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 😅

My favorite at the moment - it's all I find myself wanting to wear. Gorgeous incense, which I love, having grown up in a house where it was always burning and now buying it in bulk myself as I use it so regularly. It's all I can smell at first, but as it dries down it develops into this smooth, sweet, almost edible scent. I went to a friend's house party wearing it, and her roommate came into the room and asked "have you guys been burning incense?". Definitely potent. My only complaint: I used my sample for two months before I decided to go for the full bottle, and had no issues with it, but when spraying from the new bottle it feels very harsh at first. Spraying it anywhere near my neck makes my nose tingle and sometimes makes me sneeze. And I have to use lots of lotion before applying it to skin every time, or it burns. I don't have sensitive skin at all and I don't have this issue with other perfumes, as I didn't with the sample (or any other samples from Oriza Legrand) - I'm hoping it might just need to air out for a while and it won't be so harsh. This doesn't deter me though, the scent is so perfect for me I'm okay to put up with that.

Wow I love this. From the samples I ordered I think this is the one I love most. It's sweet and reminds me of hot creamy indian chai, but it's not too gourmand. It's very comforting and sensual. I love this house, it feels all the scents channel some memories that are not mine. This one gives the good, nostalgic, a little bittersweet memories. I don't get much ginger, but there's lots of cinnamon. I love the heliotrope, there's almond without being nutty. Even though it has these spices that I usually connect with christmas, this scent don't make me think of winter holidays. It's autumn now and it works beautifully with current weather and mood, but I think I could easily use this throughout the year. I believe I'll order a full of bottle.

A kind friend gave me a sample of this and now I want an entire bottle. It's heavily cinnamon-y to me at first, but also with other spices. As it dries down, it becomes less cinnamon-y but I'm still able to smell it. The spices are still there, as is the wonderful almond/marzipan smell throughout, and the dry down especially is the most wonderful spicy vanilla smell! I also don't get much powder, and definitely not a baby powder smell. I absolutely love this! I also have or have tested the first four perfumes in the "reminds me of" section and I can't say it reminds me of any of them. Do what you will with that.

Hey you!! Yes you buddy...you like Marzipan and soft vanilla icecream? Sprinkeld with powdery sugar? Served on a American pancake? The you might have diabetus!!! Aaaaand you will probobly looove this parfume very very nice, it sports good topp quality notes and is family w the likes off Oujan,grand soir, sound off a ricochet and menny other vanilla giants What sets this apart is the realistic almond note..it stays away from the cherry trapp and stays spot on true to almond, bloody well done Oritza... But man you made this strong...i almost scorched my arm 🤣

This is a very long lasting true gourmand, and one of the more concentrated fragrances from the brand. Marzipan with Indian incense. Sweet, smokey, powdery and very cosy, there is nothing fresh or floral about this fragrance. There is also something a little funky in the notes in the first few hours, a little musky. I wore it all day today on a sunny autumn day, but I think it might be better suited for winter, especially the Christmas season.

I have nothing to add of great value that @Alphairone hasn't already said more eloquently. But I had to comment: If you like vanillic ambers, this is IT. This is the one. Please buy this. This is so good. Amber, tolu, sweet marzipan, a touch of incense. All of this done to absolute perfection. An instant favorite.

Warm vanilla amber in the vein of Shalimar and Musc Ravageur, but add in a big dose of opoponax, which does lend it a vintage vibe. Super cozy, easy to wear, and great especially in cold weather.

This is sooo creamy, almondy, and soft. I really like it, though I think I'd only want to wear it to bed, as it smells a bit too powdery for me to want to wear it out.

Powdery sweetness with light spice. Comforting fragrance for a calm day.

The best and most realistic arroz con leche fragrance ever made

Holy cinnamon-y! I don't care what the note pyramid says, the opening of this is intensely sweet, strong, cooking-grade cinnamon. Like the sugary crystals and cinnamon mix that collects at the bottom of a bag that held a dozen cinnamon roles. Within just a few minutes you start getting hints that more than just one spice are at play here. There are multiple spices, a lot of vanilla - albeit also not listed, and something rich and buttery hanging in the air. It reminds me of the smell that hangs in the kitchen after making Besan Laddoos, an Indian sweet-dish. For making one kind of laddoo you roast cardamom and occasionally cinnamon along with chickpea flour in a heavy pan. At some point you add jaggery and ghee (clarified butter). The process makes the entire house smell heavily sweet, spicy and buttery. This was my first association when smelling this fragrance. Strong, rich, intense, sweet, absolutely edible. It's funny, normally I scoff a bit at India-themed fragrances that just open up the spice pot - cause India equals spices right? right??? - because they often just end up smelling like a spice market - you don't want to smell like a spice market. But this actually reminds me of something pleasant edible you might smell on holidays in an Indian household. The dry down tones down to a clearly retro vanilla that has a somewhat sticky/waxy quality to it, and a soft underlying benzoin which certainly does its part at adding a retro vibe. In the drydown in reminds me a lot of Blue Waltz by Joubert. In the initial hours this fragrance due to its intensity has quite some projection and even after 12 hrs the drydown is sitll easily perceivable on my skin. If you're a fan of gourmands btu appreciate a slightly retro twist, this might be worth a try. It's a solid like from me. Why not a love? For my vanilla-gourmands I honestly prefer a more lighter synthetic approach, weird as it may sound. Similar to the way most people can appreciate a fancy restaurant burger may be better in quality, but they'll usually have some cheaper burger joint they prefer or crave as comfort food. As a final note, big love to this house for offering an affordable sample box for which you can chose yourself the fragrances which you want to try. I can't wait to try the other 5 that came in mine, and I would love to visit the store in Paris at some point!

I don't get any cinnamon - this is a citrus-cherry/marzipan scent. The citrus is mainly in the opening and is very strongly reminiscent of Shalimar, though I'd say the base of the scent stays farther away. I enjoy the tolu and opoponax, it smells kind of similar to the drydown of V Canto's Kashimire but with more almond and powdery heliotrope. The tolu and resins are chewy and lactonic quality, which is quite nice, but I don't know if I'd pick this one over Le Regent, also from OLL, which I feel is in the same category as this scent. EDIT: Re-testing this 1.5 years later, I echo the sentiment that this scent quickly settles into a delicious and goopy rice pudding. I get the cinnamon now though I don't think this scent would immediately make me go "Mm, cinnamon!". Overall, the gourmand-milky-pudding-ness is just too strong for me to want a full bottle, but I think this is a great creation! And yes, I still prefer Le Regent to this one.

This is the second perfume from this brand that I test on my skin. It was my favourite at first for its sweet but slightly oriental quality, I like how original it feels for a French perfume. I dislike Oud in "oriental" perfumes, so I appreciate the clove-y note of this one. It does lean more feminine, and is a beast projection-wise. With a fair pricing and amazing bottle and packaging, I think it is a very nice choice for s signature night scent for colder months. It can be too much, and too mature for younger people (which is why I think I will wait before I buy it) but I can picture a lovely 40yo woman that smells classy and amazing with this. Love ! EDIT: Bought a decant and it is way too smokey for everyday wear. It does have a very old-lady feel, even if it is still nice.

I really like the concept of this house-recreating historical fragrances. This is a reconstructed scent designed for Queen Victoria when she was given the title “Empress of India” I picture a Judi Dench like Victoria who was fascinated by the exotic. I do get the Nag Champa but also fairly sweet amber vanilla- the exotic wrapped with the familiar. It can be very strong at first and gets sweeter. Probably best for colder weather. If sweet amber vanilla is your thing you”ll like it. It’s not an unique scent. I’m just fascinated with historical things.

Interesting that after that burst of ginger if you smell close there is a distinct almond smell. Not really sure what tolu balsam smells like so maybe it is that, or the benzoin is just extra almondy? The sweet myrrh comes through very well. Also pick up the benzoin and sandalwood. It is a little powdery which is surprising. I guess the heliotrope is stronger than listed. Doesn’t smell like I expected it too but it is nice. Nothing to object to. The almond is pretty strong. Ends up being just almond and powder after awhile.

This perfume smells like a christmas market!! Specifically all the confections you can get there- it opens with a strong marzipan which fades to more of a candied almond after about ten minutes. An hour in I was getting a slightly eggy smell like crepes or waffles and the dry down leaves you wiith a delicious smelling vanilla biscuit which was still there after about ten hours. Not really what I am looking for in a perfume but if you want to smell exremly edible this is a good choice

Oriza L. Legrand has revived yet another of its perfumes from over a hundred years ago: this time, a rich and very sweet amber. What separates this from the thousands of other ambers is the decadent dollop of opoponax, which I could smell almost immediately in this. It opens with an accord that smells almost like almond, but then it quickly dries down to quieter and slightly powdery resins. Overall, it's quite pretty.

Smells like Cinnamon, which transforms in to oatmeal, then dries down in to a powdery vanilla. I like it but it kind of just reminds me of a semi fancy box of cereal.

Reminds me of a less smoky and more almondy Shalimar millesime tonka. the resins are on full display here and they have a fiery heat to them

Unlit Nag Champa incense and marzipan. It's resinous in the beginning enough to give it some smokiness, but that doesn't last. Not sure how I feel about this one. Quality-wise, it's outstanding, of course, but very strange... and comforting.

Visiblement ce parfum plaît à beaucoup alors cela dépend sûrement des goûts. Personnellement je n'arrive pas a le garder sans avoir la nausée, sur ma peau il dégage une FORTE FORTE FORTE odeur de bonbon coca cola chimique et beaucoup trop sucré, rien d'autre. J'imagine que si vous aimez les odeurs de confiseries, il est fait pour vous. Et pour votre plus grand bonheur il sent extrêmement fort et longtemps, même en le savonnant il me collait à la peau.

I have yet to see - and READ - one review mentioning the nose behind Oriza, who actually is a co-founder of the brand: Hugo Lambert to whom we own the "adaptation" of the various old formulas. There is no culture of citation here and that is bad. The historical fact about Empire des Indes is interesting: Queen Victoria would often stay at the Excelsior Regina Palace in Nice-France, then owned by Oriza L. Legrand (capitalism has barnches everywhere!) The House created this precious perfume in honor of her [its] loyal client, The Empress of India, to remind the glorious days of the Maharajas. The list of notes is: Ginger, Bergamot, Heliotrope, Nag Champa flower [Champaca], Tolu balsam, Benzoin, Sandalwood, & Opoponax. The formula should not be very complex as the scent is rather linear (I mean there is no vertical evolution), but - and this is a paramount "but", Empire des Indes cycles through notes, accentuating some nuances of its materials. Empire des Indes opens with lush champaca floral bouquet imbued with spicy, sweet, ambered, and softly smoky nuances. The slightly tropical, slightly fresh, and quietly fruity flower has spicy ginger spread over every one of its petals; then, the bouquet is generously spritzed with fresh, brisk bergamot before being placed on a sweet, smoky, golden base of resinous benzoin amber laced with sweet myrrh incense smokiness and dry, spicy sandalwood; heliotrope arrives to add a dusting of sweet, vanillic floral powder over everything. 20 minutes in, Empire des Indes amps up its ambery sweetness and spiciness as the once floral-centric bouquet begins to transition into something smoky, slightly woody, very resinous-smelling opoponax. Later on, the floral bouquet becomes just a blurred suggestion and it dries down on a smoky sweet myrrh incense, spicy sandalwood, an, a resinous, gourmand benzoin smelling of caramel laced with vanilla (the Tolu balsam). Transportative. IG @alexolympia6

I like this a lot. It reminds me of Oppoponax by Les Nereides which is another sweet myrrh, sandalwood and benzoin amber fragrance. This does invoke an Indian mystique with the addition of nag champa and heliotrope flowers. I could swear there is some patchouli in this as well, but apparently not. I've read others getting a vanilla vibe too, I kinda agree, but that isn't listed in the note profile either. I'm glad there aren't any Indian food cooking spices in this such as cardamon or cumin. Serge Lutens did a lovely Mysore Sandalwood perfume, which I liked, but the added cumin was a turn off for many of my friends. Oriza L. Legrand does such a beautiful job on the bottles and box design. I could see myself getting a full bottle of this. UPDATE: I did end up getting a full bottle. This is probably the sweetest fragrance I own, yet I wouldn't actually categorize it as a "gourmand". The sillage and longevity is actually more potent than I thought with the sample. I really just need one squirt and I'm good for the evening, after work. This is a really cozy, enjoy at home fragrance, and in my opinion, it really doesn't translate to an "office or work" setting. I can imagine this perfume's glowing oriental amber scent trail following Queen Victoria as she lived at Osborn House, her coastal getaway palace on the Isle of Wight. This EDP is rich, radiating, and full of warm resin-y, incence-y, balsam-y splendor, floating on sweet, creamy sandalwood and tonka clouds. This has been my signature scent for the last couple of years, but just for evenings at home. Naturally, my bedding smells virtually incandescent with an ambery, dare I say, Victorian, after-glow.

Empire des Indes is simply soothing and gorgeous, even if it’s not widely talked about. That balsamic-ambery combination is stunning, likely thanks to the harmony of nag champa, tolu balsam and heliotrope. It’s a scent that feels like a warm embrace, calming the senses and lifting me straight to cloud nine. This fragrance became more than just a perfume for me, it was a quiet refuge during one of the toughest chapters of my life. When I was dealing with psychosocial stress and workplace bullying a few years ago, Empire des Indes was my escape. A single spray felt like stepping into a serene temple, away from the noise and negativity. Its meditative, incense-like aura gave me strength and clarity when I needed it most, to keep me away from negative aura and bad juju. In a way, I’m glad this fragrance isn’t mainstream like Bianco Latte. Once something becomes too popular, it often attracts unnecessary criticism. Haters will hate for no reason and honestly, Empire des Indes deserves to remain a hidden gem for those who truly appreciate its tranquil beauty and not receive hates only because so many people like it.

Empire des Indes, ...an Oriza L. Legrand fragrance from 1886, originally made to honor Queen Victoria. The ginger and bergmot at the start does what any short-lived opening does best: strikes the senses hard enough for the nose to pay full attention to what soon follows. ...and what follows is a most stimulatingly rich blend of ambery, powdery incense, both lit and unlit. The amber is exotically less vanillic, being an eccentric take of benzoin, tolu, and tonka. While the powder is heliotrope. (The best kind). Also, that kiss of champaca is absolutely essential here, bestowing the immortal sweetness of young life to all venerably ancient dusts. Indeed, this is assuredly an antique take on incense and amber. One that can easily put many of the pedestrian, modern takes on the genre to forgotten shame. Suitable for any majaraha or rani that dare apply.

Like most of this house's scents, there is a certain 'soft-focus' haziness to this. Even their sharper scents - Deja La Printemps, which I love - which isn't powdery but feels hazy like looking into the sun or the glare of the sun as it bounces off wheat, grass and leaves. They're all very much impressionistic to me. I agree that this has a Shalimar vibe but with a French perfumer's idea of what a British Noblewoman would dream India might smell like. I only have a sample (Oriza is very generous with samples when you purchase!) but I could imagine eventually having this join my collection from them. I don't agree that this isn't that unique, and thrilled that a house is putting out scents that don't feel focus-grouped.

Blind bought a bunch of full and half bottles during their latest sale (it was just too good a deal) and they sent along a bunch of free samples. This one included and while I'm only a few hours into wearing it I also over sprayed the hell out of it in a small room and it is sort of blowing my mind. If I close my eyes I'm on the back of an enormous elephant heavily decorated in sheaths of white and purple flowers it's musk still unable to be hidden as a valet prepares spiced rice pudding in front of me in a cauldron on a dusty handwoven rug. The nag champa incense burns in braziers languidly swinging to and fro as the noble beast's back sways onward, the empire is his and I am just a passenger.

Mellow powdery almond with something odd in the back. It would make for a cozy office safe perfume in winter/autumn but unfortunately this just doesn't do much for me, not in the way Le Regent or Chypre Mousse did for me anyway, which is a shame because this is, imo, the most beautiful label after Relique D'Amour. It's probably the most neutral fragrance in the brands collection and if you like Tom Fords 'Vanilla S*x' you will like this one, they share similarities with the almond note. I might pick this up when I am in paris as a work frag but It's one of the few I am happy to wait for.

Rather than go into a line by line evaluation of each phase and note, I'll say this for a review - what stands this apart from other gooey, ambery perfumes is the deep dry down of powdered candy resins. So delicious and yet very much a perfume. I am overloaded with amber base perfumes because of my love for patchouli but seriously considering adding this one to the lot.

Beautiful gorgeous powdery amber. Not like Shalimar, no lemon or leather and it’s sweeter. My only complaint is it doesn’t project very much or last long. I’m not sure how others are saying it does. It’s absolutely gorgeous though.

-If you love almonds, you'd certainly be a fan of this. -Elegant almond-and-sweet balsam scent with an otherworldly vibe to it. -Might have to sample further but this might make it into my collection someday. (+)

This fragrance makes me want to powder my breasts wear dramatic peachy blush and giggle while fanning myself with an ostrich feather hand fan, a scent for the subversive belle of the ball.

I love this house! I don't have anything from them sadly but I've tested. Excited to try this!!!

Makes me feel like an opium smoker in 19 century India. Very strong and polarising.

vanilla cupcake baby powder honey champaca For those who like it sweet & strong

zero cinnamon. mega powdery resins.