Empire Victor

Wow I am seriously impressed by this fragrance.. I had a tester of it and thought not much of it because I didn't think it lasted at all. But I got my hands on a bottle of it and sprayed it a few times and oh boy does it last I was wrong, but it's a very airy light and sweet kind of musky skin scent to where I can see you growing nose blind to it. But it definitely sticks around it's just something that is I would describe as a Gourmand skin scent versus something like Bianco latte which is a powerhouse. But I almost like this better just because it's so airy and delicate and you're just going to smell good and sweet and it dries down somewhat musky and powdery but keeps that delicate sweetness. It's really addictive to be honest I could smell it on my clothes a lot longer after also. Edit: after I let this fragrance sit a while I realized it's less airy than I thought it was it's actually quite dense and I swear there is a nutmeg note that isn't listed and nutmeg is one of my favorite spices so I definitely pick it out.. it's more complex than the notes would suggest. I don't get a lot of the lemon I'm sure it's in there to give it brightness, but to me that's not what's prominent it's a vanilla nutmeg musky fragrance to me. The comparison to Lira is ridiculous though they're not even remotely the same.. voux zeste is closer to Lira and even that's a stretch.

After some time and oxidation, I thought I'd owe this beauty an update. It definitely became a lot more rounded, much creamier and sugary than it was a month ago. As much as I love Gigglepuff, I find myself reaching for Empire Victor more often. The dry down is magic, and it is a beast, lasting over 9 hours on my skin, projecting a lot in the first 3 hours. It leaves a sugary trail and gets tons of compliments. While it might not evoke baked goods on one's skin, it definitely does in the air, or at least this is what people perceive, so I have to correct my statement in the original review below. It definitely evokes a more intense and creamier version of Bare Vanilla and Gigglepuff, but the magical dry down makes it a better option. Nice, heavy bottle, absolutely fairly priced, a must have for citrus gourmand lovers who are into sugary, marshmallow-ey scents: 9/10. A more floral/powdery, muskier and less sweet version of Hufflepuff or Gigglepuff. Maybe more wearable and less youthful than that one, but with the same vibes. The dry down is very clean, very nice. Stop the comparisons to the usual key lime pie gourmand scents as: Devotion, Lira, Unknown Pleasures, Hazz, Super Milk, L de Lolita and so on. This is a musky, airy, dry vanilla with a tamed but overly present citrus note on top. Very nice, decent priced, office friendly and compliment getter. 7,5/10.

This is my scent today so I might as well review. I got the version without the difficult oud. It's amazing. I love it. I wear it almost everyday. This is a very grown up, sophisticated vanilla. Thankfully I don't get much of the lemon, it's really a very creamy vanilla mixed with Jasmine. The Jasmine gives it such an elegance that separates it from all these other simple gourmand vanillas (which don't get me wrong I also love too lol!). The musk is there but it's clean and creamy not cloudy or harsh. This one you can wear to work, or brunch with the girls, date night etc. It's definitely more sophisticated and it blends well with everything. The projection is great and it lasts about 6 hours on me. I dont typically wear this alone though, I love to layer it with anything and everything. ( Erba Gold, mont blanc signature, and lattafa eclaire are some winning combos that come to mind). This Khadlaj scent is excellent quality and very well done. It will take me time to get through this bottle because I only need a few sprays but I will definitely repurchase when I do.

This is delicious! I've really been into lemon vanillas recently, and this is one of the best blended ones I've tried. From the first spray it's a fluffy, airy lemon vanilla that immediately smells like a hybrid between lemon drizzle and vanilla cakes. It does remind me a little of Al Rehab Soft, but without that intense sherbet lemon. The lemon here is much smoother and softer, and that's saying something because citrus notes (especially lemon) often smell like cleaning products on my skin! I much prefer this to Lattafa Victoria. Empire Victor doesn't have that soapy neroli edge that puts me off, and the vanilla is much creamier and more comforting. Khadlaj really know how to make a beautiful vanilla, that's for sure! Projection and longevity are moderate on me, but I love to overspray anyway because it creates the most gorgeous scent bubble. I'm so impressed with this. If you want something smooth, creamy and beautifully blended rather than sharp or screechy, I think this is well worth a sniff. I keep smelling my wrists and my eyes roll back in my head!

this smells just like a powdered donut with a touch of lemon to me. cakey, fluffy, rich vanilla. it smells more like marshmallows when it dries down, and the lemon is faint but still present. i don't find it similar to lira or iced lemon pound cake. lira is heavier on the caramel and citrus, iced lemon pound cake is more lemony and much sweeter. i will concede with other reviews-- it doesn't project. the longevity is okay, but i have to overspray on my clothes to get a decent scent bubble. it sits too close to my skin alone. i do like to layer it with b&bw's strawberry snowflakes body cream to boost/compliment the scent on my skin-- i find the dry down (i only smell the strawberry in the opening) to be very similar. as much as i like smelling like a zesty hostess donette, i won't be repurchasing this due to the poor performance. it's a lovely scent, beautiful bottle/presentation, but it basically performs like a body mist. happy to have her in my collection for now, but she won't be a permanent fixture.