Fragrance comparison

Alchemy vs Empire Intense

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 85 ratings analysed

Alchemy

Cuarzo The Circle · 2014

4.1315 votes

Rank #50,087 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

55%scent match

Closely related

3 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 3 of 5 categories.

Alchemy
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Empire Intense
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Alchemy2/5

Empire Intense3/5

Ratings & consensus: Empire Intense
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Alchemy
Sillage & projection: Alchemy
Value for money: Empire Intense
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

AlchemyCuarzo The Circle

Empire IntenseHinode

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 40%Had 8%Want 53%

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

60%Love

20%Like

7%Ok

0%Dislike

13%Hate

15 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

⏱ Longevity92

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityAlchemy

SillageAlchemy

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value69

Category winnerEmpire IntenseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

rose84%

woody77%

amber69%

warm spicy61%

aromatic100%

woody92%

amber84%

powdery77%

fresh spicy69%

lavender61%

Scent match55%Closely related · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GeraniumCorianderLavenderNutmegPink PepperCardamomMandarin Orange

Heart

RoseAgarwood (Oud)AmberVetiverSandalwoodMagnoliaVioletPeach

Base

CedarBenzoinMusk

Top15-30 mins

LavenderBergamotCardamom

Heart2-4 hrs

elemiVioletGeranium

Base6-8+ hrs

CashmeranAmberVetiver

InformationalShared notesGeranium, Lavender, Cardamom 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

Spring25

Summer25

Fall100

Winter75

Day67

Night100

Spring35

Summer20

Fall78

Winter100

Day31

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men86

Unisex11

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#50,087

PerfumerRamón Béjar

Launched2014

Reviews0

Overall rank#28,950

PerfumerJérôme Epinette

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerEmpire IntenseHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Alchemy by Cuarzo The Circle is a rich woody perfume built around an engaging contrast of zesty spices and deep resinous woods. It opens with an invigorating burst of fresh lavender, crushed coriander seeds, and pink pepper before gently revealing a heart of velvety rose, agarwood oud, and creamy sandalwood. As the fr…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Alchemy or Empire Intense?

Empire Intense takes 3 of 5 categories. Alchemy is rated 4.13/5 from 15 votes; Empire Intense is rated 4.14/5 from 70 votes. Choose Alchemy for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Empire Intense for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Alchemy or Empire Intense?

Alchemy lasts longest (Alchemy 92/100, Empire Intense 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Alchemy or Empire Intense?

Alchemy projects furthest (Alchemy 75/100, Empire Intense 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Alchemy and Empire Intense smell similar?

Closely related: a 55% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Geranium, Lavender, Cardamom and Amber.

Is Alchemy or Empire Intense better for summer or winter?

Alchemy suits evening wear; Empire Intense suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Alchemy and Empire Intense?

Alchemy has top notes of Geranium, Coriander, Lavender and Nutmeg, heart notes of Rose, Agarwood (Oud), Amber and Vetiver, a base of Cedar, Benzoin and Musk. Empire Intense has top notes of Lavender, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of elemi, Violet and Geranium, a base of Cashmeran, Amber and Vetiver.