Fragrance comparison

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute vs Empire Intense

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 84 ratings analysed

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

Nabeel

3.9314 votes

Rank #51,562 SweetCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Empire Intense

Hinode

4.1470 votes

Rank #28,950 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Empire Intense takes 4 of 5 categories.

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Choose it for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Empire Intense
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute1/5

Empire Intense4/5

Ratings & consensus: Empire Intense
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Empire Intense
Sillage & projection: Empire Intense
Value for money: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Empire Intense

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Acqua di Nabeel AbsoluteNabeel

Empire IntenseHinode

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 62%Had 4%Want 35%

4.14/ 5 · 70 votes

Have 52%Had 32%Want 16%

Category winnerEmpire IntenseRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

21%Like

21%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

40%Love

43%Like

10%Ok

6%Dislike

1%Hate

70 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityEmpire Intense

SillageEmpire Intense

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value69

Category winnerAcqua di Nabeel AbsoluteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

citrus92%

white floral84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

woody61%

aromatic100%

woody92%

amber84%

powdery77%

fresh spicy69%

lavender61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both aromatic and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Star AniseIncenseWhite FlowersSweet OrangeGrapefruitSea NotesLemonRose

Heart

Sweet NotesNeroliCoconutJasmineOudLily of the ValleySandalwoodHeliotrope

Base

MuskGuaiac WoodBenzoinOakmossVetiverCedarAmberSpun Sugar

Top15-30 mins

LavenderBergamotCardamom

Heart2-4 hrs

elemiVioletGeranium

Base6-8+ hrs

CashmeranAmberVetiver

InformationalShared notesVetiver and Amber. Durations are only published for Empire Intense, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring70

Summer60

Fall100

Winter70

Day88

Night100

Spring35

Summer20

Fall78

Winter100

Day31

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men29

Unisex64

Women7

Men86

Unisex11

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#51,562

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#28,950

PerfumerJérôme Epinette

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerEmpire IntenseHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute by Nabeel is a dense oriental spicy fragrance that pairs a sharp citrus opening with warm spices. Star anise, grapefruit, and a dry incense lead into a deep heart of leather and sweet notes before settling on a heavy base of oud and vanilla. It is best suited for cold autumn evenings.

Reviews →

Empire Intense by Hinode opens with a punchy kick of fresh bergamot, sharp French lavender, and cracked cardamom pods. As the crisp herbal top settles after twenty minutes, smooth green violet leaf and resinous elemi step forward, adding a gentle powdery warmth that feels both masculine and tailored. The dry-down reli…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP vs

Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER

3 people compared this today

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Super CedarByredoRUNNER-UP vs

NorthMendittorosaWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute or Empire Intense?

Empire Intense takes 4 of 5 categories. Acqua di Nabeel Absolute is rated 3.93/5 from 14 votes; Empire Intense is rated 4.14/5 from 70 votes. Choose Acqua di Nabeel Absolute for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Empire Intense for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute or Empire Intense?

Empire Intense lasts longest (Empire Intense 73/100, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute or Empire Intense?

Empire Intense projects furthest (Empire Intense 67/100, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Acqua di Nabeel Absolute and Empire Intense smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Vetiver and Amber.

Is Acqua di Nabeel Absolute or Empire Intense better for summer or winter?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute suits evening wear; Empire Intense suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Acqua di Nabeel Absolute and Empire Intense?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute has top notes of Star Anise, Incense, White Flowers and Sweet Orange, heart notes of Sweet Notes, Neroli, Coconut and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Guaiac Wood, Benzoin and Oakmoss. Empire Intense has top notes of Lavender, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of elemi, Violet and Geranium, a base of Cashmeran, Amber and Vetiver.