Fragrance comparison

Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir vs The Empress

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 383 ratings analysed

4 wins

Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir

Adi Ale Van

4.30365 votes

Rank #567 VanillaNutty

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

The Empress

Andromeda's Curse

3.8318 votes

Rank #54,600 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir takes 4 of 5 categories.

Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir
Choose it for a vanilla and nutty character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
The Empress
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir4/5

The Empress1/5

Ratings & consensus: Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir
Sillage & projection: Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir
Value for money: The Empress
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixirAdi Ale Van

The EmpressAndromeda's Curse

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.30/ 5 · 365 votes

Have 9%Had 1%Want 90%

3.83/ 5 · 18 votes

Have 32%Had 7%Want 60%

Category winnerDecembrie 89 - Freedom elixirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

66%Love

18%Like

6%Ok

4%Dislike

6%Hate

214 votes

28%Love

44%Like

17%Ok

6%Dislike

6%Hate

18 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity93

〰 Sillage89

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityDecembrie 89 - Freedom elixir

SillageDecembrie 89 - Freedom elixir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value54

¤ Price value88

Category winnerThe EmpressBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

nutty92%

woody84%

citrus77%

sweet69%

rum61%

fruity100%

sweet86%

fresh72%

vanilla58%

green44%

warm spicy30%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both vanilla and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AppleOrangeLemon

Heart

Vanilla BeanHazelnut

Base

Madagascar VanillaVanilla AbsoluteRum

Notes

AppleVanilla BeanSpicesBrown sugarCupcakeFig

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesApple and Vanilla Bean. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring16

Summer10

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring17

Summer0

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men35

Unisex58

Women7

Men0

Unisex17

Women83

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#567

PerfumerJimmy Bodin

Launched—

Reviews61

Overall rank#54,600

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDecembrie 89 - Freedom elixirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir by Adi Ale Van is a fragrance for women and men. Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir was launched in 2023. The nose behind this fragrance is Jimmy Bodin. Top notes are Apple, Orange and Lemon; middle notes are Vanilla Bean and Hazelnut; base notes are Madagascar Vanilla, Vanilla Absolute and Ru…

Reviews →

The Empress opens with crisp sliced apple and a bright touch of green fig before settling into a warm bakery profile. Melted brown sugar and sweet cupcake notes fuse with soft vanilla bean and kitchen spices as it rests on skin. Built for cool autumn afternoons, this indie perfume oil delivers a cozy gourmand aroma wi…

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, Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir or The Empress?

Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir takes 4 of 5 categories. Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir is rated 4.30/5 from 365 votes; The Empress is rated 3.83/5 from 18 votes. Choose Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir for a vanilla and nutty character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose The Empress for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir or The Empress?

Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir lasts longest (Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir 93/100, The Empress 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir or The Empress?

Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir projects furthest (Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir 89/100, The Empress 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir and The Empress smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla and sweet accords. Common notes include Apple and Vanilla Bean.

Is Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir or The Empress better for summer or winter?

The Empress suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir and The Empress?

Decembrie 89 - Freedom elixir has top notes of Apple, Orange and Lemon, heart notes of Vanilla Bean and Hazelnut, a base of Madagascar Vanilla, Vanilla Absolute and Rum. The Empress features Apple, Vanilla Bean, Spices, Brown sugar and Cupcake.