Skip to main content
Comparison

Millesime Imperial vs Love in Black

Side by side. Scored honestly.

← Compare different fragrances
Notes overlap
Shared 1
Unique to Millesime Imperial

Side by side

Comparing the originals — price, breadth, listed-note depth.

Original price
$525
Millesime Imperial
$310
Love in Black
Season coveragetied
2/4
Millesime Imperial
2/4
Love in Black
Note depth
5
Millesime Imperial
8
Love in Black
What Millesime Imperial smells like

Opens with a bright, slightly tart burst of lemon and mandarin that fades quickly into a saline, mineral heart — the sea salt reads as genuinely oceanic rather than synthetic, grounded by a subtle watermelon sweetness that keeps it from smelling like sunscreen. Projection is moderate and well-mannered; this isn't a room-filler. The dry-down settles into a clean, skin-close musk with just enough salt lingering to maintain character. Sillage is soft but persistent, lasting several hours without demanding attention — Warm-weather days, professional or social settings, suits anyone who wants a polished aquatic without the aggressiveness of most of the genre.

What Love in Black smells like

Blackcurrant opens with a tart, almost inky sharpness before rose and iris take over in the heart — cool, powdery, and serious rather than soft or romantic. The floral core leans more gray than pink, the iris adding a rooty, slightly metallic edge that keeps it from reading as conventional. Cedar and vetiver anchor the dry-down into something dry and woody, while sandalwood and musk bring just enough warmth to smooth the edges. Projection is moderate; sillage stays close but leaves a clean, sophisticated trail — best worn in fall and winter by someone who wants a dark floral with real backbone, not sweetness.

How they overlap

Millesime Imperial and Love in Black share exactly one note (musk). The overlap is real but narrow — most of the wear experience will diverge.

The buying decision

Love in Black is the cheaper original at $310 compared to $525 for Millesime Imperial — about 41% less. Millesime Imperial is built for spring/summer; Love in Black for fall/winter. Pick by when you'd actually wear it. They sit in different families — Millesime Imperial is aquatic+fresh, Love in Black is floral+woody. Comparison is more about preference than tradeoff.

Recommendation

If you're price-sensitive, Love in Black delivers comparable territory at $215 less than Millesime Imperial. If you want the specific character of Millesime Imperial — the prose above is the better guide than the price — the premium is what you're paying for.

Best dupe for each

New dupes in your inbox.

New matches, reformulation alerts, honest scores. No spam.