Fragrance comparison

Empressa Eau de Parfum vs Shadow

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 503 ratings analysed

Empressa Eau de Parfum

Penhaligon's

3.82489 votes

Rank #5,669 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

60%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Shadow

Love Republic

4.2114 votes

Rank #46,800 Fresh SpicyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shadow takes 3 of 5 categories.

Empressa Eau de Parfum
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Shadow
Choose it for a fresh spicy and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Empressa Eau de Parfum1/5

Shadow3/5

Ratings & consensus: Shadow
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: Shadow
Value for money: Shadow
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Empressa Eau de Parfum

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Empressa Eau de ParfumPenhaligon's

ShadowLove Republic

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.82/ 5 · 489 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

4.21/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 32%Had 2%Want 66%

Category winnerShadowRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

37%Like

16%Ok

6%Dislike

2%Hate

382 votes

43%Love

43%Like

7%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageShadow

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value36

¤ Price value69

Category winnerShadowBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

fruity92%

fresh spicy84%

woody77%

warm spicy69%

patchouli61%

fresh spicy100%

citrus92%

warm spicy84%

tobacco77%

woody69%

patchouli61%

Scent match60%Closely related · both citrus, fresh spicy and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Blood OrangeBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart

DewberryPeachRoseBlack CurrantNeroliGeraniumCardamomNutmeg

Base

PatchouliSandalwoodMuskVanillaAmberOlibanumMaltolCacao

Top

Black PepperNeroliBergamot

Heart

TobaccoSilkRose

Base

PatchouliAmberSandalwood

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Rose, Neroli and Patchouli. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter45

Day–

Night–

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex13

Women84

Men8

Unisex83

Women8

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,669

PerfumerChristian Provenzano

Launched—

Reviews61

Overall rank#46,800

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerEmpressa Eau de ParfumHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Empressa Eau de Parfum is a polished fruity patchouli with a bright orange opening, soft peach, rose, and a warmer base of sandalwood, musk, amber, vanilla, and cacao. On skin it often reads elegant, sweet-fresh, and mature, with a fruitchouli style many wearers compare to Coco Mademoiselle. It suits shoppers who like…

Reviews →

Shadow by Love Republic is an intriguing oriental fragrance built on a foundation of warm tobacco and black pepper. This unisex scent balances light citrus notes of bergamot and neroli against a deeper heart of silk accord and rose. It wears best during cooler evenings, providing a subtle, mysterious presence that sta…

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 Eau de Parfum or Shadow?

Shadow takes 3 of 5 categories. Empressa Eau de Parfum is rated 3.82/5 from 489 votes; Shadow is rated 4.21/5 from 14 votes. Choose Empressa Eau de Parfum for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Shadow for a fresh spicy and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Empressa Eau de Parfum or Shadow?

They last about the same: Empressa Eau de Parfum 68/100, Shadow 68/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Empressa Eau de Parfum or Shadow?

Projection is very close: Shadow 57/100, Empressa Eau de Parfum 56/100 for sillage.

Do Empressa Eau de Parfum and Shadow smell similar?

Closely related: a 60% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, fresh spicy and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Rose, Neroli and Patchouli.

Is Empressa Eau de Parfum or Shadow better for summer or winter?

Shadow suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Empressa Eau de Parfum and Shadow?

Empressa Eau de Parfum has top notes of Blood Orange, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Dewberry, Peach, Rose and Black Currant, a base of Patchouli, Sandalwood, Musk and Vanilla. Shadow has top notes of Black Pepper, Neroli and Bergamot, heart notes of Tobacco, Silk and Rose, a base of Patchouli, Amber and Sandalwood.