Eau de Gloire
Parfum d'Empire (2003)

Sunny and refreshing in the eau de cologne manner and given a summery spin by the diffusive hay and aniseed tones at its heart. If all that sounds a bit too chirpy, wait a bit until the citruses and pinging herbals settle in enough to let in an anchoring incense note wearing big lad's trousers. Suave, well-executed, but in a perfume style I can't really get excited about.

A nice extended spicy eau de cologne, starting from lavender with subtle touches of citrus but very quickly transitioning to black tea, anise and licorice. Hint of smoke in the mid phase, and has that wonderful tea accord similar to the one in Ambre Russe (at least earlier bottles). The base is light and subtle with hints of tobacco, leather and moss. Dry from start to finish, and occasionally earthy. An old world meets new nuance in a good way, reserved, subtle and lots of character; requires over-application for enjoyment. The eau de parfum concentration could be misleading. A nice alternative to concentrated citrus colognes, especially if one is also looking to avoid anything too sweet.

3.5/5

Cypresses by Vincent van Gogh 1889

Sophisticated herbal fougere!

My nose picks up different notes than those listed above. I get no citrus at all. Initially I get a very strong cumin note that mixes with lavender and cedar, then settles down to be a subdued, subtle fougere, assuredly masculine and understated.

I find it to be quite fine, sort of like one of the powerhouse men's scents from the 80s, that has since been quite tamed. Almost a whiff of memory of a scent from that era (Quorum, Open, Moods Uomo, Azzaro, etc.), as you would find on a leather jacket that has been in the closet since that era, drenched for a decade in scent, then forgotten, retaining the aromas from many sprayings.

It is quite balanced and suave. If I didn't know better I would think it is perhaps a Guerlain. Unusual for this house to create a fougere like this, but I'm glad Empire did.

Eau de Gloire (supposedly inspired by the Napoleone's iconic character) is another Marc-Antoine Corticchiato's masterwork for the excellent Parfum d'Empire. In particular this refined fragrance unfolds an initial anisic-aromatic approach (a vaguely naif one.....in typical Oriza L. Legrand's style... the minty/mossy/leathery/resinous Chypre Mousse jumps more than vaguely on mind in the first stage, as well as effectively the brighter and fruitier Diorella). The Eau de Gloire's scent is a "freshly" classic-hesperidic take on the lavender/oakmoss theme with leathery/medicinal/resinous "implications" and an old-school "aldehydic chypre cologne-like" initial vibe. While the aroma "snaps" initially with an aldehydic anisic/hesperidic (lemony/greenish/musky/earthy) approach it gradually morphs towards a darker and more crepuscular (vaguely smoky and rosey) incense/leather/pepper/oakmoss floral-lemony territory in a way that scents a la Eldo Rien (and partially Rien Intense Incense), Shams Memo, by Kilian Incense Oud (less leathery/minty, less balanced and more resinous), the inky-boozy Meo Fusciuni Notturno, Creed Angelique Encens and the hesperidic resinous Eau Sauvage Parfum jump partially on mind for several of their characteristics (on a certain extent also scents a la Atelier Cologne Mistral Patchouli, without the salty undertone, and La Via Del Profumo Indu Kush, more vetiver oriented, come really vaguely on mind). The dry down is a perfect combination of resins and oakmoss with a minimal (almost ghostly) leathery undertone (slightly tending to "rubbery"), a cool fluidy core (keeping basically dry and tea-veined the texture) and an excellent dry toasted tobacco vein well joined with a lingering licorice-chamomile touch. Amazing, really amazing cologne.

Genre: Chypre

I came very close to dismissing Eau de Gloire. After all, the woody citrus-chypre territory it occupies has been thoroughly explored in scents like Cristalle (the green approach), Eau d'Hermes (the X-rated animalic approach), Eau Sauvage (the herbal approach), and Diorella (the fruit and leather approach). So when the first hour's wear of Eau de Gloire revealed yet another take on the mossy Eau de Cologne-on-steroids formula, spiked with a pleasantly sweet anise note, I yawned. The stuff was nearly indistinguishable from the sample of Diorella I'd placed on my other arm.

As it happens, Eau de Gloire is a patent case for not judging a scent too hastily. The leather and tobacco listed in this scent's note pyramid don't emerge for at least an hour or two after application, but when they do, they transform Eau de Gloire into a much more distinguished scent. Indeed, the extended drydown is an enjoyable essay on labdanum, leather, and oakmoss that largely redeems the well executed, though slightly hackneyed introduction. I should note that while Eau de Gloire is not particularly weak, it only reveals its distinctive drydown when applied generously. Light application leaves a less flattering impression.

If you find Cristalle too harsh, Eau d'Hermes too lewd, and Eau Sauvage a bit too staid, then Eau de Gloire offers a viable alternative. It's still hard for me to recommend Eau de Gloire over Diorella, which it most closely resembles – particularly when the Dior sells for 1/3 to 1/2 the price. Nevertheless, this is a fragrance that merits attention when you want a transparent citrus scent with more endurance and weight than a traditional Eau de Cologne.