Fragrance comparison

The Empress vs Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 132 ratings analysed

The Empress

Alchemist Perfumery

3.3531 votes

Rank #54,487 CitrusWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse

Creed

4.15101 votes

Rank #31,104 CitrusAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse takes 5 of 7 categories.

The Empress
Choose it for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse
Choose it for a citrus and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.

The Empress2/7

Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse5/7

Ratings & consensus: Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse
Community sentiment: Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse
Longevity: Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse
Sillage & projection: Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse
Value for money: The Empress
Versatility: The Empress
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

The EmpressAlchemist Perfumery

Zeste Mandarine PamplemousseCreed

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.35/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 48%Had 15%Want 36%

4.15/ 5 · 101 votes

Have 35%Had 15%Want 50%

Category winnerZeste Mandarine PamplemousseRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

10%Love

45%Like

26%Ok

10%Dislike

10%Hate

31 votes

42%Love

44%Like

3%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

101 votes

Category winnerZeste Mandarine PamplemousseMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity37

〰 Sillage34

♥ Love / hate59

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityZeste Mandarine Pamplemousse

SillageZeste Mandarine Pamplemousse

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value32

Category winnerThe EmpressBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

white floral90%

floral80%

aquatic70%

fresh60%

animalic50%

citrus100%

amber83%

white floral65%

fresh spicy48%

animalic30%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both citrus, white floral and animalic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Lemon PeelPink GrapefruitMandarin Orange

Heart

Water LilyWhite FlowersSea Salt

Base

White MuskAmbergrisWoody Notes

Top15-30 mins

GrapefruitBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart2-3 hrs

White Flowers

Base4-6 hrs

Ambergris

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, White Flowers and Ambergris. Durations are only published for Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring92

Summer100

Fall83

Winter50

Day100

Night42

Spring70

Summer100

Fall10

Winter8

Day100

Night15

Category winnerThe EmpressMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex9

Women91

Men13

Unisex73

Women13

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#54,487

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#31,104

PerfumerOlivier Creed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerZeste Mandarine PamplemousseHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The Empress is a bright, clean citrus floral with a seaside twist. It opens on zesty lemon peel, pink grapefruit and mandarin, then shifts into watery white florals and a salty, airy note that reads like skin after a day near the water. It stays soft and musky with an ambergris-woody finish, wearing close and easy. A …

Reviews →

Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse by Creed opens with an invigorating splash of freshly peeled grapefruit, tart bergamot, and sweet mandarin orange. Created in 1975 by Olivier Creed as his debut release, this scent captures the simple joy of biting into chilled citrus fruit on a warm morning. As the sparkling opening settl…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, The Empress or Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse?

Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse takes 5 of 7 categories. The Empress is rated 3.35/5 from 31 votes; Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse is rated 4.15/5 from 101 votes. Choose The Empress for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse for a citrus and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, The Empress or Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse?

Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse lasts longest (Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse 55/100, The Empress 37/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, The Empress or Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse?

Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse projects furthest (Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse 62/100, The Empress 34/100), based on community performance votes.

Do The Empress and Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, white floral and animalic accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, White Flowers and Ambergris.

Is The Empress or Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse better for summer or winter?

For summer, The Empress is the stronger pick. For winter, The Empress is the stronger pick. The Empress suits daytime wear; Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in The Empress and Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse?

The Empress has top notes of Lemon Peel, Pink Grapefruit and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Water Lily, White Flowers and Sea Salt, a base of White Musk, Ambergris and Woody Notes. Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse has top notes of Grapefruit, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of White Flowers, a base of Ambergris.