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Eau de Guerlain Question

post #1 of 8
8/22/09 at 7:15pm
Thread Starter 
I have heard good things about Eau de Guerlain here and from Luca Turin's book. I was wondering what the differences and similarities were between Eau de Guerlain, a 1970s fragrance, and say a traditional cologne like Eau de Imperiale.
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post #2 of 8
8/22/09 at 10:43pm
Eau de Guerlain (1974) is a chypre fragrance (bergamot-moss-patchouli accord) with a strong basil note. It has a good citrus note the top, but the basil makes it very green and a little spicy. The heart note is very floral: Rose, jasmine, and carnation.

Eau de Cologne Impériale (1853) is more of a slightly fougère scent (lavender-tonka bean accord, missing the typical oakmoss note). The top is very citrus dominant, with verbena (reminiscent of citronella) being the distinctive note. There is lavender as the heart note, and the base is cedarwood and tonka bean. The tonka bean can give some people a powdery impression, although the other notes do a lot to compensate for this. Eau de Cologne Impériale was made for the Emperor Napoleon III, hence the name "Impériale."

They are both very recognizable examples of the eau de cologne style, but the chypre/fougère difference is crucial. Also, the Eau de Guerlain is much more recognizably a modern scent in my opinion.

Hope this helps.
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post #3 of 8
8/23/09 at 12:24am
I find Eau de Guerlain more pleasant in character. The Imperiale is kind of masculine-agressive, less sublime. I have a whole litre of it in the jumbo bees bottle, and on hot days it does its duty as a skin bracer.
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post #4 of 8
8/23/09 at 1:19am
The big different is Eau de Guerlain is edt and lasts a lot longer on the skin that the Imperiale. I love the warm spicy feel of EdG were as EdL is light citrus and gone in less than an hour on the skin. I actually bougth the body lotion in the latter years ago as it lasted better on the skin.
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post #5 of 8
8/23/09 at 2:29am
Eau de Guerlain is clearly an "enhanced" EdC - it's heart and base are much more prominent than in the classic style, it lasts longer, and it also contains unusual ingredients - I find the caraway very prominent, which can be a turn-off (e.g. for my wife, who loathes caraway). It's an excellent modern style cologne.
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post #6 of 8
8/23/09 at 11:58am
Eau de Guerlain ist wonderful for the five minutes it stays on my skin.
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post #7 of 8
8/23/09 at 12:45pm
The citrus notes in Eau de Guerlain last a long time on me. They are quite ephemeral (albeit beautiful) in Imperiale.
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post #8 of 8
8/24/09 at 11:52am
There's a notable herbal presence in Eau de Guerlain that is absent in the Imperiale. If pressed to identify which herb, I'd say it was marjoram. Or perhaps marjoram and winter savoury.
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