Fragrance comparison

Courageous vs Empressa

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 1,650 ratings analysed

Courageous

Ellen Tracy

3.437 votes

Rank #57,224 PatchouliWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Empressa

Penhaligon's

3.771,643 votes

Rank #2,731 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Empressa takes 3 of 4 categories.

Courageous
Choose it for a patchouli and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Empressa
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Courageous1/4

Empressa3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CourageousEllen Tracy

EmpressaPenhaligon's

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.43/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 88%Had 3%Want 9%

3.77/ 5 · 1,643 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

29%Love

14%Like

29%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

31%Love

43%Like

15%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

1,536 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity36

〰 Sillage40

♥ Love / hate61

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityEmpressa

SillageEmpressa

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value90

¤ Price value30

Category winnerCourageousBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

patchouli100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

powdery77%

rose69%

musky61%

citrus100%

fruity92%

woody84%

patchouli77%

fresh spicy69%

sweet61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both patchouli and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

Black PepperBergamotLemon

Heart1 to 2 hours

RoseWater LilyDewberryCassisOrris

Base2 to 3 hours

PatchouliMuskVanillaSandalwood

Top

Blood OrangePeachBergamotMandarin OrangePink Pepper

Heart

RoseDewberryCassisNeroliGeranium

Base

PatchouliBrown sugarMuskVanillaSandalwoodOlibanumCacaoAmber

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Rose, Dewberry and Cassis. Durations are only published for Courageous, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall50

Winter0

Day100

Night–

Spring100

Summer78

Fall0

Winter34

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex14

Women86

Men3

Unisex15

Women82

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#57,224

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#2,731

PerfumerChristian Provenzano

Launched—

Reviews188

Category winnerEmpressaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Courageous by Ellen Tracy delivers a bright citrus opening balanced by earthy patchouli and soft floral undertones. Fresh lemon and zesty bergamot introduce the scent with a light pinch of black pepper. Soon after, watery rose and delicate water lily emerge alongside tart dewberry and powdery orris root. The base sett…

Reviews →

Empressa is a polished fruity floral with a bright blood orange and peach opening, soft rose in the heart, and a sweet patchouli musk base. Reviewers often describe it as smooth, rounded, and easy to wear, with a cleaner fruitchouli feel. The main caveat is familiarity. Many wearers compare it to Coco Mademoiselle, an…

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, Courageous or Empressa?

Empressa takes 3 of 4 categories. Courageous is rated 3.43/5 from 7 votes; Empressa is rated 3.77/5 from 1,643 votes. Choose Courageous for a patchouli and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Empressa for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Courageous or Empressa?

Empressa lasts longest (Empressa 63/100, Courageous 36/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Courageous or Empressa?

Empressa projects furthest (Empressa 56/100, Courageous 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Courageous and Empressa smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share patchouli and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Rose, Dewberry and Cassis.

Is Courageous or Empressa better for summer or winter?

Courageous suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Courageous and Empressa?

Courageous has top notes of Black Pepper, Bergamot and Lemon, heart notes of Rose, Water Lily, Dewberry and Cassis, a base of Patchouli, Musk, Vanilla and Sandalwood. Empressa has top notes of Blood Orange, Peach, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Rose, Dewberry, Cassis and Neroli, a base of Patchouli, Brown sugar, Musk and Vanilla.