Patchouli Impérial Dior 2011

This is not a dirty retro but posh Victorian/Imperial. I can smell history. It is a comforting, oriental, spicy, sweet, warm patchouli. Perfectly blended, no edges just one continuous line of fragrance. I love to wear it during hot summer/autumn afternoons. This bottle will never leave my cabinet.

Do not believe this is close to Coromandel, I get a simple vetiver/patchouli combo which comes off as a bit smoky and dusty. It's a nice scent but not something I would be on the hunt for. I will use my decant happily and use it for going to the museum or just a chill evening with some family or friends.

This is not potent on my skin atleast, so if you are looking for a calm skin-scent that still is smoky and earthy, give this a shot.

It opens with a liquorice-like bubble, quickly transitioning in spiced citruses. Coriander tempers bergamot, at times sounding almost medicinal, until the mandarin orange comes in with its juicy sweetness, but not overly so.
I would say that most notes of this composition are on the "dry" side. There is no creaminess, oiliness or juice. Spices and wood keep the aroma sharp and laconic. This is a unisex scent, leaning towards masculine, but I can see a woman in a custom 3-piece suit wearing it just as comfortably.
Patchouli and woods are opened in this perfume with impressive skill and realism. Cedar is young and slightly boisterous, sandalwood is aromatic and dignified, and patchouli bringing the green-spiced freshness to the combo.
There is a whiff of smoke, as if blown past on the wind, and gone. Amber plays well with cedar giving it its golden-ochre tint and adding to the spicy overtones.
The rose barely skims the surface, relegated to the back seat, and used to make the composition softer than it would have been otherwise.
What is truly amazing is how different notes keep playing against each other, never settling in uniform blend. This is not a linear scent, and it is what I like about it the most, - the complexity and of aromas and colours that keep changing on the skin, reminiscent of a brilliantly cut gemstone's facets dispersing light's rays in multitude of hues and undertones.
Projection is strong and sillage impressive. Patchouli Imperial is not the one to retreat into the skin within an hour or two. It projects a confident and powerful personality and will not be dictated to, but is the one who sets the rules.
It is my perfume for business meetings and long walks of contemplations and strategies. I do not reach for it often, but when I do, - it stays true to its nature and projects an image of Jack Nicholson in China Town - charismatic, irresistible and dangerous.

Even if I have to bypass the gentlemen commentators with this. I would love to wear this scent.

Yes, it is dark. But for me, the sandalwood predominates above all. Patchouli, which I only like in homeopathic doses, does not come across as musty or scratchy here, but rather powdery, and the spice of fresh coriander gives the scent a green shimmer. Since there are no animal notes involved, no one needs to fear that the scent would smell dirty or even unhygienic. There are much worse calibers out there.

So ladies, don’t be discouraged. Anyone who likes scents that are not only radiant and bright but also mystical, dark, and a bit earthy should definitely test Patchouli Imperial. I’m even considering adding it to my wish list.

Right off the bat: I consider this fragrance a small masterpiece. Not world-changing or incredibly innovative, but as we know, the wheel doesn't need to be reinvented all the time.

Admittedly, you have to like patchouli.
I love it - and how!
I adore the dark, earthy aura, the woody nuances, the bronzed tone that always reminds me of the sound of a cello: that warm, rich sound with melancholic undertones - that is patchouli for me, a multi-layered and multifaceted, full-voiced, velvety-dark voice in the olfactory orchestra.

François Demachy brings this voice to life in "Patchouli Impérial" in all its complexity. Both the earthy, somewhat musty cellar-like base mood, as well as the woody mid-notes, and the soft, tobacco-like, aromatic top notes.
Thus, the fragrance shifts, regarding the appearance of its fragrant main actor, between the infamous, creaky patchouli oils of the hippie era and an exceedingly refined, fluffy-light Chanel soufflé called "Coromandel".
Speaking of Chanel: the entire 'Collection-Privée' line from Dior is essentially an attempt to respond to Chanel's 'Les-Exclusifs'. And so it doesn't surprise me that some of these fragrances have certain references to each other. "Patchouli Impérial" is one of them. Its direct counterpart: the aforementioned "Coromandel". However, the Dior fragrance comes across as a somewhat rougher character compared to the delicate Chanel dessert. But it is precisely this seemingly coarser knitting style, the supposedly lacking refinement, and the more muscular stature that captivates me about "Patchouli Impérial".
"Coromandel" is wonderful: exquisitely woven and shimmering like silk, a "Patchouli de Luxe" with a delicate gourmand note. But sometimes, it just needs to be a bit more, and "Patchouli Impérial" offers more, much more. Not only more patchouli but also more supporting players. Dior itself only lists coriander, patchouli, and sandalwood, but already at the first sniff, it becomes clear: the perfumer has pulled quite a few registers of his fragrance organ here. The scent doesn't blast off full throttle; the polyphonic and multi-layered aspects unfold a pleasant presence but are never loud or intrusive: "Patchouli Impérial" enters the room together with the wearer. It is not already there before him.
This is pleasant, very pleasant indeed. Overall, I find it a joy to wear this fragrance. The multitude of aromas, the fruity opening, the herbal-aromatic heart, a dark cocoa note rising from the base, the woody foundation with distinct chypre hints, and the all-pervading warm cello sound of patchouli - a delight!

François Demachy has created an exceptionally relaxed fragrance here, one that transforms the typical minor mood of some brooding, heavy patchouli soliflores into a cheerful major mood, with little sidekicks towards Chanel's "Coromandel" (along with a stuck-out tongue and a "Ha, I can do this too, maybe even better!"), as well as "Bois des Îles", also Chanel, citing its wonderfully fine and light sandalwood note and aromatic coriander.
Longevity and projection are quite good, though not outstanding, but that doesn't matter; on the contrary: here too, "Patchouli Impérial" is a pleasant companion. The fragrance accompanies the wearer well throughout the day without constantly shouting "Here!" (like its equally appreciated but rather exhausting colleague "Leather Oud"...). Not that it practices understatement; it is certainly noticeable, but rather casually.

I simply like everything about this fragrance.
Just not its price - that is simply outrageous!
Adding 20 euros or more every few months is really more than steep.
But well, the industry has gone crazy anyway.
I recently learned from an acquaintance that she was supposed to make an appointment to test the Privée fragrances that were right in front of her nose - she was seriously sent away again.
More snobbery is not possible - it's infuriating!

If only the fragrances weren't so good! Not all, but certainly some.
And especially: "Patchouli Impérial"!