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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Esprit du Roi vs Optimistic for Him

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

Updated 307 ratings analysed
Closely related
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Esprit du Roi takes 4 of 7 categories.

  • Esprit du Roi

    Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

  • Optimistic for Him

    Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in summer.

Esprit du Roi4/7
Optimistic for Him3/7
Ratings & consensus
Esprit du Roi
Community sentiment
Esprit du Roi
Longevity
Optimistic for Him
Sillage & projection
Esprit du Roi
Value for money
Optimistic for Him
Versatility
Optimistic for Him
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Esprit du Roi

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
Esprit du RoiPenhaligon's
Optimistic for HimPaul Smith
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
3.80/ 5 · 238 votes
Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%
3.80/ 5 · 69 votes
Have 50%Had 25%Want 25%
Category winnerEsprit du RoiRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
42%Love
44%Like
5%Ok
8%Dislike
1%Hate

180 votes

25%Love
51%Like
4%Ok
20%Dislike
0%Hate

69 votes

Category winnerEsprit du RoiMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity63
〰 Sillage57
♥ Love / hate79
⏱ Longevity67
〰 Sillage55
♥ Love / hate70
Category winners

LongevityOptimistic for Him

SillageEsprit du Roi

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value47
¤ Price value60
Category winnerOptimistic for HimBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
aromatic100%
fresh spicy92%
citrus84%
green77%
woody69%
warm spicy61%
aromatic100%
fresh spicy90%
citrus80%
herbal70%
warm spicy60%
woody50%
Scent match57%Closely related · both aromatic, fresh spicy and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top
Tomato LeafMintAldehydesCitrusesBergamotCitronAmalfi LemonArtemisia
Heart
GeraniumClovesJasmineYlang-YlangHoneysuckle
Base
oak mossVetiverRaspberryAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliMuskVirginia Cedar
Top
CitrusesPepperMandarin OrangeCardamom
Heart
SageGeraniumSea Notes
Base
VetiverVirginia CedarAmber
InformationalShared notesCitruses, Geranium, Vetiver and Virginia Cedar. 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
Summer80
Fall0
Winter28
Day–
Night–
Spring93
Summer100
Fall35
Winter16
Day–
Night–
Category winnerOptimistic for HimMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men81
Unisex14
Women5
Men100
Unisex0
Women0
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,429

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews35

Overall rank#16,064

PerfumerNathalie Feisthauer

Launched—

Reviews16

Category winnerEsprit du RoiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Esprit du Roi is a crisp green aromatic from Penhaligon's, built around tomato leaf, mint, citrus, geranium, clove, oakmoss and musky woods. Reviewers often describe it as clean, classy and traditional, with a lively herb garden opening rather than a simple lemon cologne. It suits people who like old-school aromatic c…

Reviews →

Optimistic for Him opens with bright citrus, light pepper, and a clean blue freshness that reads easy, airy, and office-friendly. As it settles, sage, a slightly salty marine touch, soft vetiver, cedar, and amber keep it dry and discreet. It suits spring and summer best. Sample first if you dislike synthetic citrus or…

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

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Esprit du Roi or Optimistic for Him?

Esprit du Roi takes 4 of 7 categories. Esprit du Roi is rated 3.80/5 from 238 votes; Optimistic for Him is rated 3.80/5 from 69 votes. Choose Esprit du Roi for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring. Choose Optimistic for Him for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in summer.

Which lasts longer, Esprit du Roi or Optimistic for Him?

Optimistic for Him lasts longest (Optimistic for Him 67/100, Esprit du Roi 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Esprit du Roi or Optimistic for Him?

Projection is very close: Esprit du Roi 57/100, Optimistic for Him 55/100 for sillage.

Do Esprit du Roi and Optimistic for Him smell similar?

Closely related: a 57% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and citrus accords. Common notes include Citruses, Geranium, Vetiver and Virginia Cedar.

Is Esprit du Roi or Optimistic for Him better for summer or winter?

For summer, Optimistic for Him is the stronger pick. For winter, Esprit du Roi is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Esprit du Roi and Optimistic for Him?

Esprit du Roi has top notes of Tomato Leaf, Mint, Aldehydes and Citruses, heart notes of Geranium, Cloves, Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang, a base of oak moss, Vetiver, Raspberry and Ambergris. Optimistic for Him has top notes of Citruses, Pepper, Mandarin Orange and Cardamom, heart notes of Sage, Geranium and Sea Notes, a base of Vetiver, Virginia Cedar and Amber.

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