Myrrhe Impériale

Newer resinous perfumes such as this have restored my faith in the industry's ability to make beautiful and modern oriental fragrances. They have always been a favorite of mine going back to the days when Opium was launched and inherited the torch as the reference oriental from Queen Shalimar. Due to many factors, including changing tastes and restrictions on ingredients, this particular category has suffered the same fate as the once ubiquitous chypres. However, what once was old can be new again, and it's heartening for me to see that perfumery, niche in particular, has restored these two types of fragrance and made them desirable again. Myrrhe Impériale has the potential to become a true love of mine. It is rich, luxurious, and, more to the point, sexy. Definitely unisex, but I think that there is something intoxicating and quite Femme Fatale about this one. It starts out sweet, spicy,and heady, with a bit of a medicinal edge to it that thankfully passes. Many like that quality. I do not. Beyond that, not much changes as it moves towards the mid notes. Each note listed in the pyramid above is detectable if you concentrate, saffron being the weakest. The pink pepper adds a touch of heat and rosiness, but it's really all about the myrrh, benzoin, amber, and vanilla. The quality is excellent. I can not comment yet on longevity, but I can say that even a small amount projects nicely. It's a warm day today, so obviously that is having an impact. The ultimate test will be when the weather gets cold. This will be beautiful around the holidays. Right now, all I have is a pack of 6 brand samples. I would like to own a full bottle and perhaps one day I will. It's certainly full bottle worthy, but given the size of my collection, I don't know if it is necessary. I am in the beginning stages of an incense obsession, so who knows? I may purchase simply because I want it, even though I don't need it!!

Settle down, class: the theme of today's seminar is Classic French Elegance and your instructor Madame la Myrrhe is in full session. Sweeping, polished, impeccably presented and with an air of unquestioned command, but she has an unusual mellow warmth to her voice and a dirty chuckle which goes downright animalic at times. I'm smitten. This is the sort of softened, rounded myrrh which makes itself cuddly and loveable rather than poking you in the nose with a sharp, alcoholic slap, and which melds around you in a puddle of classy comfort, rather than boxing you in to an uncomfortably stiff and formal 'high fashion' brace. Just stone-classic, strong, genuine and distinctive myrrh sweetened to exactly the right degree (for my taste, so: still kind of spicy-dry, not reaching toffee-syrupiness) by the amber and benzoin; surprisingly spiky spices giving it a lovely kick; the whole interplay working out as a gloriously snuggly, almost furry blanket of silky-smooth contentment. It's a reverie - even for a slow student of myrrh's charms like me. Not always a fan of the study material, but I'd pay attention to this forever ... IF I could find it at a decent price; but as it's discontinued and beloved, that seems unlikely. Yet like Annette Neuffer's (even lovelier, but even pricier and all-natural, so more fragile) Avicenna Myrrha Mystica, it has the power of serious persuasion - taking my fear of the snappy-cold-harsh side of myrrh and turning it completely inside out, to make its myrrh-centric nature its whole reason for being, and still offering a warm welcome. Mind blown, really. May need to think it over and revise more of my prior prejudices - and that means it's the best sort of education.

Myrrhe Impériale is, to my nose, a classy and very elegant take on myrrh. It is extremely well balanced between opulence & discretion. It will absolutely conjure up all those luxurious images of oriental fairy tales but through a delicate & palatial aroma that may not boast its presence yet is immeasurably irresistible at close quarters. Following a short-lived sugary punch, Myrrhe Impériale acquires during its opening a slightly medicinal touch that may be kind of misleading for a while, even off-putting, as it creats an impression of the fragrance being "diluted" or "weak". This initial phase lasts for no more than 10-20 minutes, before the perfume settles & the best of myrrh's aromatic facets start to culminate, dominating the composition. Myrrhe Impériale displays an almost linear performance throughout its subtle yet ever lasting drydown. MI feels balsamic & warm on the skin with a beautiful vibe of smoky vanilla complementing the incensy sweetness of myrrh. As time passes MI becomes just a bit smokier & effectively more "solid" as the glowing nuances of amber enrich the composition with distant leathery, woody & musky undertones, creating overall (in the absence of ambergris, strong spices, etc.) a velvety sweet light-oriental distinct potion of meditative aromatic bliss that gratifies the senses. 8/10 P.S. Despite the fact that I fully appreciate the calming beauty of Myrrhe Impériale and its quality overall, I cannot even for a single second justify in my mind its extravagant retail price. IMHO this offering is extremely overpriced. Hadn't I been lucky to grab an unused tester for 115,00€, I would never have considered adding this perfume to my collection.

....well. FUCK me. I was hovering around selfridges today, namely the armani makeup section and saw these beautiful box shaped bottles with little pebble shaped stoppers on them, lined up on a display. The entire Prive collection. i picked up each one and sniffed from the nozzles. nope. next. tested out all of them. majority smelled YUCK, especially the Jade one. This was the second to last bottle I tested out. Gave this a sniff then put it down. Then I was like 'wait hang on....' I picked up the bottle again and upon second sniff from the nozzle I had a nosegasm. I was like 'Jesu Christ kill me now'. I sniffed it for about 42 seconds non stop. then i braved spraying some on my arm and lord have mercy this is one of the most beautiful things ive ever smelled PERIOD. This shits on them all! It shits on Shalimar, shits on Oud Ispahan, shits on Black Orchid, No5, Chance, Coco... I'm so sorry for my bad language but this has ignited a passion in me. £190 a bottle.... but i WILL have it. It WILL be mine!!! At first spray its VERY sharp and dry pepper scent with a little bit of a burnt rubber base. If you can brace yourself during this ugly stage for half an hour you will be rewarded with a cloud of luxury spice. The rubberized smell eventually goes away (at least on me it does) and the benzoin and amber rounds this out into a dusty yet smooth and very slightly sweet smoke scent. Do try this on the skin. It's not for the faint hearted. If you love Opium, like I do, then you'll love this. Please try it!

I was smiling reading foxy_princess review. Even though I won't use the same language, I must admit I have kind of the same experience, I was in transit in Copenhagen airport and I went to the duty free section in search for some niche - special editions perfumes. Thank heaven I found Dior's, Channels and Armani Prive collections. (Funny thing - when smelling Dior's Oud Ispahan, the seller approach me and told me "these are really expensive". After a long jeourney I was not dressed up and I guess I looked tired. But I felt like being in the scene in Pretty Woman 'even though I am a guy' when she is in a luxury clothes store, and because she was not having the right image, they thought she could not afford buying there. :-D ) Anyway. I move on and good that I did, because just some feet away I found the Armani Prive Collection. And as foxy_princess, I smelled all of them. But just Oud -Amber and this one caught my attention. I ended up buying this one, and i have absolutely NOT REGRETS. This is a jewel among jewels. (I feel pity for the ones paying £190. I payed £130 at the airport. ) A treasure among treasures. This is gives you the experience of having found something so unique after a long search. This is just BEAUTIFUL. and in my skin long lasting. Sillage above moderate, but not heavy. I hate to sound pretty cliche but there are not other words to describe this. You wil be surrounded by a creamed Amber-myhrr mixture that is just magic.