Fragrance comparison

Imperial vs Sandstorm

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 11 Oct 2026 531 ratings analysed

4 wins

Imperial

Boadicea the Victorious

4.26482 votes

Rank #1,496 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

Sandstorm

Panouge

4.4549 votes

Rank #11,518 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Imperial takes 4 of 7 categories.

Imperial
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter.
Sandstorm
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Imperial4/7

Sandstorm3/7

Ratings & consensus: Sandstorm
Community sentiment: Sandstorm
Longevity: Imperial
Sillage & projection: Imperial
Value for money: Sandstorm
Versatility: Imperial
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Imperial

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

ImperialBoadicea the Victorious

SandstormPanouge

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.26/ 5 · 482 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.45/ 5 · 49 votes

Have 29%Had 13%Want 58%

Category winnerSandstormRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

54%Love

30%Like

7%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

482 votes

63%Love

24%Like

6%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

49 votes

Category winnerSandstormMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevityImperial

SillageImperial

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value35

¤ Price value59

Category winnerSandstormBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

fresh spicy84%

leather77%

oud69%

balsamic61%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

leather77%

powdery69%

floral61%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both woody, amber and leather

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

Brazilian RosewoodLavenderBirchAngelica

Heart

GeraniumRoseFreesiaJasmine

Base

Agarwood (Oud)Guaiac WoodLabdanumLeatherAmberPatchouliSandalwoodOlibanum

Top15-30 mins

Bergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

AmberJasmineOsmanthus

Base6-10+ hrs

BirchOlibanumPatchouliSandalwoodMusk

InformationalShared notesBirch, Jasmine, Amber and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Sandstorm, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring69

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring38

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day42

Night100

Category winnerImperialMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men61

Unisex33

Women6

Men74

Unisex26

Women0

Date 34%Party 28%Work 21%Casual 17%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,496

PerfumerChristian Provenzano

Launched—

Reviews52

Overall rank#11,518

PerfumerJean Jacques

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerImperialHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Imperial opens with an aromatic burst of lavender, sharp birch wood, and green angelica before settling into a warm core of geranium, rose, and jasmine. As the initial herbal brightness softens on skin, the composition develops a rich resinous base dominated by Brazilian rosewood, dark agarwood, labdanum, and supple l…

Reviews →

Panouge Sandstorm hits the skin with a brisk burst of Italian bergamot before swiftly unveiling a warm heart of golden amber, leathery osmanthus, and delicate jasmine. Dark, smoky birch tar drives the foundation alongside earthy patchouli, clean olibanum resin, and milky sandalwood. It evokes dry desert winds blowing …

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Imperial or Sandstorm?

Imperial takes 4 of 7 categories. Imperial is rated 4.26/5 from 482 votes; Sandstorm is rated 4.45/5 from 49 votes. Choose Imperial for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter. Choose Sandstorm for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Imperial or Sandstorm?

They last about the same: Imperial 80/100, Sandstorm 78/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Imperial or Sandstorm?

Imperial projects furthest (Imperial 73/100, Sandstorm 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Imperial and Sandstorm smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and leather accords. Common notes include Birch, Jasmine, Amber and Patchouli.

Is Imperial or Sandstorm better for summer or winter?

For summer, Imperial is the stronger pick. For winter, Imperial is the stronger pick. Sandstorm suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Imperial and Sandstorm?

Imperial has top notes of Brazilian Rosewood, Lavender, Birch and Angelica, heart notes of Geranium, Rose, Freesia and Jasmine, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Guaiac Wood, Labdanum and Leather. Sandstorm has top notes of Bergamot, heart notes of Amber, Jasmine and Osmanthus, a base of Birch, Olibanum, Patchouli and Sandalwood.