Fragrance comparison

Esprit du Roi vs Verbena Sun

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

Updated 14 Oct 2026 337 ratings analysed

4 wins

Esprit du Roi

Penhaligon's

3.80238 votes

Rank #6,725 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Verbena Sun

L'Occitane en Provence

4.2299 votes

Rank #14,226 CitrusWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Esprit du Roi takes 4 of 6 categories.

Esprit du Roi
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring.
Verbena Sun
Choose it for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Esprit du Roi4/6

Verbena Sun2/6

Ratings & consensus: Verbena Sun
Community sentiment: Verbena Sun
Longevity: Esprit du Roi
Sillage & projection: Esprit du Roi
Value for money: Not scored
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

Verbena SunL'Occitane en Provence

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.80/ 5 · 238 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.22/ 5 · 99 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 42%

Category winnerVerbena SunRating 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

31%Love

64%Like

1%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

99 votes

Category winnerVerbena SunMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityEsprit du Roi

SillageEsprit du Roi

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

green77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

citrus100%

white floral83%

aromatic65%

woody48%

fresh30%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both citrus, aromatic and woody

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

Lemon VerbenaAmalfi LemonGrapefruit

Heart1.5-3 hrs

African Orange FlowerJasmineCitruses

Base3-5 hrs

MuskVetiverVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Amalfi Lemon, Jasmine and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Verbena Sun, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer80

Fall0

Winter28

Day–

Night–

Spring37

Summer100

Fall14

Winter10

Day100

Night19

Category winnerEsprit du RoiMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men81

Unisex14

Women5

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Casual 47%Work 34%Date 11%Party 7%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,725

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews35

Overall rank#14,226

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 →

L'Occitane en Provence Verbena Sun delivers an immediate rush of crushed lemon verbena, zesty Amalfi lemon, and tart pink grapefruit. It wakes you up instantly. The first blast carries a crisp herbal sting that quickly softens into dewy African orange flower and subtle jasmine petals. As the sun warms your skin, clean…

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 Verbena Sun?

Esprit du Roi takes 4 of 6 categories. Esprit du Roi is rated 3.80/5 from 238 votes; Verbena Sun is rated 4.22/5 from 99 votes. Choose Esprit du Roi for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring. Choose Verbena Sun for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Esprit du Roi or Verbena Sun?

Esprit du Roi lasts longest (Esprit du Roi 63/100, Verbena Sun 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Esprit du Roi or Verbena Sun?

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

Do Esprit du Roi and Verbena Sun smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Citruses, Amalfi Lemon, Jasmine and Vetiver.

Is Esprit du Roi or Verbena Sun better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Esprit du Roi and Verbena Sun?

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. Verbena Sun has top notes of Lemon Verbena, Amalfi Lemon and Grapefruit, heart notes of African Orange Flower, Jasmine and Citruses, a base of Musk, Vetiver and Virginia Cedar.