Fragrance comparison

Yen vs The Empress' Kiss

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

Updated 13 Oct 2026 85 ratings analysed

Yen

Papa James

4.754 votes

Rank #43,084 CitrusSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

The Empress' Kiss

Mystikum

3.6181 votes

Rank #9,793 Warm SpicySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The Empress' Kiss takes 3 of 4 categories.

Yen
Choose it for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
The Empress' Kiss
Choose it for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Yen1/4

The Empress' Kiss3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

YenPapa James

The Empress' KissMystikum

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 56%Had 0%Want 44%

3.61/ 5 · 81 votes

Have 13%Had 3%Want 84%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

75%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

38%Love

17%Like

29%Ok

8%Dislike

8%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate94

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityThe Empress' Kiss

SillageThe Empress' Kiss

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value83

¤ Price value61

Category winnerYenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

sweet92%

woody84%

powdery77%

musky69%

animalic61%

warm spicy100%

sweet92%

aromatic84%

rose77%

white floral69%

citrus61%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both sweet and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Pink PepperRaspberryBergamotOrange

Heart2-3 hrs

Floral NotesVanilla

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodAmbergrisOakmossLeatherCaramelMusk

Top

GeraniumBergamotSaffronDavanaCardamom

Heart

ClovesRaspberryOrange BlossomRoseCaramelJasmine

Base

VanillaMuskAmberSandalwoodTonka BeanCedarOudOakmoss

InformationalShared notesRaspberry, Bergamot, Vanilla and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Yen, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night86

Spring100

Summer56

Fall100

Winter33

Day63

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex67

Women33

Casual 31%Date 29%Work 24%Party 16%

Men0

Unisex40

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#43,084

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#9,793

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews17

Category winnerThe Empress' KissHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Yen by Papa James delivers a lively clash between bright fruits and cozy, resinous depth. The first spray releases a snappy burst of tart raspberry, juicy orange, and sparkling bergamot, sharpened by a pinch of pink pepper. It wakes up your senses instantly. Soon after, the zesty opening softens into a cushion of warm…

Reviews →

The Empress' Kiss opens as a spicy floral with saffron, cardamom and a rich rose at the center. On skin, it often reads classy, slightly vintage in mood, and more feminine than truly neutral. The dry-down softens into jammy rose, jasmine, caramel, vanilla and amber, with musk and woods giving it a warmer finish. It ma…

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, Yen or The Empress' Kiss?

The Empress' Kiss takes 3 of 4 categories. Yen is rated 4.75/5 from 4 votes; The Empress' Kiss is rated 3.61/5 from 81 votes. Choose Yen for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose The Empress' Kiss for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Yen or The Empress' Kiss?

The Empress' Kiss lasts longest (The Empress' Kiss 82/100, Yen 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Yen or The Empress' Kiss?

The Empress' Kiss projects furthest (The Empress' Kiss 76/100, Yen 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Yen and The Empress' Kiss smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and citrus accords. Common notes include Raspberry, Bergamot, Vanilla and Sandalwood.

Is Yen or The Empress' Kiss better for summer or winter?

Yen suits daytime wear; The Empress' Kiss suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Yen and The Empress' Kiss?

Yen has top notes of Pink Pepper, Raspberry, Bergamot and Orange, heart notes of Floral Notes and Vanilla, a base of Sandalwood, Ambergris, Oakmoss and Leather. The Empress' Kiss has top notes of Geranium, Bergamot, Saffron and Davana, heart notes of Cloves, Raspberry, Orange Blossom and Rose, a base of Vanilla, Musk, Amber and Sandalwood.