Fragrance comparison

Empire Intense vs /L

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 177 ratings analysed

3 wins

Empire Intense

Hinode

4.1470 votes

Rank #28,950 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

Nasengold

3.70107 votes

Rank #7,768 AromaticSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Empire Intense takes 3 of 5 categories.

Empire Intense
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
/L
Choose it for a aromatic and smoky character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Empire Intense3/5

/L2/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Empire IntenseHinode

/LNasengold

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.14/ 5 · 70 votes

Have 52%Had 32%Want 16%

3.70/ 5 · 107 votes

Have 40%Had 32%Want 28%

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

30%Love

40%Like

15%Ok

10%Dislike

5%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

Longevity/L

SillageEmpire Intense

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value69

¤ Price value63

Category winnerEmpire IntenseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

amber84%

powdery77%

fresh spicy69%

lavender61%

aromatic100%

smoky92%

woody84%

amber77%

citrus69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and amber

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

elemiBergamotMandarin OrangeGingerCardamomThyme

Heart

VioletMagnoliaLily-of-the-ValleyOrange BlossomOrris Root

Base

SmokeOlibanumSuedeVetiverSandalwoodAmberCedar

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Cardamom, elemi and Violet. 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

Spring89

Summer100

Fall100

Winter78

Day100

Night71

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men86

Unisex11

Women3

Men10

Unisex70

Women20

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,950

PerfumerJérôme Epinette

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#7,768

PerfumerChristian Plesch

Launched—

Reviews52

Category winner/LHigher 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 →

Nasengold /L reads as an aromatic, smoky citrus with a dry woody base and a soft powdery edge. The opening looks bright and spicy on paper, then settles into incense, suede, vetiver and sandalwood, giving it a textured, slightly smoky finish. It appears best suited to someone who likes unisex scents with freshness up …

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 /L?

Empire Intense takes 3 of 5 categories. Empire Intense is rated 4.14/5 from 70 votes; /L is rated 3.70/5 from 107 votes. Choose Empire Intense for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose /L for a aromatic and smoky character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Empire Intense or /L?

They last about the same: /L 75/100, Empire Intense 73/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Empire Intense or /L?

Empire Intense projects furthest (Empire Intense 67/100, /L 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Empire Intense and /L smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and amber accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Cardamom, elemi and Violet.

Is Empire Intense or /L better for summer or winter?

Empire Intense suits evening wear; /L suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Empire Intense and /L?

Empire Intense has top notes of Lavender, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of elemi, Violet and Geranium, a base of Cashmeran, Amber and Vetiver. /L has top notes of elemi, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Ginger, heart notes of Violet, Magnolia, Lily-of-the-Valley and Orange Blossom, a base of Smoke, Olibanum, Suede and Vetiver.