Fragrance comparison

Sun Moon Stars Midnight vs The Empress

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 17 ratings analysed

3 wins

Sun Moon Stars Midnight

United Colors & Prestige Beauty

4.333 votes

Rank #43,902 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

68%scent match

Closely related

The Empress

Livia Rus

3.7114 votes

Rank #46,639 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sun Moon Stars Midnight takes 3 of 4 categories.

Sun Moon Stars Midnight
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
The Empress
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Sun Moon Stars Midnight3/4

The Empress1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: The Empress
Sillage & projection: Sun Moon Stars Midnight
Value for money: Sun Moon Stars Midnight
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Sun Moon Stars Midnight

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Sun Moon Stars MidnightUnited Colors & Prestige Beauty

The EmpressLivia Rus

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 35%Had 6%Want 59%

3.71/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 19%Had 33%Want 48%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

0%Like

33%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

21%Love

36%Like

36%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityThe Empress

SillageSun Moon Stars Midnight

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value47

Category winnerSun Moon Stars MidnightBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

metallic77%

animalic69%

leather61%

woody100%

amber92%

almond84%

animalic77%

musky69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match68%Closely related · both amber, woody and animalic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

SaffronJasmine

Heart2-4 hrs

AmberAmbergris

Base6-8 hrs

CedarFir

Top

SaffronJasmine

Heart

AlmondMusk

Base

AmbergrisFirCedar

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Jasmine, Ambergris and Cedar. Durations are only published for Sun Moon Stars Midnight, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring71

Summer57

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night71

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 37%Party 30%Casual 20%Work 13%

Men0

Unisex40

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#43,902

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#46,639

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerSun Moon Stars MidnightHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Sun Moon Stars Midnight by United Colors & Prestige Beauty delivers a cozy, sweet rush of warm resin and airy spice without charging designer prices. You get an immediate flash of bittersweet saffron paired with soft jasmine petals before the blend sinks into rich amber and salty ambergris. A base of dry cedar and cri…

Reviews →

The Empress by Livia Rus starts with a bright, medicinal pop of saffron paired with sweet jasmine. Within fifteen minutes, the floral sharpness softens into a smooth almond and plush musk center. This nutty heart adds a subtle creaminess that keeps the composition warm without turning sugary. As the fragrance settles…

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, Sun Moon Stars Midnight or The Empress?

Sun Moon Stars Midnight takes 3 of 4 categories. Sun Moon Stars Midnight is rated 4.33/5 from 3 votes; The Empress is rated 3.71/5 from 14 votes. Choose Sun Moon Stars Midnight for a amber and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose The Empress for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Sun Moon Stars Midnight or The Empress?

They last about the same: The Empress 72/100, Sun Moon Stars Midnight 70/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Sun Moon Stars Midnight or The Empress?

Sun Moon Stars Midnight projects furthest (Sun Moon Stars Midnight 75/100, The Empress 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Sun Moon Stars Midnight and The Empress smell similar?

Closely related: a 68% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and animalic accords. Common notes include Saffron, Jasmine, Ambergris and Cedar.

Is Sun Moon Stars Midnight or The Empress better for summer or winter?

Sun Moon Stars Midnight suits evening wear; The Empress suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Sun Moon Stars Midnight and The Empress?

Sun Moon Stars Midnight has top notes of Saffron and Jasmine, heart notes of Amber and Ambergris, a base of Cedar and Fir. The Empress has top notes of Saffron and Jasmine, heart notes of Almond and Musk, a base of Ambergris, Fir and Cedar.