Fragrance comparison

Chic vs The Great Empresses of Japan

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 163 ratings analysed

Chic

PanVel

3.7117 votes

Rank #54,889 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

The Great Empresses of Japan

Romea D'Ameor

3.84146 votes

Rank #15,649 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The Great Empresses of Japan takes 3 of 5 categories.

Chic
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
The Great Empresses of Japan
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Chic1/5

The Great Empresses of Japan3/5

Ratings & consensus: The Great Empresses of Japan
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: The Great Empresses of Japan
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Chic
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Great Empresses of Japan

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ChicPanVel

The Great Empresses of JapanRomea D'Ameor

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.71/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 29%Had 44%Want 27%

3.84/ 5 · 146 votes

Have 56%Had 44%Want 0%

Category winnerThe Great Empresses of JapanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

12%Love

59%Like

18%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

23%Love

53%Like

8%Ok

15%Dislike

1%Hate

146 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityThe Great Empresses of Japan

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value95

¤ Price value58

Category winnerChicBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery92%

white floral84%

yellow floral77%

musky69%

sweet61%

powdery100%

woody91%

iris83%

floral74%

violet65%

vanilla56%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both powdery and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

SandalowoodVanilla

Heart2-3 hrs

Ylang-YlangMelon

Base5-7 hrs

JasmineMuskIris

Top

Ylang-YlangFreesiaMelon

Heart

IrisHeliotropeVioletPeonyLily-of-the-ValleyRose

Base

Orris RootTonka BeanTeak WoodMuskSandalwoodVetiverVanilla

InformationalShared notesVanilla, Ylang-Ylang, Melon and Musk. Durations are only published for Chic, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring88

Summer50

Fall100

Winter88

Day100

Night62

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter28

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

Casual 37%Work 32%Date 20%Party 11%

Men0

Unisex7

Women93

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#54,889

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#15,649

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerThe Great Empresses of JapanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chic by PanVel brings a comforting, powdery take on the classic woody vanilla profile. The fragrance opens with a direct hit of creamy sandalwood and sweet vanilla, followed quickly by an unexpected twist of aquatic melon in the heart. Golden ylang-ylang adds a sunny, floral warmth before the scent transitions into a …

Reviews →

The Great Empresses of Japan opens with a brief melon and ylang-ylang contrast before settling into a soft iris and heliotrope powder. Pierre Bourdon builds a dense floral heart around violet and peony over a grounded base of sandalwood, teak wood, and tonka bean. It feels clean, serene, and vintage-tinged, ideal for …

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, Chic or The Great Empresses of Japan?

The Great Empresses of Japan takes 3 of 5 categories. Chic is rated 3.71/5 from 17 votes; The Great Empresses of Japan is rated 3.84/5 from 146 votes. Choose Chic for a woody and powdery character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose The Great Empresses of Japan for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Chic or The Great Empresses of Japan?

The Great Empresses of Japan lasts longest (The Great Empresses of Japan 66/100, Chic 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Chic or The Great Empresses of Japan?

Projection is very close: Chic 59/100, The Great Empresses of Japan 59/100 for sillage.

Do Chic and The Great Empresses of Japan smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery and woody accords. Common notes include Vanilla, Ylang-Ylang, Melon and Musk.

Is Chic or The Great Empresses of Japan better for summer or winter?

Chic suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chic and The Great Empresses of Japan?

Chic has top notes of Sandalowood and Vanilla, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang and Melon, a base of Jasmine, Musk and Iris. The Great Empresses of Japan has top notes of Ylang-Ylang, Freesia and Melon, heart notes of Iris, Heliotrope, Violet and Peony, a base of Orris Root, Tonka Bean, Teak Wood and Musk.