Fragrance comparison

Empire Icon vs Malbec Gold (2020)

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 29 ratings analysed

Empire Icon

Hinode

4.4025 votes

Rank #31,530 Fresh SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Malbec Gold (2020)

O Boticário

2.004 votes

Rank #79,093 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Malbec Gold (2020) takes 3 of 4 categories.

Empire Icon
Choose it for a fresh spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Malbec Gold (2020)
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Empire Icon1/4

Malbec Gold (2020)3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Malbec Gold (2020)
Sillage & projection: Malbec Gold (2020)
Value for money: Malbec Gold (2020)
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Empire Icon

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Empire IconHinode

Malbec Gold (2020)O Boticário

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.40/ 5 · 25 votes

Have 34%Had 4%Want 62%

2.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 41%Had 26%Want 33%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

56%Love

28%Like

16%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

25 votes

0%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

50%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate25

Category winners

LongevityMalbec Gold (2020)

SillageMalbec Gold (2020)

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value57

¤ Price value75

Category winnerMalbec Gold (2020)Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

woody91%

aromatic83%

warm spicy74%

cinnamon65%

lavender56%

amber100%

woody92%

wine84%

fruity77%

fresh spicy69%

vanilla61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

elemiBlack PepperCinnamonGrapefruit

Heart2-4 hrs

NutmegLavenderGingerOrange Blossom

Base6-8+ hrs

CedarGaiac WoodLabdanumClearwood

Top

AppleMandarin OrangeAfrican GingerBlack PepperArtemisiaSicilian Lemon

Heart

Red WineOrange BlossomNutmegCinnamonLavenderLeather

Base

LabdanumAmberwoodVanillaCashmeranTexas CedarAgarwoodFrankincensePatchouli

InformationalShared notesBlack Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Lavender. Durations are only published for Empire Icon, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer6

Fall94

Winter100

Day38

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall33

Winter100

Day33

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,530

PerfumerIlias Ermenidis

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#79,093

PerfumerNapoleão Bastos

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerEmpire IconHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Empire Icon by Hinode opens with an invigorating kick of black pepper and tart grapefruit, instantly warmed by spicy cinnamon and resinous elemi. Within minutes, the zesty sharpness settles into an aromatic core of French lavender, fresh grated ginger, and sweet orange blossom, giving the scent a balanced barbershop-m…

Reviews →

Malbec Gold (2020) by O Boticário opens with a crisp burst of juicy red apple and zesty ginger, spiced with crushed black pepper. The initial punch quickly gives way to the signature Malbec red wine accord, swirling with warm cinnamon, orange blossom, and smooth leather. As the hours tick by, the base settles into a t…

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 Icon or Malbec Gold (2020)?

Malbec Gold (2020) takes 3 of 4 categories. Empire Icon is rated 4.40/5 from 25 votes; Malbec Gold (2020) is rated 2.00/5 from 4 votes. Choose Empire Icon for a fresh spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Malbec Gold (2020) for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Empire Icon or Malbec Gold (2020)?

Malbec Gold (2020) lasts longest (Malbec Gold (2020) 80/100, Empire Icon 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Empire Icon or Malbec Gold (2020)?

Malbec Gold (2020) projects furthest (Malbec Gold (2020) 75/100, Empire Icon 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Empire Icon and Malbec Gold (2020) smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Lavender.

Is Empire Icon or Malbec Gold (2020) better for summer or winter?

Empire Icon suits evening wear; Malbec Gold (2020) suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Empire Icon and Malbec Gold (2020)?

Empire Icon has top notes of elemi, Black Pepper, Cinnamon and Grapefruit, heart notes of Nutmeg, Lavender, Ginger and Orange Blossom, a base of Cedar, Gaiac Wood, Labdanum and Clearwood. Malbec Gold (2020) has top notes of Apple, Mandarin Orange, African Ginger and Black Pepper, heart notes of Red Wine, Orange Blossom, Nutmeg and Cinnamon, a base of Labdanum, Amberwood, Vanilla and Cashmeran.