Empire

When the rather circumlocutory columnist, Mr. Bulliqi singled out Empire from the tester set of 2018 Sawalef releases to dissect in Q2 2025, my interest in the fragrance piqued. My blind buy of Sawalef's Black Rose was a lesson in indulging in dark scent profiles - pricey and ultimately disappointing. Vowing restraint going forward with Sawalef perfumes, I was tested when a tempting offer for Empire appeared. I wavered... then gave in. And what a reward it's turned out to be. Empires are not built in a day and neither was this Empire by Sawalef, I suspect. Notes of apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange blossom, vanilla, patchouli, and labdanum will tease and romance you - Empire is the booty and its packaging declares it as a Middle Eastern prize. Its progression may be linear in nature, but Empire doesn’t need twists and tricks to captivate - the bold warmth alone carries an allure that keeps you coming back for more applications, more of the opening, and the promise of a dry down that rolls heads back. Empire may whisper of autumn and winter with its rich, warm notes and cosy scent cloud, but I firmly defy that seasonal script, and dare to suggest that it can be worn year-round without hesitation. The only consideration to note may be the number of sprays needed between seasons. Therefore, it will come as no surprise that Empire is a love for my books.

First Impressions: (Discovery set) Note: I was smelling a lot of perfumes at once. Sorry couldn’t help myself lol. Ooo why am I getting Tobacco here when there’s really no tobacco. It reminds me of another perfume, but not sure. Maybe jazz club because it smells bouzy? I’ll let y’all know how I feel on skin later.

I've been testing from the discovery set this evening. This is one sorry House... That being said, Empire is probably the best of a horrendous lot. I'm being a nice guy when I give this an "OK" rating, but that being said, I hate wasting a testing strip on this House.