Fragrance comparison

Imprinting vs The Pope's Cologne

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 54 ratings analysed

2 wins

Imprinting

Il Profvmo

3.7051 votes

Rank #16,785 CitrusWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

The Pope's Cologne

Excelsis

4.673 votes

Rank #33,988 CitrusViolet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Imprinting takes 2 of 3 categories.

Imprinting
Choose it for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
The Pope's Cologne
Choose it for a citrus and violet character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Imprinting2/3

The Pope's Cologne1/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Imprinting
Sillage & projection: The Pope's Cologne
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Imprinting

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ImprintingIl Profvmo

The Pope's CologneExcelsis

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.70/ 5 · 51 votes

Have 19%Had 13%Want 69%

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 8%Had 8%Want 83%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

32%Like

0%Ok

21%Dislike

0%Hate

19 votes · too few to score

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityImprinting

SillageThe Pope's Cologne

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

white floral88%

aromatic77%

musky65%

fresh spicy53%

woody42%

citrus100%

violet86%

powdery72%

white floral58%

sweet44%

fresh30%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both citrus and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GraperfuitCitrusesBitter OrangeBergamot

Heart

Lemon VerbenaTeaOrange BlossomJasmineYlang-Ylang

Base

MuskVetiver

Notes

VioletOrange BlossomOrangeLemon VerbenaCitrusesClove

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Lemon Verbena and Orange Blossom. Durations are only published for The Pope's Cologne, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer100

Fall17

Winter0

Day100

Night60

Spring100

Summer50

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,785

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews13

Overall rank#33,988

PerfumerFrederick Hass

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerImprintingHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Imprinting is a bright, citrus green scent that opens with a confident burst of grapefruit and bitter orange. As it settles, it turns cleaner and softer, with a tea like freshness, lemon verbena, and a light, soapy white floral feel. The dry down stays tidy with musk and a gentle vetiver touch. It suits warm weather a…

Reviews →

The Pope's Cologne by Excelsis delivers a crisp, time-tested splash of bright citrus, juicy orange, and tangy lemon verbena that immediately wakes up the senses. As the sparkling opening settles, sweet orange blossom and a hint of warm clove add body before resolving into a soft, powdery violet dry-down. It smells lik…

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, Imprinting or The Pope's Cologne?

Imprinting takes 2 of 3 categories. Imprinting is rated 3.70/5 from 51 votes; The Pope's Cologne is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Imprinting for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose The Pope's Cologne for a citrus and violet character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Imprinting or The Pope's Cologne?

Imprinting lasts longest (Imprinting 71/100, The Pope's Cologne 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Imprinting or The Pope's Cologne?

The Pope's Cologne projects furthest (The Pope's Cologne 70/100, Imprinting 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Imprinting and The Pope's Cologne smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and white floral accords. Common notes include Citruses, Lemon Verbena and Orange Blossom.

Is Imprinting or The Pope's Cologne better for summer or winter?

Imprinting suits daytime wear; The Pope's Cologne suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Imprinting and The Pope's Cologne?

Imprinting has top notes of Graperfuit, Citruses, Bitter Orange and Bergamot, heart notes of Lemon Verbena, Tea, Orange Blossom and Jasmine, a base of Musk and Vetiver. The Pope's Cologne features Violet, Orange Blossom, Orange, Lemon Verbena and Citruses.