Fragrance comparison

Iris Gris X.O. vs The Great Empresses of Japan

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 156 ratings analysed

Iris Gris X.O.

Legendary Fragrances

3.4010 votes

Rank #58,639 PowderyIris

Full profile Similar & dupes

64%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

The Great Empresses of Japan

Romea D'Ameor

3.84146 votes

Rank #15,828 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The Great Empresses of Japan takes 3 of 4 categories.

Iris Gris X.O.
Choose it for a powdery and iris character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.
The Great Empresses of Japan
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Iris Gris X.O.1/4

The Great Empresses of Japan3/4

Ratings & consensus: The Great Empresses of Japan
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Iris Gris X.O.
Sillage & projection: The Great Empresses of Japan
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Great Empresses of Japan

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Iris Gris X.O.Legendary Fragrances

The Great Empresses of JapanRomea D'Ameor

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.40/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 27%Had 9%Want 64%

3.84/ 5 · 146 votes

Have 56%Had 44%Want 0%

Category winnerThe Great Empresses of JapanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

10%Love

50%Like

10%Ok

30%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

23%Love

53%Like

8%Ok

15%Dislike

1%Hate

146 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate60

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityIris Gris X.O.

SillageThe Great Empresses of Japan

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value58

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

iris88%

woody77%

violet65%

musky53%

fruity42%

powdery100%

woody91%

iris83%

floral74%

violet65%

vanilla56%

Scent match64%Closely related · both powdery, iris and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Orris RootVioletPeachMuskHeliotropeCedarSandalwoodVetiverLily-of-the-Valley

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Ylang-YlangFreesiaMelon

Heart

IrisHeliotropeVioletPeonyLily-of-the-ValleyRose

Base

Orris RootTonka BeanTeak WoodMuskSandalwoodVetiverVanilla

InformationalShared notesOrris Root, Violet, Musk and Heliotrope. Durations are only published for Iris Gris X.O., so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer75

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night92

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter28

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Date 34%Work 30%Casual 25%Party 11%

Men0

Unisex7

Women93

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#58,639

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#15,828

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerThe Great Empresses of JapanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Iris Gris X.O. by Legendary Fragrances delivers a faithful, eccentric homage to vintage perfumery. The scent pairs cool, earthy orris root with the velvety sweetness of ripe peach and powdery violet. Right after application, you get an intense, thick burst with an intentional vinegar flash that replicates aged flacons…

Reviews →

The Great Empresses of Japan opens with a brief melon and ylang-ylang contrast before settling into a soft iris and heliotrope powder. Pierre Bourdon builds a dense floral heart around violet and peony over a grounded base of sandalwood, teak wood, and tonka bean. It feels clean, serene, and vintage-tinged, ideal for …

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 Gris X.O. or The Great Empresses of Japan?

The Great Empresses of Japan takes 3 of 4 categories. Iris Gris X.O. is rated 3.40/5 from 10 votes; The Great Empresses of Japan is rated 3.84/5 from 146 votes. Choose Iris Gris X.O. for a powdery and iris character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose The Great Empresses of Japan for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Iris Gris X.O. or The Great Empresses of Japan?

Iris Gris X.O. lasts longest (Iris Gris X.O. 85/100, The Great Empresses of Japan 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Iris Gris X.O. or The Great Empresses of Japan?

The Great Empresses of Japan projects furthest (The Great Empresses of Japan 59/100, Iris Gris X.O. 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Iris Gris X.O. and The Great Empresses of Japan smell similar?

Closely related: a 64% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, iris and woody accords. Common notes include Orris Root, Violet, Musk and Heliotrope.

Is Iris Gris X.O. or The Great Empresses of Japan better for summer or winter?

Iris Gris X.O. suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Iris Gris X.O. and The Great Empresses of Japan?

Iris Gris X.O. features Orris Root, Violet, Peach, Musk and Heliotrope. The Great Empresses of Japan has top notes of Ylang-Ylang, Freesia and Melon, heart notes of Iris, Heliotrope, Violet and Peony, a base of Orris Root, Tonka Bean, Teak Wood and Musk.