Eau Hégémonienne
Guerlain (1890)

It reminds me of Acqua di Parma's Colonia and Eau d'Hermes.

It's a nice Eau de Cologne but Imperiale Extra Dry remains the best EdC for me.

The opening blast is a phenomenon of great beauty: bergamot and lemon, with just a touch of transient bigarrade bitterness. A sunny summer day in the bottle.

Soon a lavender arises, and further into the drydown a herb garden aroma develops, with thyme and whiffs of marjoram being of note. A background of wormwood adds additional depth, but I not get any significant booziness here.

The base is vanilla-based, but is is a very restrained vanilla of limited sweetness. It is supported by wood notes, with rosewood, whiffs of cedar, and a sandalwood meeting together pleasantly.

I get moderate sillage, adequate projection and five hours of longevity on my skin.

A summer scent that exudes bright happiness in the top notes and a summer herbal garden in Provence in the heart notes. The lavender is just right and delightful. On me the base is rather weak and thin, but the quality of the ingredients of very high. The looked performance in a citrus-derived scent is understandable. Overall 4/5.

Eau Hegemonienne (1880)

Guerlain's homage to the royal court of Spain and its international alliances (hegemonic means ruling or dominant), Eau Hegemonienne is an eau de cologne that relies more on the herb family than the citrus. The use of thyme, lavender and other Herbes de Provence gives it a serene dryness. The rosewood and sandalwood – and I would swear there is a bit of cedarwood in there as well – intensify the dryness. The bergamot and lemon would not be strong enough in and of themselves to continue the citrus top through the experience, so I believe there is also a strong neroli note as well. At least my nose tells me so. It is crisp and bold and bright.

The vanilla makes its appearance towards the end of the dry down. As an eau de cologne it is not long lasting, but impresses with that wonderful and fragrant herbal dryness mixing with the refreshing citrus notes.

This was created for Isabella II, mother of King Alfonso XII of Spain in 1880. It was quite popular among other members of the Spanish royal family and was finally made available to the public in 1890. It was still in production in 1941, but did not survive the war years.

It is surprising that Guerlain would name it such. Hegemonienne is difficult to spell, pronounce, and most importantly, remember – a handicap from a marketing standpoint.

A real rarity, but thankfully still available now and then from private sellers. Worth seeking out for all lovers of citrus splashes.