Fragrance comparison

18 Vanilla Nera vs Empressa Eau de Parfum

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 545 ratings analysed

18 Vanilla Nera

Ledda

3.8456 votes

Rank #15,875 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Empressa Eau de Parfum

Penhaligon's

3.82489 votes

Rank #5,186 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Empressa Eau de Parfum takes 5 of 7 categories.

18 Vanilla Nera
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Empressa Eau de Parfum
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

18 Vanilla Nera2/7

Empressa Eau de Parfum5/7

Ratings & consensus: Empressa Eau de Parfum
Community sentiment: Empressa Eau de Parfum
Longevity: Empressa Eau de Parfum
Sillage & projection: Empressa Eau de Parfum
Value for money: 18 Vanilla Nera
Versatility: 18 Vanilla Nera
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Empressa Eau de Parfum

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

18 Vanilla NeraLedda

Empressa Eau de ParfumPenhaligon's

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.84/ 5 · 56 votes

Have 50%Had 7%Want 43%

3.82/ 5 · 489 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

Category winnerEmpressa Eau de ParfumRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

39%Love

27%Like

18%Ok

11%Dislike

5%Hate

56 votes

38%Love

37%Like

16%Ok

6%Dislike

2%Hate

382 votes

Category winnerEmpressa Eau de ParfumMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityEmpressa Eau de Parfum

SillageEmpressa Eau de Parfum

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value59

¤ Price value36

Category winner18 Vanilla NeraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy90%

balsamic80%

vanilla70%

woody60%

fresh spicy50%

citrus100%

fruity92%

fresh spicy84%

woody77%

warm spicy69%

patchouli61%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both warm spicy, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

GingerPink PepperBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

ResinsCardamomOlibanumFloral bouquet

Base6-8+ hrs

VanillaPatchouliMusk

Top

Blood OrangeBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart

DewberryPeachRoseBlack CurrantNeroliGeraniumCardamomNutmeg

Base

PatchouliSandalwoodMuskVanillaAmberOlibanumMaltolCacao

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Cardamom, Olibanum and Vanilla. Durations are only published for 18 Vanilla Nera, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring39

Summer24

Fall0

Winter100

Day53

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter45

Day–

Night–

Category winner18 Vanilla NeraMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex38

Women59

Date 36%Work 26%Casual 21%Party 16%

Men3

Unisex13

Women84

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#15,875

PerfumerFrank Voelkl

Launched—

Reviews20

Overall rank#5,186

PerfumerChristian Provenzano

Launched—

Reviews61

Category winnerEmpressa Eau de ParfumHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ledda 18 Vanilla Nera throws out the standard gourmand playbook. You will not find frosted cupcakes or synthetic spun sugar here. Instead, master perfumer Frank Voelkl delivers a dry, resinous vanilla anchored by warm ginger, green cardamom, and smoky olibanum. The first spray reveals a sharp citrus spark of bergamot …

Reviews →

Empressa Eau de Parfum is a polished fruity patchouli with a bright orange opening, soft peach, rose, and a warmer base of sandalwood, musk, amber, vanilla, and cacao. On skin it often reads elegant, sweet-fresh, and mature, with a fruitchouli style many wearers compare to Coco Mademoiselle. It suits shoppers who like…

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, 18 Vanilla Nera or Empressa Eau de Parfum?

Empressa Eau de Parfum takes 5 of 7 categories. 18 Vanilla Nera is rated 3.84/5 from 56 votes; Empressa Eau de Parfum is rated 3.82/5 from 489 votes. Choose 18 Vanilla Nera for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Empressa Eau de Parfum for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, 18 Vanilla Nera or Empressa Eau de Parfum?

Empressa Eau de Parfum lasts longest (Empressa Eau de Parfum 68/100, 18 Vanilla Nera 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, 18 Vanilla Nera or Empressa Eau de Parfum?

Empressa Eau de Parfum projects furthest (Empressa Eau de Parfum 56/100, 18 Vanilla Nera 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do 18 Vanilla Nera and Empressa Eau de Parfum smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Cardamom, Olibanum and Vanilla.

Is 18 Vanilla Nera or Empressa Eau de Parfum better for summer or winter?

For summer, 18 Vanilla Nera is the stronger pick. For winter, 18 Vanilla Nera is the stronger pick. 18 Vanilla Nera suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in 18 Vanilla Nera and Empressa Eau de Parfum?

18 Vanilla Nera has top notes of Ginger, Pink Pepper and Bergamot, heart notes of Resins, Cardamom, Olibanum and Floral bouquet, a base of Vanilla, Patchouli and Musk. Empressa Eau de Parfum has top notes of Blood Orange, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Dewberry, Peach, Rose and Black Currant, a base of Patchouli, Sandalwood, Musk and Vanilla.