Fragrance comparison

Verbena Sun vs Esprit du Roi

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

Updated 14 Oct 2026 337 ratings analysed

Verbena Sun

L'Occitane en Provence

4.2299 votes

Rank #14,226 CitrusWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Esprit du Roi

Penhaligon's

3.80238 votes

Rank #6,725 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Esprit du Roi takes 4 of 6 categories.

Verbena Sun
Choose it for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Esprit du Roi
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring.

Verbena Sun2/6

Esprit du Roi4/6

Ratings & consensus: Verbena Sun
Community sentiment: Verbena Sun
Longevity: Esprit du Roi
Sillage & projection: Esprit du Roi
Value for money: Not scored
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

Verbena SunL'Occitane en Provence

Esprit du RoiPenhaligon's

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.22/ 5 · 99 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 42%

3.80/ 5 · 238 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerVerbena SunRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

31%Love

64%Like

1%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

99 votes

42%Love

44%Like

5%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

180 votes

Category winnerVerbena SunMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityEsprit du Roi

SillageEsprit du Roi

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value47

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

white floral83%

aromatic65%

woody48%

fresh30%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

green77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both citrus, aromatic and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Lemon VerbenaAmalfi LemonGrapefruit

Heart1.5-3 hrs

African Orange FlowerJasmineCitruses

Base3-5 hrs

MuskVetiverVirginia Cedar

Top

Tomato LeafMintAldehydesCitrusesBergamotCitronAmalfi LemonArtemisia

Heart

GeraniumClovesJasmineYlang-YlangHoneysuckle

Base

oak mossVetiverRaspberryAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliMuskVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesAmalfi Lemon, Jasmine, Citruses and Musk. Durations are only published for Verbena Sun, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring37

Summer100

Fall14

Winter10

Day100

Night19

Spring100

Summer80

Fall0

Winter28

Day–

Night–

Category winnerEsprit du RoiMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Casual 47%Work 34%Date 11%Party 7%

Men81

Unisex14

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,226

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

Overall rank#6,725

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews35

Category winnerEsprit du RoiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

L'Occitane en Provence Verbena Sun delivers an immediate rush of crushed lemon verbena, zesty Amalfi lemon, and tart pink grapefruit. It wakes you up instantly. The first blast carries a crisp herbal sting that quickly softens into dewy African orange flower and subtle jasmine petals. As the sun warms your skin, clean…

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, Verbena Sun or Esprit du Roi?

Esprit du Roi takes 4 of 6 categories. Verbena Sun is rated 4.22/5 from 99 votes; Esprit du Roi is rated 3.80/5 from 238 votes. Choose Verbena Sun for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Esprit du Roi for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Verbena Sun or Esprit du Roi?

Esprit du Roi lasts longest (Esprit du Roi 63/100, Verbena Sun 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Verbena Sun or Esprit du Roi?

Projection is very close: Esprit du Roi 57/100, Verbena Sun 55/100 for sillage.

Do Verbena Sun and Esprit du Roi smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Amalfi Lemon, Jasmine, Citruses and Musk.

Is Verbena Sun or Esprit du Roi better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Verbena Sun and Esprit du Roi?

Verbena Sun has top notes of Lemon Verbena, Amalfi Lemon and Grapefruit, heart notes of African Orange Flower, Jasmine and Citruses, a base of Musk, Vetiver and Virginia Cedar. 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.