I've been in the perfume game for about three years now, and even though Aventus first hit the market in 2010, you inevitably stumble upon this name sooner or later. You just can't escape it, and why would you want to, especially with all the hype surrounding it? It must smell good, right?
So how does this Aventus, which everyone talks about, actually smell? I was very excited when I saw it for the first time at the perfume store and asked the lady if she could spray it on me; knowing that Aventus has supposedly survived many reformulations (or maybe it didn't survive after all~). The lady handed me the cloth (very fancy), and I was curious until… well, it smelled like toilet stones with piercing pineapple… very disappointing, and I didn't have the patience to hunt down certain batches with good versions, so my Aventus chapter was closed.
A year later, I was sitting in a chemistry lab at university next to a dude who, fortunately, I can now call one of my closest colleagues, and I smelled something very nice in the air: vanilla. It was such high-quality vanilla that I thought it couldn't possibly be a designer scent (small checkered thoughts)! Back then, I only really knew Layton from the niche world, and this vanilla reminded me of it. You have to imagine, I was smelling this vanilla for a certain period until I finally realized, okay, it's the dude next to me, with whom I hadn't really interacted much, except for cracking a few jokes in the chemistry lab. So I asked him: "Yo Bro, sorry for a quick question, but are you wearing a perfume right now?" "Yeah, why?" "Is it by any chance Layton? Because it smells incredible!" "Unfortunately not, it's from Electimuss and it's called Imperium - it's an Aventus with vanilla!" And that's how we got onto the topic of perfumes, which continuously provided plenty of conversation material whenever we weren't complaining about the THM :D. He also mentioned that he first heard about the scent on Parfumo, and that's how I discovered this great site.
Since then, Imperium has been on my mind, but unfortunately, I never got around to testing this wonderful scent. A year later (last year), my friends and I went out to celebrate after a ten-hour study session to "wind down" the evening, and that night, the aforementioned friend was wearing Imperium again, and once again, the sillage of the scent blew me away! Interestingly, the friend said he didn't perceive it as strongly himself (important for later). At that time, I thought I MUST test it on my skin - but again, I didn't, until…
BF 2023, I got it at a very good price, luckily, because when I saw the offer and it was in my cart, I thought "maybe not" and closed the tab on my phone. I hesitated, and five minutes later, I ultimately bought it. Maybe I hesitated because it was supposedly close to Aventus, and I never warmed up to that one, or maybe because my colleague really liked it; I did inform him about the offer, but he didn't want to get it. I made a quick decision and bought it myself.
When the package arrived, I unwrapped the purple box with joy but also uncertainty, wondering if I should take it out completely naked, as that would be akin to a blind buy, and I usually don't do blind buys. Still - something compelled me, and when I sprayed it on my arm and my girlfriend's eyes widened, I knew I would regret NOTHING.
Imperium opens with a very nice pineapple, embedded in even more beautiful bourbon vanilla. The pineapple has a slightly piercing quality, but not as extreme as the current batches of its predecessor. Personally, I find that pineapple generally has a somewhat piercing quality in citrus scents, which I don't mind. However, no fragrance has managed to create such a perfect symbiosis between Aventus (pineapple) and vanilla. Or should I just say Ani instead of vanilla? Because yes, that's how it is: Imperium is a (deliberate!) child of Aventus and Ani! Like the basketball player Yao Ming, whose parents were both giants, and Yao Ming ended up being taller than his own parents, Imperium is also greater than its two parents, and I'm not just talking about the beautiful, noble, and ton-heavy bottle, but also about the scent itself. It's somehow an all-rounder: citrusy, sweet, spicy, slightly smoky even in the dry down, but all without losing its class. It's a scent that you could theoretically wear for any occasion, during the day, in the evening, and regardless of the season, but personally, I think you shouldn't be too underdressed for it.
In terms of scent, I personally can't make much of the fragrance pyramid; sure, bergamot and neroli help the (not listed!?) pineapple achieve this beautiful citrus, and in the mid-drydown, you can smell a bit of the white flowers, but overall: pineapple + vanilla (+ musk). After a few hours, a certain smokiness also comes through, which the original version of Aventus supposedly has (which I unfortunately never tested). This smoky note fits perfectly into the overall picture and gives it a nice twist in the end. And the best part I haven't even mentioned yet: You always want more of Imperium, just like Julius Caesar.
Unfortunately, you don't get much more than that, because:
Longevity and sillage are a disaster. After two hours, I hardly notice anything anymore, but that might also be due to nose blindness, as it was the case with my colleague too. It really performed well only when I was very meticulous about not letting anything touch my neck and when it was warm (in the car). Maybe it’s stronger in summer? I hope so, because it would be a shame to have to settle for a 6 for longevity and sillage. I can hardly wait to wear it in spring/summer!
The bottle is a real beauty; I don't like the box too much, but the bottle makes up for it :D. Massive and of high quality, the cap is also heavy and sits firmly on the bottle. The sprayer is upper mid-range, so very solid.
Price-to-quality ratio is also solid at full price, as long as you like Aventus or Ani.
In conclusion, I want to thank Sofia for this scent and of course my colleague @Lr510!
Thanks for the trip down memory lane! ❤️