Fragrance comparison

Italian Citrus vs Esprit du Roi

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 585 ratings analysed

Italian Citrus

DS&Durga

3.61347 votes

Rank #11,269 CitrusMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

7 wins

Esprit du Roi

Penhaligon's

3.80238 votes

Rank #6,823 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Esprit du Roi takes 7 of 7 categories.

Italian Citrus
Choose it for a citrus and musky character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Esprit du Roi
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Italian Citrus0/7

Esprit du Roi7/7

Ratings & consensus: Esprit du Roi
Community sentiment: Esprit du Roi
Longevity: Esprit du Roi
Sillage & projection: Esprit du Roi
Value for money: Esprit du Roi
Versatility: Esprit du Roi
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Esprit du Roi

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Italian CitrusDS&Durga

Esprit du RoiPenhaligon's

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.61/ 5 · 347 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

3.80/ 5 · 238 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerEsprit du RoiRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

24%Love

36%Like

20%Ok

17%Dislike

3%Hate

347 votes

42%Love

44%Like

5%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

180 votes

Category winnerEsprit du RoiMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityEsprit du Roi

SillageEsprit du Roi

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value23

¤ Price value47

Category winnerEsprit du RoiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

musky83%

fresh65%

green48%

floral30%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

green77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both citrus and green

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

CitrusesBitter OrangeMuskAmbrette (Musk Mallow)Blood OrangeGreen NotesAmalfi LemonMandarin Orange

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Tomato LeafMintAldehydesCitrusesBergamotCitronAmalfi LemonArtemisia

Heart

GeraniumClovesJasmineYlang-YlangHoneysuckle

Base

oak mossVetiverRaspberryAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliMuskVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Musk and Amalfi Lemon. Durations are only published for Italian Citrus, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter13

Day100

Night32

Spring100

Summer80

Fall0

Winter28

Day–

Night–

Category winnerEsprit du RoiMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men26

Unisex64

Women10

Casual 46%Work 35%Date 11%Party 8%

Men81

Unisex14

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#11,269

PerfumerDavid Seth Moltz

Launched—

Reviews61

Overall rank#6,823

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews35

Category winnerEsprit du RoiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

DS&Durga Italian Citrus delivers an immediate splash of coastal sunshine. The first spray snaps with tart Amalfi lemon, cold chinotto bitter orange, and bright green mandarin peel. It smells crisp and invigorating. Think of an icy glass of Italian citrus soda garnished with fresh herbs on a shaded seaside patio. As th…

Reviews →

Esprit du Roi is a crisp green aromatic from Penhaligon's, built around tomato leaf, mint, citrus, geranium, clove, oakmoss and musky woods. Reviewers often describe it as clean, classy and traditional, with a lively herb garden opening rather than a simple lemon cologne. It suits people who like old-school aromatic c…

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, Italian Citrus or Esprit du Roi?

Esprit du Roi takes 7 of 7 categories. Italian Citrus is rated 3.61/5 from 347 votes; Esprit du Roi is rated 3.80/5 from 238 votes. Choose Italian Citrus for a citrus and musky character. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Esprit du Roi for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Italian Citrus or Esprit du Roi?

Esprit du Roi lasts longest (Esprit du Roi 63/100, Italian Citrus 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Italian Citrus or Esprit du Roi?

Esprit du Roi projects furthest (Esprit du Roi 57/100, Italian Citrus 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Italian Citrus and Esprit du Roi smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and green accords. Common notes include Citruses, Musk and Amalfi Lemon.

Is Italian Citrus or Esprit du Roi better for summer or winter?

For summer, Esprit du Roi is the stronger pick. For winter, Esprit du Roi is the stronger pick. Italian Citrus suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Italian Citrus and Esprit du Roi?

Italian Citrus features Citruses, Bitter Orange, Musk, Ambrette (Musk Mallow) and Blood Orange. Esprit du Roi has top notes of Tomato Leaf, Mint, Aldehydes and Citruses, heart notes of Geranium, Cloves, Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang, a base of oak moss, Vetiver, Raspberry and Ambergris.