Empressa by Penhaligon's
Women 2014
Main accords
Description
Empressa by Penhaligon's is an oriental floral fragrance for women. Launched in 2014, the nose behind this composition is Christian Provenzano. The top notes unfold blood orange, peach, bergamot, mandarin, and pink pepper; the heart reveals rose, blackberry, blackcurrant, neroli, and geranium; while the base notes land on patchouli, brown sugar, musk, vanilla, sandalwood, frankincense, cocoa, and amber.
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When to wear it (votes)
Key notes
-
Top
Blood Orange
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Heart
rose
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Base
patchouli
Community
1,590 votes
- Positive 74%
- Negative 11%
- Neutral 16%
The olfactory pyramid
A guide to the opening, heart and lasting trail of the fragrance.
The community speaks
Compare the results and tap an answer to add your vote.
In the collection
Leading answer I own it
3,805 votes
What do you think?
Leading answer Like it
1,590 votes
Season
Choose severalLeading answer Spring
1,395 votes
Time of day
Choose severalLeading answer Day
713 votes
Each question has its own vote count. You can choose several seasons.
Fragrance profile
About Empressa
Empressa by Penhaligon’s is an oriental floral fragrance for women. Launched in 2014, the nose behind this composition is Christian Provenzano. The top notes unfold blood orange, peach, bergamot, mandarin, and pink pepper; the heart reveals rose, blackberry, blackcurrant, neroli, and geranium; while the base notes land on patchouli, brown sugar, musk, vanilla, sandalwood, frankincense, cocoa, and amber.
Fruits, vegetables and nuts Spices Flowers Woods and mosses Sweet and gourmand Resins and balsams Musk, amber and animalic
It may remind you of
Ranked by what the community voted.
More from Penhaligon's
Related editions
More from Christian Provenzano
How it wears
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Longevity
Leading answer Moderate
638 votes
Sillage
Leading answer Moderate
674 votes
Character
Leading answer Traditionally feminine
612 votes
Value perception
Leading answer A little expensive
487 votes
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Community reviews
12 reviews
Share what you noticed: opening, drydown, sillage and the moments when it works for you.
I was disappointed that it smells so much like Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel; it’s rare for niche houses to be this inspired by other perfumes 😤
It’s citrusy but not overpowering, though the sweet notes make it less fresh than others in its category. I see it as versatile for any season, although many people reserve it for daytime; I’d wear it daily, not for special events, and it lasts well on my skin.
It’s citrusy but not overpowering; maybe the sweet notes make it lose a bit of freshness compared to others, though it’s super versatile. I see it for any time of day or night, but more for everyday wear than special events. In my experience, it lasts pretty well.
Coco Mademoiselle heavily diluted. Period.
I’ve read comments and I’m not the only one who finds it similar to Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle; it’s just a tiny bit sweeter and creamier, but very little. If you like Coco, you’ll probably like Empressa because they smell very similar to me, though for my taste, I stick with Empressa (I own both and adore Chanel). I think it works for any season and occasion, though I don’t see it as a great night scent 😊
I don’t get the hype with this perfume. It smells exactly like Coco Mademoiselle and it’s not on my wishlist.
I’ve read comments and I’m not the only one who finds it similar to Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle; it’s just a tiny bit sweeter and creamier, but very, very little. If you like Coco Mademoiselle, you’ll probably like Empressa because, to my nose, they are very similar, though for my taste, I stick with Empressa (I own both and also adore Chanel). I think it works for any season and occasion, though I don’t see it as a great night scent 😊
I got a Penhaligon’s discovery set and started with Empressa. It has a potent citrus opening, then the flowers come out well-mixed with the citrus. There are more notes like fruits and resins up to vanilla; I think the fruits just add freshness without standing out, just like the resins or vanilla, which only contribute a touch of sweetness without highlighting. For me, it’s a very neutral citrus/floral scent that works equally for men and women. It’s not very potent but it is long-lasting; in my case, applied lightly on the skin in the morning, I could still smell it faintly on my clothes at night.
Despite having fruity notes along with cacao, vanilla, and sugar, it doesn’t smell sweet at all because the citrus dominates, making those notes almost imperceptible. The florals stay in the background. Very astringent to my taste, though more bearable than Coco Mademoiselle, which it resembles.
Imagine a creamier, cleaner version of Coco Mademoiselle, a bit fruity and with more punch—that’s Empressa. It’s not a clone because that’s not its intention. After a magnificent, fruity opening, the dry down is less focused on the feminine side than Coco (less rose, more citrus and wood), and it can be unisex without issues (mature men or women). Everyone will like it and it’s very versatile.
One of Penhaligon’s most recognized fragrances, but it didn’t work for me at all. It’s not bad; it’s just not my type. I thought the incense, sandalwood, amber, and cacao notes would give it creaminess and character, but they didn’t. It’s a fairly loud, synthetic, and linear citrus-floral. On my skin, the bergamot reigns from start to finish without winning me over. I see it as unisex, for a younger audience. Best for spring and summer. It lasts about 6 hours on skin with moderate sillage.
One of Penhaligon’s most famous scents, but I didn’t like it at all. It’s not bad, just not my style. I hoped the incense, sandalwood, amber, and cocoa would give it a creamy vibe, but they didn’t. It’s a loud, synthetic, linear citrus-floral. On my skin, the bergamot dominates from start to finish without winning me over. I see it as unisex, aimed at young people, ideal for spring and summer, with about 6 hours of longevity and moderate sillage.