Fragrance comparison

Drowning in Vanilla vs Empire State

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 177 ratings analysed

4 wins

Drowning in Vanilla

The Dua Brand

4.05176 votes

Rank #2,348 VanillaFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

60%scent match

Closely related

Empire State

Mundus

5.001 votes

Rank #56,074 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Drowning in Vanilla takes 4 of 4 categories.

Drowning in Vanilla
Choose it for a vanilla and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
Empire State
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Best in spring, evening wear.

Drowning in Vanilla4/4

Empire State0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Drowning in VanillaThe Dua Brand

Empire StateMundus

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.05/ 5 · 176 votes

Have 81%Had 19%Want 0%

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 17%Had 0%Want 83%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

55%Love

17%Like

12%Ok

12%Dislike

5%Hate

66 votes

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity86

〰 Sillage77

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityDrowning in Vanilla

SillageDrowning in Vanilla

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value67

¤ Price value50

Category winnerDrowning in VanillaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

warm spicy77%

woody69%

powdery61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

rose77%

powdery69%

balsamic61%

Scent match60%Closely related · both warm spicy, woody and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

VanillaGingerBergamotPink PepperCardamomSandalwoodTurkish RoseBenzoinCedarMuskGreen NotesAmbergris

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

GingerBergamotPink PepperGreen Notes

Heart2-4 hrs

Turkish RoseCardamomBlackcurrant

Base6-8+ hrs

BenzoinSandalwoodAmbergrisPatchouliMuskVanillaCedar

InformationalShared notesVanilla, Ginger, Bergamot and Pink Pepper. Durations are only published for Empire State, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring88

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day85

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men11

Unisex73

Women16

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Date 30%Work 28%Casual 26%Party 15%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,348

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews56

Overall rank#56,074

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDrowning in VanillaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

A spicy vanilla with a bright citrus lift, Drowning in Vanilla opens sharper than its name suggests, then settles into a sweeter, creamier vanilla over woods, musk and resin. On skin it often reads more aromatic and woody than dessert-like. It may suit shoppers who enjoy Ani-style vanilla with extra spice and projecti…

Reviews →

Empire State by Mundus opens with a brisk snap of fresh ginger and tart bergamot, backed by crushed green notes and sparkling pink pepper. The initial sharpness softens within minutes. A plush heart takes over, highlighting Turkish rose petals, cool green cardamom, and a dark drop of tart blackcurrant fruit. As the sc…

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, Drowning in Vanilla or Empire State?

Drowning in Vanilla takes 4 of 4 categories. Drowning in Vanilla is rated 4.05/5 from 176 votes; Empire State is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Drowning in Vanilla for a vanilla and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Empire State for a amber and warm spicy character. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Drowning in Vanilla or Empire State?

Drowning in Vanilla lasts longest (Drowning in Vanilla 86/100, Empire State 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Drowning in Vanilla or Empire State?

Drowning in Vanilla projects furthest (Drowning in Vanilla 77/100, Empire State 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Drowning in Vanilla and Empire State smell similar?

Closely related: a 60% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Vanilla, Ginger, Bergamot and Pink Pepper.

Is Drowning in Vanilla or Empire State better for summer or winter?

Empire State suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Drowning in Vanilla and Empire State?

Drowning in Vanilla features Vanilla, Ginger, Bergamot, Pink Pepper and Cardamom. Empire State has top notes of Ginger, Bergamot, Pink Pepper and Green Notes, heart notes of Turkish Rose, Cardamom and Blackcurrant, a base of Benzoin, Sandalwood, Ambergris and Patchouli.