Empire des Indes

Empire des Indes is all about Heliotrope and Nag Champa but as well beautiful resinous base. Heliotrope feels almost liquor like, even almondy with Cherry like aroma. It's deep, intoxicating and a tad vintage like, which is understandable of course because we are talking about Legrand's perfume. The texture is powdery but not too dry and the scent is sweet in an utterly natural way. There is something very special in this scent and it makes me feel so damn gorgeous! By the way, did you know that Heliotrope is also called Cherry Pie Flower? I have started to love scents where Cherry is not one of the actual notes but where the scent of Cherry is coming from Heliotrope and/or Almond. In that kind of way it's not synthetic nor overly, sickly sweet. And with Nag Champa and other balsams and resins it's so amazing - beautiful and very unique scent. I hadn't seen Nag Champa until I bought this perfume so I wanted to find some information about it to understand Empire des Indes better. Nag Champa belongs into balsams and resins. It's hypnotic and calming. This aromatic Indian incense has sweet floral notes and an earthy base. That all you can smell in Empire des Indes. Nag champa has a mild floral fragrance with a hint of earthly scent from the Mysore sandalwood. They provide a tranquil ambience that will help to lift your spirits. This maybe makes you think some cold fragrance but Empire des Indes maintains the warmth until the dry down. Because of their sacred fragrance, Champa flowers are usually used in prayers and religious rituals. The aroma of this flower is rich, fruity and intensely floral with slightly musky undertones. The name "Nag Champa" comes from two words in Sanskrit: "nag," meaning "snake," and "champa," meaning "flower." The name is thought to refer to the Nagara tree, also known as the Indian Champaca tree. So Nag champa is a natural fragrance of Indian origin. It is made from a combination of sandalwood and either champak or frangipani. When frangipani is used, the fragrance is usually referred to simply as champa. If you love Heliotrope and Almond liquor like Cherry, you will love this perfume. The longevity is great. Thank you for reading, I hope my review was helpful. I would appreciate a lot if you want to follow me on IG and/or YouTube (English subtitles): @ninamariahperfumes It gives me a lot of motivation to write more. 🤗

With a name like Empire des Indes, Oriza L. Legrand isn't exactly winning any awards in "decolonizing scent." "Forgive them, for they know not what they do?" This is a whole other can of worms. That aside, this for me embodies what tolu balsam does in fragrance. A curious exudate, Myroxylon balsamum var. balsamum, it quickly dries into a brittle solid that must be warmed for it to be workable. It's one of the most stubborn materials I've encountered in terms of converting to a solution for dosing. But it smells so delicious, with a high content of benzyl cinnamate, attributing to a cinnamic nature. It also has fruity facets, a plush texture, and a fresh flourish to its top notes. It (and its cousin Peru balsam) doesn't get nearly the same acclaim as that of benzoin, labdanum, and its cohort here, opoponax, which imparts a buttery, chewy feel with a surrounding luminosity. It opens feeling like the finest Ceylon cinnamon powder rounded by bergamot, with the balsams and resins blooming on my skin all festive and bright. Over time, a heliotrope comes through, feeling like marzipan, cherry-almond and hazy. This is like a gourmand for those who typically don't enjoy literal gourmands (raises hand), as the resins and balsams always have that certain bitter aromatic core, a je ne sais quoi that reports that they are in fact, not edible, while still smelling delectable and sensuous. Empire des Indes has a coda that is a powdery, wistful incense, similar to Oriza's masterpiece Reve d'Ossian, but it's a bit more shadowy and sienna in color, with the ardent fire of the opoponax and tolu simmering down to an ember in the base.

A like scent minded Fragrantican pointed this one out to me a couple weeks ago and I bought it blind. Not one regret, but I do wish these perfumers would offer smaller sized (especially the 30 ml size) bottles for scent collectors. I have so many and that size is perfect for enjoying but not feeling like I'm wasting. It's probably not one my 20 something nieces will choose a lot when they raid my perfume closet. Although, my son does like it, even though it's powdery ~ so definitely one the guys should check out ~ so there's that. Oh well, small issue. She described it as a soft Shalimar with an added heliotrope note. Which is apt, but I think it's so much more. It doesn't have that jet fuel note that bothers some with Shalimar (I love all of the Shalimar flankers, some more than others, but understand that this note can be off putting to some) and its much softer with a little bit different spice profile. The reviewer below describes this as having a candy-like resin odor, and that is spot on. The opoponax and benzoin give this such a luscious powdery vanilla vibe. Heliotrope gives it a faint fruity, nutty depth along with more powdery nuances. The nag champa gives some almost soft incense, but never a cigarette ash smell and the tolu balsam just supports the other resins. I don't get the sandalwood, but with all the resins in this, it has probably gotten lost for my nose The ginger and bergamot give a perfect counterpoint with all the powdery, resin/amber, heliotrope. They aren't in your face, but give it an acidic spicy gourmand - yet not gourmand - candy like scent. Beautiful.

* * * "connecting the past and present . . . capturing the essence of Belle Époque haute perfumery" (from LuckyScent's description of this house) Empire des Indes is elegant and old-world—similar to Shalimar, except that it opens briefly with zingy ginger. That fresh spiciness quickly morphs into warm amber, sweet balsam, resin incense, powdery heliotrope, and exotic frangipani, all melding into a mellow afterglow of temple incense. The fragrance launched in 2021 in honor of Queen Victoria, once the Empress of India, who was a client and would stay at the Excelsior Regina Palace in Nice, France, then owned by the house of Oriza L. Legrand. The house was founded in 1720, in Paris (beginning with Oeillet King Louis XV, a carnation scent created for the king), where in the city you will still find two boutiques. Perfume refills are available; and the Christmas collection, Un Noël Oriza, offers perfumes, soaps, room sprays, and candles, wrapped in old-time packaging that hearkens back to 1882. The house's history and vintage look take you back to the eras of kings and queens, when a perfume's presentation, high quality, and longevity reigned. "Oriza" derives from oryza sativa, Latin for rice, an ingredient used in cosmetics and fragrance. "L. Legrand" was Louis Legrand, who acquired the house in 1811.✿ In my Top 5 Scent family: Amber Longevity on me: moderate to long-lasting

How is Oriza L. Legrand so skilled at creating fragrances that remind me of actual candies I have eaten??? Empire des Indes I had to sample for the nag champa note, as you do. I have a serious love of nag champa incense, but I could do without the actual smoke because it is not the best for the lungs. And what better way to celebrate one of my favorite flower scents than with a fragrance? The opening has that blast of beautiful top notes and I detected the nag champa immediately. And I thought, "Oh nice! This is close to what I wanted." And my expectation was that it would not morph much from there. But I was WRONG. Oh so wrong! Once this little beauty had dried down a bit? She smells like CANDY! Granted, not your modern American candies with over-the-top flavors and sweetness. No, this is a decorous sweet. It has restraint, patience, subtlety. Pastilles again like in Jardins d'Armide yes, and no wonder because they also sell those candies, but also: the elusive Necco wafer! Or those old-fashioned Sweethearts or Conversation Hearts. And again like Jardin d'Armide, soft subtle sweetness of heliotrope and, in this case, resins. Definitely beautiful and undoubtedly unique. You will find this beauty at the intersection of nag champa and sweets lovers. Perfect 10/10 again! How do they do it...? I suppose I do have a favorite fragrance house after all 😅