note seems rather conventional.

At first I was baffled by the comparisons with Silver Mountain Water, since that scent's currant/tea accord is much more herbal and earthy to my nose. But as the Millesime base revealed itself during the (very rapid) drydown, I began to see the point. The base of this fragrance is much like that of Silver Mountain Water, and even resembles Green Irish Tweed.

Since Millesime Imperial both reveals its base and fades quickly on me, I don't experience it as a distinguished or individual scent. In fact, the whole thing is pretty much gone within three hours. Nice, yes, and very well put together, but not terribly useful to me as a wardrobe item.

Millesime Imperial was a strange progression for me: when I first wore it, I was suitably impressed but not overly so that I felt I had to buy it immediately.

One of the more important points in liking for perfume for me involves my wife. The chances of buying a perfume is directly proportional to her love of the fragrance. She really liked MI.

That was the first step, so to speak. The second, which pushed me over the edge, as they say, is time. It's been a few weeks now and MI has really grown on me. I really, really like this fragrance, one of the best aquatics I've ever smelled.

Incredibly good.

Millésime Impérial by Creed is by far the best aquatic cologne out on the market. All the notes are completely natural, so it does not smell synthetic in any way. Impérial is so smooth,rich, and complex that it is hard to compare it to any other cologne out on the market. I have over three dozen colognes, and whenever I am uncertain of what to wear for any occasion, I know I can count on Impérial to make an impression.

The first so-called aquatic (which is a category I suppose you could put MI into) that I could honestly enjoy.
Cheerful, uplifting, sporty even! Lighthearted yet sophisticated. For those hot sunny summer days of sipping champagne on the beach.

A perfectly enchanting, subtle, complex summer fragrance. It comes as a welcome break from the current aquatic craze. I only wish it lasted longer on my skin, I get about thirty minutes out of it at a time. So sad.

Just received my bottle of this. First let me say kudos to Basenotes. I have bought several items based on combing through the reviews of this community - and as a community, everyone does a great job. Now to the fragrance. I was extremely excited about the arrival of my golden bottle of MI. Once I put this on - I was not dissappointed. I applied three sprays then picked up my wife for dinner. She couldn't stop talking about it and asking me what I was wearing. Let's just say the evening went REALLY well.

This is a very fresh - yet strikingly masculine scent. Fruity and salty with an impeccable woodsy dry down.

It's marine, fruit and wood like no mass market frag could do. No wonder it was made for a king - that's how it will make you feel when you wear it.

The more I wear Creed selections, the farther away I get from buying over the counter mass market scents. This is a must have for any refined gentleman's collection!

This at the moment is my absolute favorite fragrance. I usually test a perfume for weeks before actually buying it. But for this, I purchased it immediately without hesitation. It reminds me of Buddist temples in the East..the burning of incense, the ripe fruit offerings for all the gods on the mantle...the surrounding lush trees and tropical flowers, the wood beams of the temple...I just love love love this one!

Smooth and refreshing.. Great scent for a night out or even for me I wear to work occasionaly.. My favorite Creed fragrance.. Great for summer and spring.. I cant get enough of this stuff

A very fine fragrance which doesn't mess about in its intentions. A clear strong and quite fine watermelon/aquatic/oceanic accord sitting on a fine creed house base. Sometimes I think I am sick of this,then find I am craving it a couple of days later.

I flit from smelling the top notes as natural or synthetic. I think it smells very much like natural watermelon, but watermelon could never smell that strong or clear naturally. Sometimes this puts me off a little.

Ultimately excellent.

The best summer scent ever! Luxury!

Created for an Arabian prince this is truly royal. A delightful scent with the départ of bergamot and seasalt. It is surely an uplifting scent. Yet elegant and not banal or playful. But even though it is created for the heat of Arabian climate, it does not resist higher temperatures.
I followed a lady who was wearing it through three long streets. I found it of uncomparable sophistication. fresh yet not a toilet water, but unfortunately when temperatures raise, the curtain of elegance falls down and leaves you with seasand mixed with bergamot traces,like a dried out flower.the watery element fades and something sadly thickeningly dry remains on your skin.
I guess it is fantastic for who likes citrus elegance in colder times of the year. I prefer warmer scents in winter.
so it was just a first moment enchanter for me

Being partial to more masculine frags, I couldn't get into this one. The typical Creed quality is there but this is just to fruity and unisex for my taste. If you like more green, clean or masculine try GIT, Himalaya or BDP. For a night out try Acier Alumimum. I enjoy many Creed scents and respect their quality but dont' buy this blind.

A classic fragrance by Creed. attractive opening with accent fruits,
MI is very very extraordinary IMHO...
But the lack of most of Creeds, that's imitate. for example:
Himalaya-XS, Millésime Impérial- Gendarme, Original Vétiver-Mugler Cologne, etc...
totally all of Creeds is better than equivalents.
the most of Creed is my faves.

I agree with the reviewer who deemed this Creed classic "bright." I wear M.I. whenever I want to be in a good mood all day -- never when I crave a little melancholia on a dark winter afternoon.
Along with Clinique's "Happy" and Dior's "Eau Sauvage Extreme," Millesime Imperial's always sure to cheer me up.

Could be longer lasting, true, but the first few hours (and the cool bottle!) are well worth the price.

A nice smelling fragrance I also smell the watermelon note quite strongly but i do not think this is as nice as GIT in my oppinion but i think it stands out a bit more. Also I think the dry down smells a very tiny bit like the top notes of armani black code (not a bad thing) in my oppinion does anyone else smell this?

This would probably be my favorite scent if it lasted longer than 1 or 2 hours. Its fruity and fresh without that sharp soapy feel. WHY must it be so weak!?

It is not my usual type of fragrance—it is fresh and light and citrus, three qualities not usually very high on my list of desired effects. But somehow, in Millésime Impérial, those qualities are raised to regal heights—it is an imperial fragrance. The opening, aquatic and fruity, is dominated by a luscious watermelon and a tart citrus. As the scent develops, it continues its clean, uplifting aquatic, fruity ambiance. The dry down is the typical Creed dry down that we so willingly pay for. I can believe that this was created for a King.

Excellent summer scent and probably my most complimented. Wonderful lasting power and one that seems to work with any style of dress and mood. Clean citrus notes mixed the ambegris and has a salty tinge to it that sets it apart from run of the mill summer scents. A must for any summer wardrobe.

Exotic smelling aquatic scent. Sharp and clean and gets you noticed in a hurry...And unlike inferior aquas, there is not a trace of soapyness to be found, only cool, crisp, distinct, and UNsoapy notes. Requires an extra spray for longevity, however.

I agree with the reviewer who did not like this scent at first, but after a few wearings, came around to loving it. On me it starts off a little salty and sweet, but later settles into a very nice, warm, semi-sweet musk scent with a creamy fruity note (watermelon, cream, and musk?) that I've found to be really addictive. The first time I wore it, it wore off within a few hours. After that, however, it has stayed with me for about 6-8 hours every time I put it on, and even after that, it is still faintly perceptible. It's even made it through the shower a couple times. I think this has the chance to be a real keeper in warmer weather, where the sillage will be stronger, and the lightness, creaminess, and hint of fruit will be welcome. Also, the musk really does make this one more of a masculine frag. My girlfriend put it on one day; it smelled too dark and thick on her. Finally, this is the first Creed I have worn, and I have to say I am really impressed by the naturalness of the scent. Before wearing this, I would not have noticed a huge difference between synthetic and natural fragrances; this one smells so pure and naturally fresh to me that it will be tough to ever wear another synthetic scent...goodbye disposable income!

I absolutely abhor most of today's "fresh" scents that nearly everyone on campus wears (I'm a college student, obviously), mostly due to the awful synthetic smell that lends this "freshness." Millesime Imperial, on the other hand, manages to be light and truly fresh, with absolutely nothing synthetic about it. The gentle and crisp citrus overlays a salty, aquatic accord that is perfect for those beautiful spring and summer days. The drydown is also a work of art, seemlessly morphing into a sweet, musky base. Its major downfall, however, it that it barely lasts two hours on my skin (but then again, my skin does not hold on to scents well at all) and can stand to be quite a bit stronger as I find myself using 6-10 sprays with nary a reaction from those around me (however, every reaction that I met has been extremely positive and often involves me having to explain the whole Creed thing and why it's worth it to spend $150+ on a bottle of cologne). A masterpiece, fleeting though it may be.

Since PuffDaddy enjoys this scent, I will not buy it. I have never had it, nor do I want it. Creed is such a gimmicky company..

I don't know what all the fuss is about. Yes, it's nice, with the characteristic sharp opening notes; but after that it fades to a barely imperceptable scent. I need to try it some more, or apply it more heavily.

Hello, Gorgeous! Addictive, elegant, fresh, distinct, pleasant, refreshing, garners compliments, decent lasting power and sillage. Still the best of Creed in my opinion. Love the blend of fruit and green notes with the classic millesime basenotes.

I bought this blind and initially did not care for it at all. It almost made me feel ill. But I've worn it a few times now, and I think it's become my favorite cologne. I'm still not super crazy about the salty top note (although I'm growing to like that too), but a few hours later it's got this wonderful subtle scent of watermelon and musk, which seems like an odd combination but works beautifully. While it's billed as a unisex fragrance, the musk makes it seem distinctly masculine to me.

Long story short I really didn't care for this one. Smells strange- like sweaty feet mixed with cologned dryer sheets.

Hmm, I wonder if I got a bad sample. All I smelled was salt. It was as though I had splashed some water out of the harbor on me. I felt dirty and smelly for quite a while.

AMAZING is the word to describe it, on my first day with Imperial I just thought it was a ok smell, but couple of days later I fell in love with it, its starts of with a strong watermelon note and drys down to something salty and musky which is heavenly.

At the moment this is starting to take over Green Irish Tweed as my 1# Fragrance.

A highly agreeable fragrance is one of the best fresh scents. Very well bleneded and always a pleasure to smell.

Every time I use this fragance I get compliments from both women and men. I am impressed with it, and so was my lover. I do not agree with other reviewers that have stated that it does not last enough...I have worn it from 6:00am to 12:00 midnight and STILL get complimented! This is a kudos for Creed. Very elegant, sensual, and sophisticated fragance. If you like Millisime Imperial, you may want to try Annick Goutai, or Eau de Santal by Floris.

It doesn't last long, but I have fallen completely in love with this scent. Not one to put on in the morning as it will not last the whole day, but for that first impression at a special occasion I cannot think of anything I would sooner be wearing.

MI is Creeds most wearable and, generally, most loved of the Creed fragrances. It’s a sparkling Citrus fragrance, which is surprisingly rich and modern for what it is. Most French citrus fragrances are stuffy or herbal, but this is amazingly chic. It’s smooth, refined, and effervescent. A great summer fragrance that everyone will love.

I was not really expecting to like this one, but turns out Millesime Imperial is quite great. I don't know if it is super original, but it is the best example of a particular genre of scents out there right now. Imperial is that fresh, clean, manly scent that all the other colognes try to be. It all these things, but never too much so. It is balanced. I get some citrus, definitely some ocean (but more salty than watery), some melon (I think this gives the aquatic feel), and a bit of green. The dry down is like most Creeds, subtle with a sweet, blended woody-ambergris feel. So skip the Eternity, Cool Water, Polo Blue, Hugo, et cetera-- and class it up (nasty, noveau-riche bottle, though) with Creed Millesime Imperial.

Immensely pleasant. I like it! However, I agree that it's not very strong, and I think it has a bit of a feminine drydown. At first it seemed a little one dimensional to me, but on a second wearing I detected more. It's very similar to SMW, it has that same instantly recognizable basenote that is found in almost all of the Creed fragrances but is especially strong in both MI and SMW. Since I already own SMW I don't think I'll buy this, as they're too similar to warrant the $200 pricetag. But an exceptional fragrance nevertheless!

Refined, elite, extraordinary. That's the best way to describe Millesime Imperial. It's a fragrance of classic style and elan. A pleasure again and again.

One of my favorite Creeds...almost like a breezy summer day. However, even though I love it, I don't own any because of the watermelon note (my Dad HATES watermelon).

An amazing fragrance whose every note seems to work well on my skin--it unfortunately also gives me an itchy rash. I used to try wearing it sparingly on special occasions, but finally gave up. Too bad, because it really is very elegant.

I do not anything bad to say about MI, but I do not have anything good to say either. It does not last long and it is not a very strong scent. I like some Creed scents and others do nothing for me. This one did nothing for me.

A wonderful and very fine fragrance even if not nearly long lasting enough.

refreshing and clean...puts me in a good mood.
Stays on me for around 8-10 hrs.

Rich, bright, regal scent that is elegant and very uplifting. Has a richness and complexity that is mesmerizing while still maintaining a fresh and clean quality. There is a hint of something that is akin to watermelon that is amazing - the masterful harmonization of that note with the others is what gives this scent so much character. In my opinion this and Silver Mountain Water are close relatives - they both seem to share the same basic formula with just enough difference to make each distinct from the other, SMW being lighter, this one being a bit richer. If you are going to invest a good amount of money on one get this one because it lasts significantly longer than SMW. One of my all-time favorites.

A brilliant and refreshing all round scent. Not my favorite Creed but still head and shoulders about many other like-minded fragrances I have tried. This is one I wear when I want to impress others and it usually works. Sparkling at the start and extremely elegant throughout the drydown. Don't try- just buy.

This scent is incredible. It's got a note in it I can't identify, but it's regal and noble smelling. It won't overpower, but it lasts. Nice complexity, and it will work in any situation, from a board room to a game room. I love it!
The golden bottle is mesmerizing. I can stare at it for hours. It appears as a priceless treasure from a lost city.

Once I heard that Millesime Imperial has notes of watermelon in it, I had to run and try it. With that as the head note I can determine, MI (in my opinion) is THE Creed base scent, which means it's easy to wear and great for layering. By far, this is the most versatile scent that Creed offers.

In my opinion, this is THE base for many Creed scents. It seems to my nose that I can smell the notes of this product throughout many Creed porducts and that's not bad. To me this is the "common" Creed scent that you just can't go wrong with. Very versatile and long-lasting.