ItFromBit

What fantastic packaging: A flacon that feels so heavy and luxurious that you actually enjoy taking it out of the drawer. And an extraordinary fragrance that isn't so easy to put into words.

Let's start with what it isn't: Aventus. Yes, the first spray absolutely carries something reminiscent of Aventus. But the notes already reveal that the two fragrances otherwise have little in common. An Aventus without pineapple, oakmoss and birch can't be Aventus either.

It doesn't have to be, because this fragrance is beautiful - damn beautiful. Bergamot and coriander dominate the opening, but very soon it appears, this kneel-worthy vanilla that accompanies the fragrance throughout.

The floral character fits perfectly, though it never dominates, instead supporting the fragrance. The same applies to the amber and woods, which slot perfectly into the fragrance symphony.

Imperium is rightly Electimuss's crowd-pleaser and bestseller. Appealing, but not simple, familiar yet new and unique in its overall impression and development. Wearable niche at a high level of quality.

Announced with much pomp by Amouage, I spontaneously bought it a few weeks ago. The new bottle is interesting and almost looks as if it were constructed from stone. Very nice and definitely valuable and unusual.

The scent never seems to have seen any synthetics. Everything feels extremely natural and authentic. Sandalwood dominates, and it is a creamy, fine sandalwood. Next to it is this wood cask note, like one knows from aged spirits - it could definitely have been less pronounced for me; because while it does not overshadow the sandalwood, it is always very much in the foreground.

Everything else is rather distant. Some earthiness from the patchouli, a slight amber warmth, complemented by cardamom and - a little - iris are noticeable. And I also think I can recognize the tonka bean.

Now one might be disappointed, as this scent is not very exciting in essence. And yet one can be enthusiastic, because what it does, it does really well. Personally, I still waver back and forth - and yet I am glad that I treated myself to it.

This fragrance shows what Birkholz still lacks, compared to Xerjoff and other top names. I believe this applies to the entire collection, which I have thoroughly sniffed through.

The individual notes are clearly perceptible, but they do not create a symbiosis. It starts with the apple, which competes with the pineapple for dominance. Then comes the rose, which quickly pushes itself to the forefront. Before vanilla and praline, along with patchouli, join in, accompanied by a slightly "smoky" accord.

Is it niche: Yes, I think so. Is it rounded: No, not for me. I miss the balance from the beginning to the end. Just the last mile to great perfumery art.

I also miss the last mile in projection and longevity, and this applies, at least for me, to the entire collection.

A beautiful scent that - for me - comes across quite minty. Definitely a fragrance for summer, I would even say for high summer. Lots of lemon, not much of the other fruits to be sniffed out. The floral notes, on the other hand, are quite noticeable. The woods are present, but not very pronounced.

So the question arises: What does this fragrance want to be? I think it aims to be an uncomplicated travel companion. And it succeeds well in that.

In the fragrance description on YouTube, Birkholz praises the longevity of this scent. They mention 10 hours. That either requires a very good nose or, as I suspect, a good dose of imagination. The longevity simply does not justify the price - for me, it lasts about 3 hours, which is not enough.

Therefore, it remains a Discovery Set for me. Kind of a shame.

The typical review goes something like this: Smells initially terribly synthetic and citrusy, then it gets better. And in the end, you can hardly distinguish it from Aventus. Therefore, it usually gets 5/5 points or something similar.

What a misconception! First of all, a perfume consists of all levels and times. If a perfume is not pleasant in the opening, while Aventus scores with intensity and naturalness here, then it simply cannot be a 5/5. And yes, this synthetic, citrus-dominated opening quickly fades into the background. But even afterwards, the scent is far more synthetic, less balanced, less complex, and only related to Aventus, but by no means identical or even remotely similar.

The two fragrances are not worlds apart in price, unfortunately, the same goes for the quality. This is not a criticism of CDN, you simply get what you pay for here. But anyone who thinks they are buying CDN and owning Aventus is mistaken.