Eau de Cologne Impériale Guerlain 1853

Gradually, I first acquired the Cologne Imperiale, then the Eau de Coq, and finally the Eau de Guerlain. I generally like the fragrance direction, and out of interest in the 3 different yet so similar Cologne interpretations, I had to own them.

The Eau Imperiale has the shortest longevity and consequently the strongest projection in the room for that brief period (one should always bring the spray head very close to the clothing and spray, which slightly improves longevity - on skin, the scents are nothing; the citrus terpenes are absorbed by the skin, and the longevity is only a few minutes). The scent opens clearly and sharply for me, very fresh and lemony. If you smell closely, you can perceive a slight, cool caraway note, which comes from the terpene Carvone, a natural fragrance compound found in mandarin peels, caraway, and mint. Fortunately, cooling menthol, the typical scent compound of peppermint, is not included. In the background, you can smell the Petitgrain, and the orange is (especially in the drydown) accompanied by just a hint of fine neroli, so that no 4711 impression is created at all. The scent completely dissipates in the end. Guerlain therefore recommends it as a layering scent, as the progression of the main perfume is not influenced by it. A dry Dior Homme Intense, for example, is refreshed so strongly that you get the impression of sniffing a descendant of the original Dior Homme.
The Eau de Coq, on the other hand, is like the perfection of 4711. In the Eau de Coq, the neroli note is incredibly elegant and free from "disturbing factors" (although the cheap 4711 is already very good!). The essential oils in the Coq must be of the highest quality; here too, the scent almost completely dissipates in the end, with the neroli inevitably remaining as the last trace in the clothing and still smelling good and fresh even then. Compared to Eau Imperiale, in the Eau de Coq, the orange with its blossom, the neroli oil, is positioned as an equal partner alongside the lemon-bergamot freshness. In the more floral drydown of the Coq, I do not perceive any indole notes. If real jasmine has been used, then it is a specially prepared indole-free essence of it. I also do not perceive the "detour into the animalistic"; I suspect this is the interpretation of neroli alongside lavender.
In the Eau de Guerlain, more fragrance notes have been integrated, creating a new dimension of rounded freshness in the opening and an elegantly extended middle (artificial jasmine aromas, Hedione, moss). The longevity is therefore the longest of the three; the heavy Hedione can still be smelled on fabrics the next day. The scent was released 8 years after Dior's Eau Sauvage and represents a slight feminization with increased elegance of Dior's model. However, the Eau de Guerlain is relatively bitter from start to finish; anyone who does not like a bitter note should steer clear of this one. In layering attempts, its bitterness is pleasantly softened with floral, fruity, or sweet aromas.
All the fragrances mentioned in the text are a 10/10 for me, as they perfectly implement the concept with predominantly natural ingredients even today. This highest art alongside mass production is truly astonishing.