Fragrance comparison

Empire vs Magnificently Dubai

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

Updated 13 Oct 2026 867 ratings analysed

Empire

Sawalef

4.0519 votes

Rank #31,512 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Magnificently Dubai

Zara

3.94848 votes

Rank #3,151 LeatherFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Magnificently Dubai takes 3 of 5 categories.

Empire
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Magnificently Dubai
Choose it for a leather and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Empire2/5

Magnificently Dubai3/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

EmpireSawalef

Magnificently DubaiZara

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.05/ 5 · 19 votes

Have 28%Had 11%Want 61%

3.94/ 5 · 848 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

Category winnerMagnificently DubaiRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

37%Like

21%Ok

5%Dislike

0%Hate

19 votes · too few to score

35%Love

37%Like

17%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

848 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityEmpire

SillageEmpire

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value80

Category winnerMagnificently DubaiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

white floral84%

leather77%

powdery69%

amber61%

leather100%

fresh spicy88%

warm spicy77%

animalic65%

metallic53%

smoky42%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both leather and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SaffronNutmegCardamom

Heart

Orange BlossomLabdanumPatchouli

Base

SandalwoodVanillaLeather

Top

Saffron

Heart

Nutmeg

Base

Leather

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Nutmeg and Leather. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer17

Fall100

Winter83

Day14

Night100

Spring33

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men29

Unisex36

Women36

Men26

Unisex60

Women15

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,512

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#3,151

PerfumerJo Malone

Launched—

Reviews89

Category winnerMagnificently DubaiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Empire by Sawalef is a unisex, spice and leather leaning woody amber built around saffron, nutmeg and cardamom, brightened by a soft orange blossom heart. As it dries down, labdanum and patchouli add resinous depth, then sandalwood and vanilla smooth the edges while leather keeps it dressed up. It suits cooler weather…

Reviews →

Magnificently Dubai by Zara opens with a sharp, zesty burst of citrus peel that quickly turns dry and spicy. Perfumer Jo Malone constructs the heart around aromatic saffron and warm nutmeg, creating a sun-baked spice market feel on skin. As the initial brightness settles, a smooth leather base emerges alongside a clea…

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, Empire or Magnificently Dubai?

Magnificently Dubai takes 3 of 5 categories. Empire is rated 4.05/5 from 19 votes; Magnificently Dubai is rated 3.94/5 from 848 votes. Choose Empire for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Magnificently Dubai for a leather and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Empire or Magnificently Dubai?

Empire lasts longest (Empire 91/100, Magnificently Dubai 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Empire or Magnificently Dubai?

Empire projects furthest (Empire 75/100, Magnificently Dubai 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Empire and Magnificently Dubai smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share leather and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Saffron, Nutmeg and Leather.

Is Empire or Magnificently Dubai better for summer or winter?

Empire suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Empire and Magnificently Dubai?

Empire has top notes of Saffron, Nutmeg and Cardamom, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Labdanum and Patchouli, a base of Sandalwood, Vanilla and Leather. Magnificently Dubai has top notes of Saffron, heart notes of Nutmeg, a base of Leather.