Fragrance comparison

Empire vs Shadi

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 21 ratings analysed

4 wins

Empire

Sawalef

4.0519 votes

Rank #35,603 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

65%scent match

Closely related

Shadi

Akbari

3.502 votes

Rank #69,514 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Empire takes 4 of 4 categories.

Empire
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Shadi
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Empire4/4

Shadi0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

EmpireSawalef

ShadiAkbari

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.05/ 5 · 19 votes

Have 28%Had 11%Want 61%

3.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 17%Had 17%Want 67%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

0%Love

50%Like

50%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate63

Category winners

LongevityEmpire

SillageEmpire

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value25

Category winnerEmpireBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

white floral84%

leather77%

powdery69%

amber61%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

leather84%

fresh spicy77%

white floral69%

patchouli61%

Scent match65%Closely related · both woody, warm spicy and leather

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SaffronNutmegCardamom

Heart

Orange BlossomLabdanumPatchouli

Base

SandalwoodVanillaLeather

Top

Pink PepperCardamomNutmeg

Heart

Orange BlossomCranberrySaffronMyrrh

Base

PatchouliLeatherCedar

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Nutmeg, Cardamom and Orange Blossom. 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

Spring0

Summer0

Fall50

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men29

Unisex36

Women36

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#35,603

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#69,514

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerEmpireHigher 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 →

Shadi by Akbari opens bright and spicy, with pink pepper and cardamom over a warm nutmeg hum. It moves into a floral resin core where orange blossom meets saffron, myrrh, and a tart cranberry twist. The dry-down leans woody and leathered, with patchouli and cedar adding a darker, more evening-leaning finish. It reads …

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, Empire or Shadi?

Empire takes 4 of 4 categories. Empire is rated 4.05/5 from 19 votes; Shadi is rated 3.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose Empire for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Shadi for a warm spicy and woody character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Empire or Shadi?

Empire lasts longest (Empire 91/100, Shadi 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Empire or Shadi?

Empire projects furthest (Empire 75/100, Shadi 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Empire and Shadi smell similar?

Closely related: a 65% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and leather accords. Common notes include Saffron, Nutmeg, Cardamom and Orange Blossom.

Is Empire or Shadi better for summer or winter?

Empire suits evening wear; Shadi suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Empire and Shadi?

Empire has top notes of Saffron, Nutmeg and Cardamom, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Labdanum and Patchouli, a base of Sandalwood, Vanilla and Leather. Shadi has top notes of Pink Pepper, Cardamom and Nutmeg, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Cranberry, Saffron and Myrrh, a base of Patchouli, Leather and Cedar.