Electimuss fragrances — a buyer's guide

Electimuss is a London house founded in 2015 that takes its fragrance names from Roman history. The name means "to choose the best", and the house sticks to one technical decision: it works in high concentrations. All three we stock are extraits or parfums, not eaux de toilette — you notice it when applying, where two sprays do more than five of a regular EDP. What sets Electimuss apart from BDK or Parfums de Marly is the absence of a signature: the three fragrances go in three completely different directions, and one tells you nothing about the others.

Electimuss Imperium: The cheapest way into the house — €205 for 100 ml, so €2.05 per millilitre, and a 2 ml decant for €10.50. Bergamot and coriander up top, jasmine with lily, saffron and tuberose in the heart, vanilla, guaiac, patchouli and oud underneath. White flowers with vanilla, soft and powdery.
Electimuss Puritas: Incense and resins, the most serious of the three. Elemi, absinthe and saffron up top, incense with Indian tuberose and jasmine in the heart, amber, labdanum, tonka and vetiver underneath. A smoky, earthy profile that isn't for every day — and at €3.40 per millilitre the most expensive in the house.
Electimuss Amber Bloom: The name promises amber, but the pyramid starts with lemon, grapefruit, mandarin and bergamot. The heart has lily of the valley and raspberry with a salty note, the base ambergris with tonka and musk. Fresh and fruity-salty, not heavy — €295 a bottle, €2.95 per millilitre.

How to approach Electimuss: (1) Apply less than you're used to. All three are extraits or parfums and don't take six sprays — that's the most common mistake when moving from EDP to extrait. (2) Don't try to find the "house style", because there isn't one. Imperium is white flowers with vanilla, Puritas incense with resins, Amber Bloom salty citrus with fruit. Each is its own decision. (3) If the name Amber Bloom draws you towards heavy amber, look at the pyramid again: the first four notes are citrus. The amber is in the base, not up front. (4) Decants of Puritas and Amber Bloom cost the same — €25 for five millilitres — even though Puritas is €45 more on the shelf. If you're choosing between them, let the scent decide, not the price.

Which Electimuss is best for beginners?

Imperium. It's the softest of the three; white flowers with vanilla are easier to wear than incense or salty citrus, and it's also the cheapest — €2.05 per millilitre, a 2 ml decant for €10.50. Our catalogue lists it as masculine, though by its notes it's closer to unisex.

What does it mean that Electimuss is an extrait?

That the share of fragrance oils in the mix is higher than in an EDP. In practice that means a smaller application and a denser, slower development, but not necessarily longer longevity — that also depends on the raw materials. At Electimuss, Imperium and Puritas are extraits, Amber Bloom is a parfum.

What's the difference between Puritas and Amber Bloom?

They're opposites. Puritas stands on incense, resins and labdanum — smoky, earthy, for the evening. Amber Bloom opens with four citrus notes, has raspberry and a salty note in the heart and ambergris in the base. The first is for winter and serious occasions, the second for warm weather.

Why is Puritas pricier than the other two?

Puritas costs €340 for 100 ml, so €3.40 per millilitre; Amber Bloom costs €295 and Imperium €205. We don't know the raw material costs, so we won't make up a reason — all we can say is that the difference disappears with decants, since Puritas and Amber Bloom decants cost the same.

Is a full bottle of Electimuss worth it?

At €205 to €340 a bottle, a decant is the first move, especially because the three fragrances are so different that liking one tells you nothing about the other two. Five millilitres cost €23.50 to €25 — for the price of one fragrance you try all three and have money left over.