Fragrance comparison

Iris Empire vs Shisha II

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 307 ratings analysed

Iris Empire

Carolina Herrera

4.50300 votes

Rank #2,094 Warm SpicyIris

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Shisha II

Amado

4.297 votes

Rank #45,796 Warm SpicyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Iris Empire
Choose it for a warm spicy and iris character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Shisha II
Choose it for a warm spicy and leather character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Iris Empire2/4

Shisha II2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Iris Empire
Sillage & projection: Shisha II
Value for money: Shisha II
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

Shisha IIAmado

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 300 votes

Have 81%Had 19%Want 0%

4.29/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 14%Had 0%Want 86%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

71%Love

14%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

14%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityIris Empire

SillageShisha II

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value35

¤ Price value83

Category winnerShisha IIBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

iris92%

powdery84%

violet77%

leather69%

amber61%

warm spicy100%

leather92%

coffee84%

powdery77%

amber69%

fruity61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both warm spicy, powdery and leather

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

AppleBlack CurrantCinnamonLicorice

Heart

LeatherCoffeeHeliotropeViolet

Base

TobaccoPatchouliSandalwoodMyrhhBenzoinVanillaMuskAmber

InformationalShared notesCinnamon, Violet, Leather and Patchouli. 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

Spring0

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men21

Unisex56

Women23

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

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,094

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews47

Overall rank#45,796

PerfumerChristian Provenzano

Launched—

Reviews0

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 →

Shisha II is a warm, smoky-sweet spicy scent built around leather, coffee and tobacco. It opens with juicy apple and blackcurrant, dusted with cinnamon and a liquorice-like bite, then turns darker and more textured as violet and heliotrope soften the leather. The dry-down is a resinous tobacco-vanilla amber with patch…

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 Shisha II?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Iris Empire is rated 4.50/5 from 300 votes; Shisha II is rated 4.29/5 from 7 votes. Choose Iris Empire for a warm spicy and iris character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Shisha II for a warm spicy and leather character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Iris Empire or Shisha II?

Iris Empire lasts longest (Iris Empire 77/100, Shisha II 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Iris Empire or Shisha II?

Shisha II projects furthest (Shisha II 75/100, Iris Empire 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Iris Empire and Shisha II smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, powdery and leather accords. Common notes include Cinnamon, Violet, Leather and Patchouli.

Is Iris Empire or Shisha II better for summer or winter?

Iris Empire suits evening wear; Shisha II suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Iris Empire and Shisha II?

Iris Empire has top notes of Cinnamon and Davana, heart notes of Iris and Violet, a base of Leather, Chocolate, Patchouli and Benzoin. Shisha II has top notes of Apple, Black Currant, Cinnamon and Licorice, heart notes of Leather, Coffee, Heliotrope and Violet, a base of Tobacco, Patchouli, Sandalwood and Myrhh.