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Oud Stars

Alexandria Imperiale Xerjoff 2017

8.8 / 10 159 Ratings

A popular perfume by Xerjoff for women and men, released in 2017. The scent is oriental-woody. Projection and longevity are above-average. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Oriental

Woody

Leathery

Spicy

Sweet

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Lavender

Cardamom

Rose

Heart Notes

Cedar

Iris

Woody notes Leather

Leather

Marjoram

Cypriol

Sage

Base Notes

Amber

Bangladeshian oud

Cambodian oud

Indian oud

Laotian oud Musk

Musk

Sandalwood Vanilla

Vanilla

Perfumer

Christian Carbonnel a.k.a. Chris Maurice

Ratings

Scent

8.8159 Ratings

Longevity

9.0155 Ratings

Sillage

8.7158 Ratings

Bottle

9.0189 Ratings

Value for money

6.5127 Ratings

Submitted by Amourage · last update on 01/11/2026.

Source-backed & verified

Interesting Facts

The scent is exclusively available at Fortnum & Mason.

The fragrance is part of the Oud Stars collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Alexandria II Parfum

Arena

Alexandria II Pure Attar

Alexandria III

Alexandria Orientale

Alexandria II Anniversary

Reviews

7 in-depth fragrance descriptions

12/17/2017

10Scent 10Longevity 10Sillage

Taskphorce
55 Reviews

Taskphorce

4

Alexandria II vs. Alexandria Imperiale....

I could not wait to rip open the package and spray this fragrance. Yes, like you may have heard...you will notice similarities to Alexandria II upon first spray. The differences were quite apparent however, I find that Alexandria Imperiale has significantly more deep-wooody nuances and it has less of that sharp spiciness present in Alex II. Alexandria Imperiale opens oily then quickly turns balmy and charred. I have to dig hard for florals in Alexandria Imperiale. There is this thick and mildly- musky-sweetness (vanilla?) enveloping a pungent and smooth-spicy-rose- oud juxtaposition. There is a lot going on here! It's not animalic or barnyard but the oud is much more pronounced, "raw".....and easily identifiable. It evolves and transforms whereas with Alexandria II, what you see is what you get for the next 16-24 hours after application! Make no mistake about it, Alexandria Imp..is still a strong fragrance with great projection and all day longevity but it is more intimate, overall smoother, more opulent, warm, and softens as it dries down. For serious fans of Alexandria II (like myself), I say you will find this scent is also worthy of your money and while there are similarities, the differences are substantial enough that you will still want to keep Alexandria II. Get your wallet ready and treat yourself to Alexandria Imperiale...(IF you can get it.) Easy 10/10 for me.

10/13/2025

7.5Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

Imanzabihini
6 Reviews

Imanzabihini

1

Alexandria Imperiale - Imagination vs. Reality

First Impressions & Scent Analysis: Xerjoff Alexandria Imperiale (vs. Alexandria II)

The Expectation: A Refined, European-Leaning Alexandria II

The anticipation surrounding Xerjoff Alexandria Imperiale—often marketed as an exclusive or highly refined variant of the legendary Alexandria II—was the hope for a truly European-wearable bridge fragrance. The core desire was to maintain the opulent woody Alexandria II DNA, yet make it significantly less sweet and more approachable. This was envisioned as a less loud statement scent, akin to the sophisticated, widely accepted elegance of fragrances like Oud Wood or F* Fabulous. The ideal was the power of Alexandria II, but with the removal of its heavy, gourmand sweetness.

The Reality: Opulence Without Sweetness, But With Oriental Soapiness

A critical wear test on the skin, however, reveals a significant deviation from this ideal, which may lead to disappointment for those with specific expectations:

1. Sweetness is Eliminated, Not Subtly Adjusted: Alexandria Imperiale certainly delivers on removing the pronounced Vanillin and Cinnamon sweetness that gives Alexandria II its recognizable praliné facet. Yet, rather than yielding a more subtle, velvety successor, the result is a "stripped-down" core version.

2. The Effect: A Soapy, Oriental Edge: The absence of the soft, sugary foundation brings a distinct, clean aromatic facet to the forefront. The scent adopts an almost soapy or spotless texture, strongly reminiscent of high-end, exotic oriental soap. While this grants the fragrance a sense of cleanliness and clarity, it sacrifices the deep, creamy fluidity and multi-layered complexity that define the original.

3. The Untamed Oud Signature: The characteristic Oud note, central to the Alexandria line, remains virtually unchanged in its intensity. Crucially, due to the lack of the sweet counter-balance, the Oud note is highlighted and projects more sharply. This is the key letdown: instead of a gentler rendition for a Western palate, the fragrance maintains its potent, Arab-style Oud projection, but without the sweet cushioning.

Summary of the Discrepancy:
Alexandria Imperiale is, essentially, "Alexandria II minus the gourmand sweetness." This seemingly minor alteration drastically changes the scent's character from a creamy, warm wood-aromatic to a soapy, sharply aromatic oriental statement. It fails to deliver the expected subtle elegance of an Oud Wood or F* Fabulous, as the underlying Oud structure remains too robust, and the lost sweetness is replaced by an unexpected soapiness. The steep price point is therefore difficult to justify for what feels like a technical variation rather than a superior refinement.

01/03/2026

Maurito
3 Reviews

Maurito

1

Best of the Alexandrias

I have tried and worn all of the different iterations of Alexandria. II, III, Orientale, Anniversary and this. This was the only one that I felt was worth it (scent-wise, price is a joke but I got it for a fair deal). Imperiale feels like a smoother and more put together version of the Alexandria DNA. The opening is warm and refined, with lavender, cardamom, and rose coming across balanced and easy to wear rather than sharp or overly sweet. It immediately feels like a way more polished version of II that in my opinion is just way too screechy.

As it settles, the heart becomes woody and slightly leathery with iris and cedar giving it a clean, elegant feel. It never turns too powdery or too soapy on my skin, just steady and well blended. The dry down brings in oud, amber, sandalwood, musk, and a hint of vanilla, keeping things warm and classy without being heavy.

Performance is solid all around. It projects enough to be noticed but doesn’t overwhelm, and it lasts comfortably through a full day or night. Overall, it comes off as confident and well made, the kind of fragrance that just works without needing attention. One of the best cleaner oud scents I have tried.

02/16/2024

9Scent 10Longevity 10Sillage

Sirbennyone
509 Reviews

Translated · Show original

Sirbennyone

Helpful Review 11

The better Alex II / My insider tip when you want something more...!

Hello everyone,

here's a brief impression of "Oud Stars - Alexandria Imperiale | XerJoff".

Recently, I got a sample of "Oud Stars - Alexandria Imperiale | XerJoff" (thanks to a very nice Parfumo member). Some of you might know my review of "Oud Stars - Alexandria II (Parfum) | XerJoff" (️ https://www.parfumo.de/Parfums/Xerjoff/oud-stars-alexandria-ii-parfum/rezensionen/267155) and I have really important points to share here again that are significant - such as the evolution of "Oud Stars - Alexandria II (Parfum) | XerJoff" from then to now and what it really is today.

A few years ago, I actively turned my back on "Oud Stars - Alexandria II (Parfum) | XerJoff" ... because it was no longer what it used to be. Instead, it became more mass-appealing and quite soft - unfortunately.

There was also "Oud Stars - Alexandria Orientale | XerJoff" and yes, it does quite a few things right, but sometimes it can be very aggressive for the people around you - less so for me, but for others, and somehow I would really like a nice middle ground and then it came (by chance)!

The "Oud Stars - Alexandria Imperiale | XerJoff" is exactly that!

A very high-quality oud, not a stinker (!), plus a really great leather that, in my opinion, works perfectly with the rose and the oud. In the drydown, there’s something soft and creamy thanks to the sandalwood and musk.

But the actual biggest difference is the top and heart notes...
Rose, iris, cardamom, and especially the LAVENDER is a 10 out of 10. You can tell it takes a different path and since I generally really like that = everything done right!

Performance:

Any rating below a 9 here is nonsense (to be honest)!
So if you give it only an 8 for a longevity of 18h (+)... okay
and the same for the sillage...
POWERHOUSE!

Do you absolutely need it?

Not necessarily, BUT
it is massively better than today's "Oud Stars - Alexandria II (Parfum) | XerJoff"!

AND, if someone has an "Oud Stars - Alexandria Imperiale | XerJoff" and wants to part with it, then we can talk, because I really think it’s great!

Best regards, have a nice DAY/ EVENING or whenever you read this review, best regards from Benny

06/23/2025

8.5Scent 9Longevity 8Sillage

LilB94
8 Reviews

Translated · Show original

LilB94

1

Not worth the money

I had the opportunity to test a 2 ml sample of Alex Imperiale. I had, of course, also tested the II, III, anniversary, and Orientale beforehand. Unfortunately, I have to say that my expectations were not met, as it does differentiate itself a bit from the II, but the price is still set far too high. The fragrance is exclusively available at Fortnum & Mason in London and nowhere else (delivery to Germany is not possible). Spending 400 pounds for something similar to Alex II is inappropriate. The Imperiale is based on the II, without incorporating the "hairspray" note. It has a slight hint of the typical "oriental" scent from Alex Orientale. It is very pleasant and even slightly sweet.

Decide for yourselves whether the extra cost is worth it, especially since you can get the other versions for 150€.

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