Dueling Dupes - Elysium vs. Imperium (re-up'd)

Hey gents, Joe A. here, rounding out this week's Dueling Dupes series with this oft' hyped one! Today's frag: Roja Elysium (Fragrance World Imperium) Opens with a nice blend of citrus, lemon and bergamot. Very clean, almost fizzy, if that makes any sense. I can see this frag being very versatile, from warm sunny days, to cool office settings, to chilly and bracing nights out. It is very pleasant and has a strong juniper smell throughout the wear. I love to see what Imperium has to offer...

I have to admit, I went a little heavier on the sprays today because Elysium is such an agreeable scent. For the first couple of hours, it has a moderately strong projection. As it dries down, a clean vetiver appears and projection relaxes to a closer range. At the dry down, I do get a sense of vanilla mixed in, adding a touch of sweetness to balance the fresh vetiver. I can see this as someone's signature clean vetiver scent. It is very versatile and can work year round. It's not a beast scent, but can hold its own. Given the nice blend and balance, it's definitely unique. Longevity: over 9 hrs, Sillage: Mod to Soft after 2 hrs, Projection: Strong to start, then moderate to close at the end.

Fragrance World's Imperium is not worried at all about Roja, with a nearly identical bottle design, tint, and even cap! From six feet away, it can be easily mistaken for the expensive frag. It starts out very close to Elysium with bright citrus and invigorating bergamot. After the opening, it settles down to a fresh green scent that stays pretty linear throughout the wear. The blend is incredibly good given it's price point and it's just as versatile as it's niche counterpart. This is an excellent substitute for Elysium and great for those not comfortable with the posh price of Elysium.

Roja Elysium 100ml, Retail: 315 USD My Cost: 180 USD (Fragrance World's Imperium 100ml, My Cost: 33 USD)

Final Verdict: Roja Elysium has two versions of this, the one here is the cologne (cheaper of the 2) With that said, this blue bottle is still expensive! It does balance out with it's great versatility and pleasant, mass pleasing aroma. Also, you may find yourself using a bit more just because it's that nice. For the average Joe, Fragrance World Imperium is a great entry level substitute that gets you very close to the original, and at its price, worth the blind buy pickup! Elysium is definitely worth getting a decant to try, and then if you can, save up for a full bottle. It's tough at around the 200 price point but worth it. Score 9/10

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