The Merchant Of Venice
The Merchant Of Venice
86 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Bergamot and mandarin converge with remarkable clarity, their brightness immediately complicated by pink pepper's peppery bite. Within moments, iris enters as an almost imperceptible dusting of powder, anchoring the composition before the florals inevitably surge forward.
Tuberose dominates completely, its creamy, slightly indolic character rendered almost buttery by the ylang ylang's fatty sweetness. Night-blooming jasmine absolute adds a shadowy, almost animalic depth, whilst orange blossom attempts—and largely fails—to introduce freshness into what has become an unambiguously rich, sensual experience. The spicy accord (88%) lingers from the opening, creating a subtle warmth beneath the floral excess.
The composition strips back to its creamy base notes—vanilla and bourbon vanilla create a soft, almost caramelised sweetness, whilst patchouli provides subtle earthiness and white musk renders everything skin-intimate. The result is less fragrance and more a sophisticated skin scent, the tuberose memory fading into white amber's powdery, vaguely spiced embrace.
Imperial Emerald announces itself as a fragrance caught between two opposing impulses: the restraint of a classical white floral and the indulgence of a creamy gourmand. The opening is deceptively bright—bergamot and mandarin orange provide citrus lift whilst pink pepper adds a peppery snap that prevents the composition from feeling merely pretty. But this is merely the perfume's aperitif. What truly defines Imperial Emerald is the heart's narcotic bloom: tuberose and night-blooming jasmine absolute create a heady, almost intoxicating floral core, whilst ylang ylang contributes its distinctive fatty richness. The lily of the valley and orange blossom attempt to introduce a cooler, greener restraint, yet they're ultimately overwhelmed by the tuberose's creamy persistence and the jasmine absolute's dark, animalic undertones.
The base reveals why this is marketed as "unisex"—the vanilla and bourbon vanilla could easily tip into feminine territory, but patchouli and benzoin ground the composition with earthy, slightly austere character. White musk and white amber provide a soft, powdery cushion that's distinctly skin-like rather than soapy. This is a fragrance for those drawn to opulent white florals but unwilling to abandon complexity or slight grittiness. Wear it when you want presence without aggression, when evening demands something richer than daylight allows but your sensibilities reject the obvious gourmand route. It's most compelling during transitional seasons—autumn evenings when the air still holds warmth but promise of cold lingers.
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3.6/5 (87)