Fragrance comparison

DUA’s Empire of Iris vs The Lover

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 11 ratings analysed

3 wins

DUA’s Empire of Iris

The Dua Brand

4.888 votes

Rank #28,405 Warm SpicyIris

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

The Lover

Antagonist

4.673 votes

Rank #20,465 VioletPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

DUA’s Empire of Iris takes 3 of 4 categories.

DUA’s Empire of Iris
Choose it for a warm spicy and iris character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
The Lover
Choose it for a violet and powdery character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

DUA’s Empire of Iris3/4

The Lover1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: DUA’s Empire of Iris
Sillage & projection: DUA’s Empire of Iris
Value for money: DUA’s Empire of Iris
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Lover

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DUA’s Empire of IrisThe Dua Brand

The LoverAntagonist

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.88/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 61%Had 4%Want 36%

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 3%Had 0%Want 97%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

88%Love

13%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate97

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityDUA’s Empire of Iris

SillageDUA’s Empire of Iris

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price value33

Category winnerDUA’s Empire of IrisBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

iris92%

powdery84%

amber77%

violet69%

chocolate61%

violet100%

powdery92%

rose84%

warm spicy77%

floral69%

woody61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both warm spicy, powdery and violet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

IrisChocolateLeatherBenzoinCinnamonDavanaPatchouliOlibanumViolet

No top / heart / base split published

Top

RoseOrange PeelLemongrass

Heart

VioletHoly WaterOld BooksCinnamonIris

Base

IncenseSandalwoodBenzoinAmber

InformationalShared notesIris, Benzoin, Cinnamon and Violet. Durations are only published for DUA’s Empire of Iris, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring71

Summer29

Fall100

Winter86

Day47

Night100

Spring50

Summer25

Fall100

Winter50

Day75

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men80

Unisex20

Women0

Date 40%Casual 24%Party 20%Work 16%

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,405

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#20,465

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerThe LoverHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

DUA's Empire of Iris by The Dua Brand takes the classic powdery iris flower and turns it into a warm, decadent treat. The opening hits immediately with aromatic davana fruit and a dusting of dry cinnamon. Give it five minutes to settle on skin, and a buttery iris emerges alongside rich, dark chocolate shavings and swe…

Reviews →

The Lover by Antagonist is a powdery rose and violet fragrance with citrus peel brightness, soft spice, incense, sandalwood and a sweet ambered base. The clearest wearer feedback points to rose, incense and sandalwood as the most noticeable parts, with a surprisingly easy, unisex feel. It should appeal to people who l…

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, DUA’s Empire of Iris or The Lover?

DUA’s Empire of Iris takes 3 of 4 categories. DUA’s Empire of Iris is rated 4.88/5 from 8 votes; The Lover is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose DUA’s Empire of Iris for a warm spicy and iris character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose The Lover for a violet and powdery character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, DUA’s Empire of Iris or The Lover?

DUA’s Empire of Iris lasts longest (DUA’s Empire of Iris 72/100, The Lover 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, DUA’s Empire of Iris or The Lover?

DUA’s Empire of Iris projects furthest (DUA’s Empire of Iris 75/100, The Lover 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do DUA’s Empire of Iris and The Lover smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, powdery and violet accords. Common notes include Iris, Benzoin, Cinnamon and Violet.

Is DUA’s Empire of Iris or The Lover better for summer or winter?

DUA’s Empire of Iris suits evening wear; The Lover suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in DUA’s Empire of Iris and The Lover?

DUA’s Empire of Iris features Iris, Chocolate, Leather, Benzoin and Cinnamon. The Lover has top notes of Rose, Orange Peel and Lemongrass, heart notes of Violet, Holy Water, Old Books and Cinnamon, a base of Incense, Sandalwood, Benzoin and Amber.