Fragrance comparison

Iris Empire vs Semi-Bespoke No. 5

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 317 ratings analysed

3 wins

Iris Empire

Carolina Herrera

4.50300 votes

Rank #2,094 Warm SpicyIris

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Semi-Bespoke No. 5

Roja Dove

4.5317 votes

Rank #27,137 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Iris Empire takes 3 of 5 categories.

Iris Empire
Choose it for a warm spicy and iris character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Semi-Bespoke No. 5
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Iris Empire3/5

Semi-Bespoke No. 52/5

Ratings & consensus: Iris Empire
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Semi-Bespoke No. 5
Sillage & projection: Semi-Bespoke No. 5
Value for money: Iris Empire
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Iris Empire

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Iris EmpireCarolina Herrera

Semi-Bespoke No. 5Roja Dove

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 300 votes

Have 81%Had 19%Want 0%

4.53/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 27%Had 8%Want 65%

Category winnerIris EmpireRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

23%Like

6%Ok

4%Dislike

1%Hate

300 votes

82%Love

6%Like

0%Ok

6%Dislike

6%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevitySemi-Bespoke No. 5

SillageSemi-Bespoke No. 5

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value35

¤ Price value25

Category winnerIris EmpireBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

iris92%

powdery84%

violet77%

leather69%

amber61%

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

balsamic77%

powdery69%

earthy61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both warm spicy, powdery and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CinnamonDavana

Heart2-4 hrs

IrisViolet

Base6-10 hrs

LeatherChocolatePatchouliBenzoinOlibanum

Top

BergamotPeach

Heart

Orange BlossomJasmineVioletYlang-YlangRoseHeliotrope

Base

AmbergrisVetiverPeru BalsamCedarLeatherGingerPatchouliBenzoin

InformationalShared notesViolet, Leather, Patchouli and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Iris Empire, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring49

Summer14

Fall0

Winter100

Day33

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men21

Unisex56

Women23

Date 41%Party 27%Casual 17%Work 15%

Men67

Unisex0

Women33

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,094

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews47

Overall rank#27,137

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerIris EmpireHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Carolina Herrera Iris Empire hits the skin with immediate heat and substance. The cinnamon crackles instantly alongside herbal, boozy davana, cutting through a brief three-minute flash of sharp perfumer alcohol. Give it five minutes to breathe. A thick, cosmetic iris and velvety violet take over the center, smelling l…

Reviews →

Semi-Bespoke No. 5 reads as a rich, polished chypre with a soft peach and bergamot lift, a floral heart, and a deep woody amber base. On skin, it usually turns warmer, spicier, and more balsamic as the moss, resins, leather, and powdery facets settle in. It suits wearers who enjoy classical structure with real weight …

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, Iris Empire or Semi-Bespoke No. 5?

Iris Empire takes 3 of 5 categories. Iris Empire is rated 4.50/5 from 300 votes; Semi-Bespoke No. 5 is rated 4.53/5 from 17 votes. Choose Iris Empire for a warm spicy and iris character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Semi-Bespoke No. 5 for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Iris Empire or Semi-Bespoke No. 5?

They last about the same: Semi-Bespoke No. 5 78/100, Iris Empire 77/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Iris Empire or Semi-Bespoke No. 5?

Semi-Bespoke No. 5 projects furthest (Semi-Bespoke No. 5 80/100, Iris Empire 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Iris Empire and Semi-Bespoke No. 5 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, powdery and amber accords. Common notes include Violet, Leather, Patchouli and Benzoin.

Is Iris Empire or Semi-Bespoke No. 5 better for summer or winter?

Iris Empire suits evening wear; Semi-Bespoke No. 5 suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Iris Empire and Semi-Bespoke No. 5?

Iris Empire has top notes of Cinnamon and Davana, heart notes of Iris and Violet, a base of Leather, Chocolate, Patchouli and Benzoin. Semi-Bespoke No. 5 has top notes of Bergamot and Peach, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Violet and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Ambergris, Vetiver, Peru Balsam and Cedar.