Fragrance comparison

Esprit du Roi vs Splash Lemon 2009

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 295 ratings analysed

4 wins

Esprit du Roi

Penhaligon's

3.80238 votes

Rank #6,788 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

Splash Lemon 2009

Marc Jacobs

4.1157 votes

Rank #20,225 CitrusAquatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

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 longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring.
Splash Lemon 2009
Choose it for a citrus and aquatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Esprit du Roi4/7

Splash Lemon 20093/7

Ratings & consensus: Splash Lemon 2009
Community sentiment: Splash Lemon 2009
Longevity: Esprit du Roi
Sillage & projection: Esprit du Roi
Value for money: Splash Lemon 2009
Versatility: Esprit du Roi
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

Splash Lemon 2009Marc Jacobs

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.80/ 5 · 238 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.11/ 5 · 57 votes

Have 31%Had 18%Want 51%

Category winnerSplash Lemon 2009Rating 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

67%Like

4%Ok

5%Dislike

0%Hate

57 votes

Category winnerSplash Lemon 2009Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity44

〰 Sillage48

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityEsprit du Roi

SillageEsprit du Roi

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price value50

Category winnerSplash Lemon 2009Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

green77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

citrus100%

aquatic83%

fresh65%

aromatic48%

musky30%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both citrus and aromatic

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

Top15-30 mins

Amalfi LemonMandarin OrangeHoneysuckle

Heart2-3 hrs

Water NotesMuskVetiver

Base4-6 hrs

Amber

InformationalShared notesAmalfi Lemon, Honeysuckle, Vetiver and Musk. Durations are only published for Splash Lemon 2009, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer80

Fall0

Winter28

Day–

Night–

Spring63

Summer100

Fall0

Winter4

Day100

Night21

Category winnerEsprit du RoiMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men81

Unisex14

Women5

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

Casual 53%Work 32%Date 9%Party 6%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,788

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews35

Overall rank#20,225

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

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 →

Marc Jacobs Splash Lemon 2009 opens with a bright splash of Amalfi lemon peel and sunlit mandarin orange. You get an immediate burst of natural citrus zest without aggressive chemical bite. As the initial splash airs out, cooling water notes and sweet honeysuckle soften the tart fruit into a breezy pool of clean sprin…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Esprit du Roi or Splash Lemon 2009?

Esprit du Roi takes 4 of 7 categories. Esprit du Roi is rated 3.80/5 from 238 votes; Splash Lemon 2009 is rated 4.11/5 from 57 votes. Choose Esprit du Roi for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring. Choose Splash Lemon 2009 for a citrus and aquatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Esprit du Roi or Splash Lemon 2009?

Esprit du Roi lasts longest (Esprit du Roi 63/100, Splash Lemon 2009 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Esprit du Roi or Splash Lemon 2009?

Esprit du Roi projects furthest (Esprit du Roi 57/100, Splash Lemon 2009 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Esprit du Roi and Splash Lemon 2009 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and aromatic accords. Common notes include Amalfi Lemon, Honeysuckle, Vetiver and Musk.

Is Esprit du Roi or Splash Lemon 2009 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Splash Lemon 2009 is the stronger pick. For winter, Esprit du Roi is the stronger pick. Splash Lemon 2009 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Esprit du Roi and Splash Lemon 2009?

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. Splash Lemon 2009 has top notes of Amalfi Lemon, Mandarin Orange and Honeysuckle, heart notes of Water Notes, Musk and Vetiver, a base of Amber.