Fragrance comparison

Empire vs Shafran

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 34 ratings analysed

4 wins

Empire

Sawalef

4.0519 votes

Rank #35,571 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

59%scent match

Closely related

Shafran

Neesh Perfumes

4.0015 votes

Rank #23,404 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Empire takes 4 of 5 categories.

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

Empire4/5

Shafran1/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

EmpireSawalef

ShafranNeesh Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.05/ 5 · 19 votes

Have 28%Had 11%Want 61%

4.00/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 51%Had 2%Want 46%

Category winnerEmpireRating 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

53%Love

20%Like

13%Ok

0%Dislike

13%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityEmpire

SillageEmpire

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value46

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%

amber84%

leather77%

sweet69%

smoky61%

Scent match59%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

SaffronPlumCardamomNutmegMarigold

Heart

LeatherCaramelBrown sugarCashmere Wood

Base

IncenseVanillaAmberGaiac WoodPatchouliCypriol OilSandalwoodMoss

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Nutmeg, Cardamom and Patchouli. 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

Spring44

Summer44

Fall56

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men29

Unisex36

Women36

Men33

Unisex60

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#35,571

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#23,404

PerfumerChristian Provenzano

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerShafranHigher 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 →

Shafran by Neesh Perfumes opens with a sharp burst of red saffron, juicy plum, and crushed cardamom. The opening feels warm and dense, spiced heavily with nutmeg and marigold. Within twenty minutes, the bright fruitiness recedes, giving room to a dark heart of brown sugar, caramel, and smooth leather. As the scent se…

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 Shafran?

Empire takes 4 of 5 categories. Empire is rated 4.05/5 from 19 votes; Shafran is rated 4.00/5 from 15 votes. Choose Empire for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Shafran for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Empire or Shafran?

Empire lasts longest (Empire 91/100, Shafran 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Empire or Shafran?

Empire projects furthest (Empire 75/100, Shafran 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Empire and Shafran smell similar?

Closely related: a 59% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and leather accords. Common notes include Saffron, Nutmeg, Cardamom and Patchouli.

Is Empire or Shafran better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Empire and Shafran?

Empire has top notes of Saffron, Nutmeg and Cardamom, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Labdanum and Patchouli, a base of Sandalwood, Vanilla and Leather. Shafran has top notes of Saffron, Plum, Cardamom and Nutmeg, heart notes of Leather, Caramel, Brown sugar and Cashmere Wood, a base of Incense, Vanilla, Amber and Gaiac Wood.