Fragrance comparison

Gingham Heart of Gold vs The Empress

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 104 ratings analysed

Gingham Heart of Gold

Bath & Body Works

4.2286 votes

Rank #29,505 VanillaFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

The Empress

Andromeda's Curse

3.8318 votes

Rank #54,600 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The Empress takes 3 of 5 categories.

Gingham Heart of Gold
Choose it for a vanilla and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
The Empress
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Gingham Heart of Gold2/5

The Empress3/5

Ratings & consensus: Gingham Heart of Gold
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: The Empress
Sillage & projection: The Empress
Value for money: The Empress
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Gingham Heart of Gold

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Gingham Heart of GoldBath & Body Works

The EmpressAndromeda's Curse

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.22/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 62%Had 15%Want 24%

3.83/ 5 · 18 votes

Have 32%Had 7%Want 60%

Category winnerGingham Heart of GoldRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

48%Like

9%Ok

2%Dislike

1%Hate

86 votes

28%Love

44%Like

17%Ok

6%Dislike

6%Hate

18 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityThe Empress

SillageThe Empress

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value84

¤ Price value88

Category winnerThe EmpressBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

fruity91%

woody83%

powdery74%

fresh65%

green56%

fruity100%

sweet86%

fresh72%

vanilla58%

green44%

warm spicy30%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both fruity, vanilla and fresh

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

AppleVanilla BeanSandalwood

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

AppleVanilla BeanSpicesBrown sugarCupcakeFig

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesApple and Vanilla Bean. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring65

Summer35

Fall100

Winter65

Day100

Night–

Spring17

Summer0

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex17

Women81

Men0

Unisex17

Women83

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#29,505

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#54,600

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerGingham Heart of GoldHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Gingham Heart of Gold by Bath and Body Works is a fruity, gourmand-adjacent fragrance launched in 2021. It focuses on a sweet blend of crisp apple and creamy vanilla bean, anchored by a soft sandalwood base. Designed for daily wear, this scent brings a playful, approachable sweetness that works well during the cooler …

Reviews →

The Empress opens with crisp sliced apple and a bright touch of green fig before settling into a warm bakery profile. Melted brown sugar and sweet cupcake notes fuse with soft vanilla bean and kitchen spices as it rests on skin. Built for cool autumn afternoons, this indie perfume oil delivers a cozy gourmand aroma wi…

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, Gingham Heart of Gold or The Empress?

The Empress takes 3 of 5 categories. Gingham Heart of Gold is rated 4.22/5 from 86 votes; The Empress is rated 3.83/5 from 18 votes. Choose Gingham Heart of Gold for a vanilla and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose The Empress for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.