Fragrance comparison

Empressa vs Mata Hari

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 1,687 ratings analysed

Empressa

Penhaligon's

3.771,643 votes

Rank #2,735 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

6 wins

Mata Hari

DSH Perfumes

4.4144 votes

Rank #20,336 FloralAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Mata Hari takes 6 of 7 categories.

Empressa
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Mata Hari
Choose it for a floral and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Empressa1/7

Mata Hari6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

EmpressaPenhaligon's

Mata HariDSH Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.77/ 5 · 1,643 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

4.41/ 5 · 44 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

Category winnerMata HariRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

31%Love

43%Like

15%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

1,536 votes

57%Love

36%Like

0%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

44 votes

Category winnerMata HariMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityMata Hari

SillageMata Hari

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value30

¤ Price value75

Category winnerMata HariBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

fruity92%

woody84%

patchouli77%

fresh spicy69%

sweet61%

floral100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

sweet77%

woody69%

aromatic61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both woody and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Blood OrangePeachBergamotMandarin OrangePink Pepper

Heart

RoseDewberryCassisNeroliGeranium

Base

PatchouliBrown sugarMuskVanillaSandalwoodOlibanumCacaoAmber

Top15-30 mins

Fruity NotesOrangeNeroliBlood OrangeCorianderBergamotMandarin OrangeTarragon

Heart2-4 hrs

CloveCinnamonWhite HoneyChampacaJasmineTuberoseOrris RootLilac

Base6-8+ hrs

MyrhhLeatherMuskoak mossBenzoinTobaccoFrench labdanumPeru Balsam

InformationalShared notesBlood Orange, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Neroli. Durations are only published for Mata Hari, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer78

Fall0

Winter34

Day–

Night–

Spring50

Summer29

Fall100

Winter100

Day85

Night100

Category winnerMata HariMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex15

Women82

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,735

PerfumerChristian Provenzano

Launched—

Reviews188

Overall rank#20,336

PerfumerDawn Spencer Hurwitz

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerEmpressaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Empressa is a polished fruity floral with a bright blood orange and peach opening, soft rose in the heart, and a sweet patchouli musk base. Reviewers often describe it as smooth, rounded, and easy to wear, with a cleaner fruitchouli feel. The main caveat is familiarity. Many wearers compare it to Coco Mademoiselle, an…

Reviews →

Mata Hari by DSH Perfumes is a fierce, vintage-styled fruity chypre built on uncompromising botanical contrasts. The scent hits the skin with a tart blast of blood orange, bitter coriander, and sweet candied fruit notes. It does not apologize. Within twenty minutes, the bright citrus flash fades into a thick, sultry b…

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, Empressa or Mata Hari?

Mata Hari takes 6 of 7 categories. Empressa is rated 3.77/5 from 1,643 votes; Mata Hari is rated 4.41/5 from 44 votes. Choose Empressa for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Mata Hari for a floral and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Empressa or Mata Hari?

Mata Hari lasts longest (Mata Hari 77/100, Empressa 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Empressa or Mata Hari?

Projection is very close: Mata Hari 58/100, Empressa 56/100 for sillage.

Do Empressa and Mata Hari smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and sweet accords. Common notes include Blood Orange, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Neroli.

Is Empressa or Mata Hari better for summer or winter?

For summer, Empressa is the stronger pick. For winter, Mata Hari is the stronger pick. Mata Hari suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Empressa and Mata Hari?

Empressa has top notes of Blood Orange, Peach, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Rose, Dewberry, Cassis and Neroli, a base of Patchouli, Brown sugar, Musk and Vanilla. Mata Hari has top notes of Fruity Notes, Orange, Neroli and Blood Orange, heart notes of Clove, Cinnamon, White Honey and Champaca, a base of Myrhh, Leather, Musk and oak moss.