Fragrance comparison

Empire VIP vs Plants Illustrated

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 65 ratings analysed

1 wins

Empire VIP

Hinode

3.9563 votes

Rank #31,053 AldehydicWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

Plants Illustrated

And Other Stories

4.002 votes

Rank #60,469 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Empire VIP takes 1 of 1 categories.

Empire VIP
Choose it for a aldehydic and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Plants Illustrated
Choose it for a woody and powdery character.

Empire VIP1/1

Plants Illustrated0/1

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Empire VIPHinode

Plants IllustratedAnd Other Stories

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.95/ 5 · 63 votes

Have 56%Had 25%Want 20%

4.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 64%Had 0%Want 36%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

32%Like

14%Ok

13%Dislike

2%Hate

63 votes

0%Love

100%Like

0%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

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value65

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aldehydic100%

woody92%

fresh84%

sweet77%

citrus69%

violet61%

woody100%

powdery92%

fresh spicy84%

warm spicy77%

violet69%

vanilla61%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both woody and violet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

ChampagneAldehydesOrangeBlack Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

PineappleBlack VioletBambooFirLavenderAcácia

Base6-8+ hrs

Cashmere WoodAmberPapyrus

Top

Black PepperBambooPear

Heart

CypriolViolet

Base

Bourbon VanillaFrankincenseSandalwoodPapyrusMusk

InformationalShared notesBlack Pepper, Bamboo and Papyrus. Durations are only published for Empire VIP, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring69

Summer47

Fall100

Winter69

Day53

Night100

No season votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men90

Unisex5

Women5

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,053

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#60,469

PerfumerJérôme Epinette

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerEmpire VIPHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Hinode Empire VIP kicks off with a lively burst of bubbly champagne, sweet orange, and cracked black pepper, giving it an instant sparkling cocktail feel. Within fifteen minutes, the fizzy opening settles into a fruitier, greener heart where juicy pineapple meets aromatic lavender and fresh bamboo. The deeper dry-down…

Reviews →

Plants Illustrated by And Other Stories brings a dry, woody hum to your daily routine. Jérôme Epinette structures this fragrance around a crisp bamboo opening and a dusty papyrus dry-down, making it a quiet companion for workspace wear. It offers an earthy greenness that steers clear of sweet floral traps, perfect for…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Saffron AmberIlluminumRUNNER-UP vs

Septieme Sens (7e Sens)Sonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP vs

Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER

3 people compared this today

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Empire VIP or Plants Illustrated?

Empire VIP takes 1 of 1 categories. Empire VIP is rated 3.95/5 from 63 votes; Plants Illustrated is rated 4.00/5 from 2 votes. Choose Empire VIP for a aldehydic and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Plants Illustrated for a woody and powdery character.

Do Empire VIP and Plants Illustrated smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and violet accords. Common notes include Black Pepper, Bamboo and Papyrus.

Is Empire VIP or Plants Illustrated better for summer or winter?

Empire VIP suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Empire VIP and Plants Illustrated?

Empire VIP has top notes of Champagne, Aldehydes, Orange and Black Pepper, heart notes of Pineapple, Black Violet, Bamboo and Fir, a base of Cashmere Wood, Amber and Papyrus. Plants Illustrated has top notes of Black Pepper, Bamboo and Pear, heart notes of Cypriol and Violet, a base of Bourbon Vanilla, Frankincense, Sandalwood and Papyrus.