Fragrance comparison

Empire VIP vs The Priest

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 84 ratings analysed

4 wins

Empire VIP

Hinode

3.9563 votes

Rank #31,053 AldehydicWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

The Priest

FUMparFUM

3.7121 votes

Rank #51,426 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Empire VIP takes 4 of 6 categories.

Empire VIP
Choose it for a aldehydic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
The Priest
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear.

Empire VIP4/6

The Priest2/6

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Empire VIPHinode

The PriestFUMparFUM

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.95/ 5 · 63 votes

Have 56%Had 25%Want 20%

3.71/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 25%Had 8%Want 67%

Category winnerEmpire VIPRating 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

24%Love

38%Like

29%Ok

5%Dislike

5%Hate

21 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityThe Priest

SillageEmpire VIP

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value65

¤ Price value33

Category winnerEmpire VIPBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aldehydic100%

woody92%

fresh84%

sweet77%

citrus69%

violet61%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

fresh spicy77%

sweet69%

herbal61%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both woody and sweet

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

Notes

CedarImmortelleLabdanumBlack PepperPatchouliAmberFirOlibanumSuedeBenzoinRosemaryRed Pepper

No top / heart / base split published

Category winnerThe PriestLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring69

Summer47

Fall100

Winter69

Day53

Night100

Spring63

Summer50

Fall100

Winter88

Day60

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men90

Unisex5

Women5

Men71

Unisex29

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,053

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#51,426

PerfumerAistis Mickevičius

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 →

The Priest by FUMparFUM smells like cold air drifting through an ancient stone chapel. It is dry, serious, and deeply peaceful. You get an immediate blast of crisp fir needles and cracked black pepper before the scent settles onto polished cedar church pews and warm resinous olibanum. There is no candy sweetness here.…

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 VIP or The Priest?

Empire VIP takes 4 of 6 categories. Empire VIP is rated 3.95/5 from 63 votes; The Priest is rated 3.71/5 from 21 votes. Choose Empire VIP for a aldehydic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose The Priest for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Empire VIP or The Priest?

The Priest lasts longest (The Priest 74/100, Empire VIP 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Empire VIP or The Priest?

Empire VIP projects furthest (Empire VIP 64/100, The Priest 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Empire VIP and The Priest smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and sweet accords. Common notes include Black Pepper, Fir and Amber.

Is Empire VIP or The Priest better for summer or winter?

Empire VIP suits evening wear; The Priest suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Empire VIP and The Priest?

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. The Priest features Cedar, Immortelle, Labdanum, Black Pepper and Patchouli.