Patchouli Impérial 
Christian Dior (2011)

A review about 2018 version

Patchouli Imperial is similar in grace and beauty with Chanel Coromandel,but more laid-back and modernly cool.she likes elegant parties and primping,but equally enjoys wearing jeans while listening to jazz music.sometimes she goes for a red lip,others a smudge of eyeliner and nude lipstick.this is a lovely natural earthy patchouli with a subtle sweetness.feels a bit gourmandy but rests nicely on the skin in any event.it has a very interesting personality,a sophisticated young woman who is a bit edgy.she doesn't scream to get attention.

I love the bright opening with the mandarin and i get a hint of bergamot.it's a momentary luminosity that feels sparkling. patchouli is so dominant in the heart.this is not a hippie patchouli but an elegant connection.the dry down is all about the amber,vanilla,and a touch of smoke combine to create a warm,exotic and balsamic scent.sandalwood lends an overall smooth-woodiness to the blend.to be totally honest,the dry down veers more towards a feminine scent,and i could really see this working well on a woman.it's lovely if you just want almost pure patchouli without powder.

Impérialists
Of course, adored His Highness
As leaf of branch, but

Even hippies loved
King Kouros of Patchouli
For his grunge guitar.

Patchouli dressed up in a tuxedo.

It marries the wet patchouli with dry coriander in the opening. The two notes are really complementary, balancing each other really well. It smells premier and dressed up. In the heart the patchouli takes a step back, blending in, and the smoky aspects step forward, still keeping this very balanced and handsome. It is quite expensive, but smells of nice quality ingredients and blending. Thumbs up.

So, every once-in-a-while, I go through phases whereby I wish to expand my go-to fragrances. Patchouli, rose, oud, incense, musk, jasmine, smoky, etc blends (unisex or leaning towards the feminine side) are what I crave. I read some stellar reviews about this fragrance, so I decided to purchase a sample.

As others have stated, this fragrance performs exactly as promised. For me, it is a fairly linear, straight-forward, clean, more "green versus dark" patchouli fragrance that lays against a gently composed sandalwood back-drop. Period.

No hippie-level noted here...not dirty, not earthy, not grungy, IMHO. I dislike "hippie" patchouli smelling stuff...you know the oily, resinous, dark, heavy, heady, boozy, dreary stuff...yuck. However, I do prefer patchouli fragrances that are a bit more complex, & moody than Patchouli Imperial. For me, Patchouli Imperial is a bit too fresh, chipper, clean & bright...not exactly what I look for in a patchouli fragrance.

And as others have also stated, while this fragrance is attractive and appealing, it also seems to go "dull," or "dead" after a while. On me after an hour or so, the fragrance just "dropped."

I say for the "general masses," Patchouli Imperial is extremely wearable. I prefer the above mentioned notes combined in a more complex way, a way that packs more of a punch. For me, I prefer patchouli blended fragrances that are a bit more "niche-y."

Patchouli Imperial is a great choice for someone who opts to wear a reserved, refined & tamed patchouli fragrance.

Nice enough...just not for me!

Patchouli Imperial is a smooth and lyrical patchouli scent made stronger and drier with coriander and sandalwood. The sandalwood is powdery, sweet and very light and airy as if a dusting of white musk and a rose or two hides beneath the minty sharpness of the smooth patchouli. The base lifts upward away from the earth and retains the soaring character for many hours. To me this is equally unisex while being a much bolder statement than Purple Oud, Dior's newer but more ethereal patch perfume. I don't prefer the sweet powdery aspects of this patchouli over other patchouli stables like Monsieur, Patchouli Absolu or SMN Patchouli. But still, a worthy addition for any collector of patchouli perfumes.

A credible ode to classic patchouli, accented by touches of citrus, spice, dreamy sandalwood and amber.

Fragrance triangle for this niche scent:
Top - bergamot, mandarin orange
Heart - cinnamon, coriander, rose
Base - patchouli, smoke, amber, benzoin, cedar, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla

Patchouli Impérial is one of the few scents centered on this ubiquitous fragrance note that I immediately bought a decant following my spray-on-wrist encounter with it. PI is predominantly the herbal, smooth, mentholated character of patchouli, expertly touched by the aforementioned notes to create an ultimately very wearable, memorable scent that ladies may opt to check out.

Addictive, pleasurable patchouli outing that I rank up there with Tom Ford's Patchouli Absolu.