Parfum d'Empire - Iskander

It is HOT outside! The temperature has been reaching 110 where I live, and it's been severely changing my choice of fragrance. While rummaging through citrus samples I stumbled upon my sample of Iskander. Thank heaven I did!

Iskander is a men's fragrance from Parfum d'Empire, an exquisite niche company that can be found on various online stores. It contains notes of citron, mandarin, grapefruit, estragon, coriander, orange blossom, oakmoss, amber, and musk. If that doesn't sound juicy enough, read on.

Parfum d'Empire likes to tell fragrant stories of old empires through their perfumes, and though not all of their perfumes follow suit, Iskander is one of their tributes. Iskander is an homage to Alexander the Great. The cologne is every bit as virile, assertive and unpredictable as the ancient Greek commander.

The opening is ripe and juicy with a citrus brigade launching mandarin orange and lemon notes, with a very subtle grapefruit tinge. A depth of character is supplied by tarragon and coriander, and dries down very cleanly with a warm base of oakmoss and amber. There is also musk in the base, but my nose can't smell most musks so I won't even try to write about it. The amber is very noticeable in the drydown, but what's really special about the drydown is that the citrus notes from the beginning carry through to it.

Iskander has amazing longevity. It is one of those rare citrus colognes that can boast that merit. The citrus notes are long lasting and don't fleetingly vanish off the top like a lot of scents you'll find. And it smells oh so good in hot weather. Iskander is very versatile and would fit well in the office and on the field. It is classy and luxurious, fresh and warm - very much in the same vein as L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme. Beautiful bottle too, as with all PdE scents. I highly recommend it.