Inspired by Napoléon Bonaparte.
Eau de Gloire fragrance notes
Head
- lemon, bergamot, orange, neroli, rosemary, lavender
Heart
- aniseed, tea, licorice
Base
- leather, oakmoss, tobacco, incense
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Latest Reviews of Eau de Gloire


3.5/5
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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.


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.

7,5-8/10


This is one of the problems I have with this fragrance (the other being that at times it made me smell like a rosemary cracker and smelling that edible is not always something I enjoy): it seems somehow unfinished, incomplete..
In other words, interesting but not convincing..

Green, bitter, herbaceous, a bit soapy, extremely aromatic. Practical and very natural scent without any gimmicks or faults. Very long lasting, too.
Mixture of labdanum, moss, hint of anise and, I swear, a dash of birch tar, creates a brilliant impression of luscious dry silver birch rustling in a warm summery evening, sometime in July by a finnish lake. Somewhat same sort of impression can be found in Palais Jamais by Etro.
Immortelle, a listed note, is very subdued in here if notable at all. It's there, no doubt, but if you're a fan of this delicious flower and haunt fragrances with the will of smelling it, look elsewhere.
I've always been disapointed that this wasn't in Perfumes - the Guide. I would love to know what Luca Turin thought of this one.
Eau de Gloire is a brilliant niche take on classic Cologne. Wearable anywhere - anytime and, as others have mentioned, makes definitely a better masculine.
Not particularly original obviously, but when it comes to execution, this is a masterpiece.

