Monday 9 January 2023

MUSC IMPÉRIAL EAU DE COLOGNE by Terres Dorees

Terres Dorees Musc Imperial Eau de Cologne perfume bottle
Christmas and New Year are the undisputed holidays of excess, and that’s why January is the perfect time to put the brakes on and take a moment to appreciate the simpler things in life. Most tables will have been groaning with food and the base of the Christmas Tree will have been hidden behind gifts but, with a new year of demands on our bank balances, you can still slash the price tags and walk away with a fantastic new fragrance. Uplifting and effervescent perfumes are always a guaranteed winner, so let’s take a trip to France and discover Musc Impérial Eau de Cologne from Terres Dorees.

The idea of just being able to settle back and take some “me” time after a month of celebrating is something that we all long for, but can’t always put into practice. That’s why your choice of fragrance in those much needed quiet moments is so important. December is notorious for warm vanillas, throat-cloying resins, and usually a bucket load of oud, and so switching to a citrus aromatic explosion can be the perfect antidote to a festive comedown and a perfumed powerhouse. This is when an excellent cologne can truly be your best friend.

Colognes are nothing new in the world of perfume, and date back to Farina’s classic from 1709, but they often get overlooked in favour of the more “complex” and “lasting” fragrances. The confusion comes from the fact that the term “cologne” now encompass fleeting frictionates, designed to be vigorously applied on the body after showering, true colognes, which traditionally focus on citruses but are structured as full fragrances, and cologne-strength, which are often diluted versions of bestsellers. Guerlain’s old colognes are a great example of the latter, although they also had a longevity that was enviable by any standards!

Terres Dorees Musc Imperial Eau de Cologne soap and box
Terres Dorees
 is a family run company based in Villefranche-sur-Mer that started life as a soap manufacturer back in 1999. Fragrance was the natural progression, and they launched their classic colognes and waters. With creative control recently passing to the youngest generation, the originals were repackaged alongside a new core collection of fragrances. However, those originals, and in particular Musc Impérial Eau de Cologne, are a welcome return to a simpler style of scent, but don’t think it’s anything other than exquisitely structured just because it's a cologne. It’s time to discover a timeless taste of Provence.

The fragrance opens with an incredible burst of citrus thanks to a glorious combination of mandarin and sherberty lemon, but it’s the bergamot and petitgrain in here that links so well to the aromatic quality that follows. It seamlessly attaches onto the thyme, and a touch of campherous lavender, before revealing an earthy verbena-edged geranium. However, throughout the whole development you’re treated to a comforting cloud of musc, with just a whisper of an animalic note, before the arrival of a carefully tempered vanilla. As the fragrance settles it gives a final surprise with a touch of dry moss, and shows that colognes really shouldn’t be discounted as fleetingly scented novelties.

Musc Impérial Eau de Cologne is available from the Terres Dorees website at terres-dorees.com priced at €29 for 100ml. The fragrance is also available as a soap bar, liquid soap and shampoo. [Bottle was purchased]

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