Fragrance comparison

Mini Blue vs The Great Empresses of Japan

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 182 ratings analysed

4 wins

Mini Blue

Ulric de Varens

3.9736 votes

Rank #22,515 FloralOzonic

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

The Great Empresses of Japan

Romea D'Ameor

3.84146 votes

Rank #16,017 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Mini Blue takes 4 of 7 categories.

Mini Blue
Choose it for a floral and ozonic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.
The Great Empresses of Japan
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Mini Blue4/7

The Great Empresses of Japan3/7

Ratings & consensus: Mini Blue
Community sentiment: Mini Blue
Longevity: The Great Empresses of Japan
Sillage & projection: The Great Empresses of Japan
Value for money: Mini Blue
Versatility: Mini Blue
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

Mini BlueUlric de Varens

The Great Empresses of JapanRomea D'Ameor

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.97/ 5 · 36 votes

Have 13%Had 42%Want 45%

3.84/ 5 · 146 votes

Have 56%Had 44%Want 0%

Category winnerMini BlueRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

28%Love

56%Like

3%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

36 votes

23%Love

53%Like

8%Ok

15%Dislike

1%Hate

146 votes

Category winnerMini BlueMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityThe Great Empresses of Japan

SillageThe Great Empresses of Japan

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value88

¤ Price value58

Category winnerMini BlueBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

ozonic90%

aquatic80%

green70%

fresh60%

musky50%

powdery100%

woody91%

iris83%

floral74%

violet65%

vanilla56%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

WatermelonGreen NotesPeonyFreesiaMuskAmberTeak Wood

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Ylang-YlangFreesiaMelon

Heart

IrisHeliotropeVioletPeonyLily-of-the-ValleyRose

Base

Orris RootTonka BeanTeak WoodMuskSandalwoodVetiverVanilla

InformationalShared notesPeony, Freesia, Musk and Teak Wood. Durations are only published for Mini Blue, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer100

Fall13

Winter13

Day100

Night17

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter28

Day–

Night–

Category winnerMini BlueMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

Casual 51%Work 32%Date 11%Party 7%

Men0

Unisex7

Women93

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#22,515

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#16,017

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerThe Great Empresses of JapanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ulric de Varens Mini Blue is a crisp floral aquatic perfume designed for straightforward summer refreshment. The fragrance opens with an invigorating splash of chilled watermelon accompanied by dewy green notes, immediately setting a clean, aquatic tone. As the initial freshness settles on warm skin, a gentle heart of…

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, Mini Blue or The Great Empresses of Japan?

Mini Blue takes 4 of 7 categories. Mini Blue is rated 3.97/5 from 36 votes; The Great Empresses of Japan is rated 3.84/5 from 146 votes. Choose Mini Blue for a floral and ozonic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose The Great Empresses of Japan for a powdery and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Mini Blue or The Great Empresses of Japan?

The Great Empresses of Japan lasts longest (The Great Empresses of Japan 66/100, Mini Blue 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Mini Blue or The Great Empresses of Japan?

Projection is very close: The Great Empresses of Japan 59/100, Mini Blue 57/100 for sillage.

Do Mini Blue and The Great Empresses of Japan smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral accords. Common notes include Peony, Freesia, Musk and Teak Wood.

Is Mini Blue or The Great Empresses of Japan better for summer or winter?

For summer, Mini Blue is the stronger pick. For winter, The Great Empresses of Japan is the stronger pick. Mini Blue suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Mini Blue and The Great Empresses of Japan?

Mini Blue features Watermelon, Green Notes, Peony, Freesia and Musk. 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.