Optimistic for Him vs Esprit du Roi
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
57%scent match
Closely related
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Esprit du Roi takes 4 of 7 categories.
Optimistic for HimChoose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in summer.
Esprit du RoiChoose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Optimistic for Him3/7
Esprit du Roi4/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Esprit du Roi
- Community sentiment
- Esprit du Roi
- Longevity
- Optimistic for Him
- Sillage & projection
- Esprit du Roi
- Value for money
- Optimistic for Him
- Versatility
- Optimistic for Him
- 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
Optimistic for HimPaul SmithEsprit du RoiPenhaligon'sWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.80/ 5 · 69 votes
Have 50%Had 25%Want 25%
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 hate25%Love
51%Like
4%Ok
20%Dislike
0%Hate
69 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
Category winners
LongevityOptimistic for Him
SillageEsprit du Roi
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerOptimistic for HimBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by botharomatic100%
fresh spicy90%
citrus80%
herbal70%
warm spicy60%
woody50%
aromatic100%
fresh spicy92%
citrus84%
green77%
woody69%
warm spicy61%
Scent match57%Closely related · both aromatic, fresh spicy and citrus
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
CitrusesPepperMandarin OrangeCardamom
Heart
SageGeraniumSea Notes
Base
VetiverVirginia CedarAmber
Top
Tomato LeafMintAldehydesCitrusesBergamotCitronAmalfi LemonArtemisia
Heart
GeraniumClovesJasmineYlang-YlangHoneysuckle
Base
oak mossVetiverRaspberryAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliMuskVirginia Cedar
InformationalShared notesCitruses, Geranium, Vetiver and Virginia Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring93
Summer100
Fall35
Winter16
Day–
Night–
Spring100
Summer80
Fall0
Winter28
Day–
Night–
Category winnerOptimistic for HimMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#16,064
PerfumerNathalie Feisthauer
Launched—
Reviews16
Overall rank#7,429
PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour
Launched—
Reviews35
Category winnerEsprit du RoiHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotOptimistic for Him opens with bright citrus, light pepper, and a clean blue freshness that reads easy, airy, and office-friendly. As it settles, sage, a slightly salty marine touch, soft vetiver, cedar, and amber keep it dry and discreet. It suits spring and summer best. Sample first if you dislike synthetic citrus or…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Optimistic for Him or Esprit du Roi?
Esprit du Roi takes 4 of 7 categories. Optimistic for Him is rated 3.80/5 from 69 votes; Esprit du Roi is rated 3.80/5 from 238 votes. Choose Optimistic for Him for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in summer. Choose Esprit du Roi for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Which lasts longer, Optimistic for Him or Esprit du Roi?
Optimistic for Him lasts longest (Optimistic for Him 67/100, Esprit du Roi 63/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Optimistic for Him or Esprit du Roi?
Projection is very close: Esprit du Roi 57/100, Optimistic for Him 55/100 for sillage.
Do Optimistic for Him and Esprit du Roi smell similar?
Closely related: a 57% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and citrus accords. Common notes include Citruses, Geranium, Vetiver and Virginia Cedar.
Is Optimistic for Him or Esprit du Roi better for summer or winter?
For summer, Optimistic for Him is the stronger pick. For winter, Esprit du Roi is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Optimistic for Him and Esprit du Roi?
Optimistic for Him has top notes of Citruses, Pepper, Mandarin Orange and Cardamom, heart notes of Sage, Geranium and Sea Notes, a base of Vetiver, Virginia Cedar and Amber. 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.
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