Fragrance comparison

Empire Intense vs Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 84 ratings analysed

4 wins

Empire Intense

Hinode

4.1470 votes

Rank #28,950 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

Nabeel

3.9314 votes

Rank #51,562 SweetCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Empire Intense takes 4 of 5 categories.

Empire Intense
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Choose it for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Empire Intense4/5

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute1/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Empire IntenseHinode

Acqua di Nabeel AbsoluteNabeel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.14/ 5 · 70 votes

Have 52%Had 32%Want 16%

3.93/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 62%Had 4%Want 35%

Category winnerEmpire IntenseRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

43%Like

10%Ok

6%Dislike

1%Hate

70 votes

43%Love

21%Like

21%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityEmpire Intense

SillageEmpire Intense

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value69

¤ Price value81

Category winnerAcqua di Nabeel AbsoluteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

amber84%

powdery77%

fresh spicy69%

lavender61%

sweet100%

citrus92%

white floral84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

woody61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both aromatic and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

LavenderBergamotCardamom

Heart2-4 hrs

elemiVioletGeranium

Base6-8+ hrs

CashmeranAmberVetiver

Top

Star AniseIncenseWhite FlowersSweet OrangeGrapefruitSea NotesLemonRose

Heart

Sweet NotesNeroliCoconutJasmineOudLily of the ValleySandalwoodHeliotrope

Base

MuskGuaiac WoodBenzoinOakmossVetiverCedarAmberSpun Sugar

InformationalShared notesAmber and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Empire Intense, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring35

Summer20

Fall78

Winter100

Day31

Night100

Spring70

Summer60

Fall100

Winter70

Day88

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men86

Unisex11

Women3

Men29

Unisex64

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,950

PerfumerJérôme Epinette

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#51,562

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerEmpire IntenseHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Empire Intense by Hinode opens with a punchy kick of fresh bergamot, sharp French lavender, and cracked cardamom pods. As the crisp herbal top settles after twenty minutes, smooth green violet leaf and resinous elemi step forward, adding a gentle powdery warmth that feels both masculine and tailored. The dry-down reli…

Reviews →

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute by Nabeel is a dense oriental spicy fragrance that pairs a sharp citrus opening with warm spices. Star anise, grapefruit, and a dry incense lead into a deep heart of leather and sweet notes before settling on a heavy base of oud and vanilla. It is best suited for cold autumn evenings.

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 Intense or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Empire Intense takes 4 of 5 categories. Empire Intense is rated 4.14/5 from 70 votes; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute is rated 3.93/5 from 14 votes. Choose Empire Intense for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Acqua di Nabeel Absolute for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Empire Intense or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Empire Intense lasts longest (Empire Intense 73/100, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Empire Intense or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Empire Intense projects furthest (Empire Intense 67/100, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Empire Intense and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Amber and Vetiver.

Is Empire Intense or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute better for summer or winter?

Empire Intense suits evening wear; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Empire Intense and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Empire Intense has top notes of Lavender, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of elemi, Violet and Geranium, a base of Cashmeran, Amber and Vetiver. Acqua di Nabeel Absolute has top notes of Star Anise, Incense, White Flowers and Sweet Orange, heart notes of Sweet Notes, Neroli, Coconut and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Guaiac Wood, Benzoin and Oakmoss.