Inspired by australianperfumejunkies review of some of the Parfum d’Empire line today, I decided to pull out some of my untested samples and give it a go. Since summer is approaching, I thought I would try Iskander. Lemony, citrus freshness in an initial blast, bright and sunny are how I would describe my first impressions with the scent. There initially is almost a barber shop clean aspect to the Iskander. Now I’m not typically a fan of citrus scents so I wonder if I’m going to like Iskander. I find then that the initial citrus blast dissapates and out comes a very light spice, maybe the coriander?. But I don’t consider this a spicy scent by any means. The fragrance soon mellows into a lovely warm, yet fresh, citrus, amber and oakmoss scent which evens out the initial sharpness of the scent. The is an underlying tonality in this fragrance which is similar to the other Parfum d’Empire scents that I have tested; it’s a smooth and silky finish that I find incredibly luxurious. It sits at the scent’s base tying in all of the ingredients for a layer that blends so well on the skin. I don’t know what this is, but so far the Parfum d’Empires scents that I have tried all are equaled in their beauty even though they are composed so differently. I’m not sure yet, but I believe that Iskander might just be my 2012 summer scent.
Iskander Notes:
citron, mandarin, grapefruit, estragon, coriander, orange blossom, oakmoss, amber and musk
UPDATE: Iskander got to me, I had to buy a full bottle!
- Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
- Scent Type: Citrus – Chypre
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: $75 for 50ml EDP
The Scented Hound 
May 3, 2012 at 3:12 am
Thanks Scented hound.
You make Iskander read try-worthy.
Portia xx
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May 3, 2012 at 11:45 am
Thanks Portia. I loved your reviews. Obviously it inspired me to break into my PdE stash and give this a try. I really love the PdE line thus far. I find their fragrances to be different, exciting and luxurious… and most importantly affordable.since they offer the 50ml bottles which I prefer! Steve
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May 3, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Yes, they are quite reasonable compared to a lot of the niche, small bigtime crews. And yes, all those glorious words fit them.
Have you tried La Via del Profumo? They are interesting and all the other words too. They have a great sample program,
Portia xx
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May 3, 2012 at 12:27 pm
I have not… I will have to check them out. thanks for the info!!! 🙂
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May 8, 2012 at 9:00 pm
As soon as I lift my moratorium on samples purchases I’m going for the sample set from this brand! 🙂
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May 8, 2012 at 9:07 pm
You must. I think they are turning into one of my favorite brands. BTW, I did end up purchasing a FB of Iskander. It should be here on Friday. As for moratoriums on purchases, they never work for me 🙂
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May 8, 2012 at 10:00 pm
Well, I almost gave up on my FB year limits (I will use it up within this month, I suspect) but I have at least try not to buy new samples while I have too many untested ones (some of which were also a purchase!) 🙂
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August 6, 2012 at 9:05 am
I love your review! 🙂 I linked back to it after writing my own review on it just now, because I feel you just described it a lot better 🙂
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August 6, 2012 at 12:01 pm
I absolutely love Iskander. Have you tried Azemour les Orangers yet? I find that both fragrances are in the same vein and are both wonderful.
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November 26, 2017 at 11:06 am
Is a 5 year late comment bad etiquette?
I’m finally redoing my entire website (which means checking whether old links work, so I had to check whether this link was still up before I launch the new blog).
I do like ALO, but love Wazamba and that cumin one (forgot the name now). PdE is actually the only house where I appreciate every single scent (even if it’s not wearable for me). I only found the amber/vodka one difficult to stomach and eventually gave it away.
How do you feel now about Iskander? I never got a FB, despite my raving review. But it’s almost Christmas, so…
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November 26, 2017 at 1:23 pm
Melissa – it’s never too late to talk perfume. Funny, years ago PdE was one of the few niche houses around. Now they’ve been eclipsed from a million other offerings. But like you, I love their perfumes. My bottle of Iskander dried up long ago because of excessive use. The combination of citrus and oakmoss is incredible. It lasts and lasts and is very unique. Definitely worth for a FB Christmas gift. Can’t wait to see your new blog!! xoxoxo
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