Empressa Eau de Parfum

This was obsession at first whiff for me. I tried a tester and immediately ordered a bottle (and my boyfriend bought me one too after I wouldn't stop talking about it). It's my signature scent for spring/summer but I wear it whenever I want something subtle. This isn't a perfume people will notice at first, you must be close for others to smell it, but whenever someone hugs me and I'm wearing this they tell me a smell lovely. It's a sophisticated, lady-like fragrance. Perfume is first and foremost for you, and this is a perfect example of that. Not for those who care about strong sillage. The opening is the most delicate peachy, citrus, floral heaven. On me, I can exclusively smell the fruits (peach, the citruses, blackcurrant) and the rose and neroli, before it develops an hour later into the sandalwood, amber, patchouli but the floral and citrus linger softly. The citrus is so smooth in this, not sharp or too zingy, just lovely. I don't get any of the spices which is good as I don't like spicy perfumes at all. This just works on my skin so beautifully. I never tire of it. Sophisticated, elegant, feminine, light. Heavenly.

If you love og Coco Mademoiselle AND you also love Mugler Angel, you may find yourself stunned by this scent. For it to be so similar to coco mad but have a patchouli that instantly brings Angel to mind and be blended so beautifully... it feels like an improvement and also a bit of an ode to pre-reformulation era... a time when coco mad had a more palpable patchouli than the synthetic nail polish remover smelling presentation it has of late. Due to this unapologetic chocolate patch, I get a deeper, richer and much more interesting presentation of this citrus floral... teetering on a floral presentation of a golden gilded chocolate orange, Empressa is elegant, lively and festive. A beauty worth having for me.

This was love at first sniff. Kept smelling my arm and that was when I knew I had to get a bottle. It’s citrusy in the opening and dries down to this beautiful fruity woody scent. I love how each note transitions from one to the other and plays on my skin lightly with whiffs of it lingering on my nose anytime I smell my arm. Empressa is stunning 🤩

This is the most loveliest, smooth yet with some depth, perfume I have smelt in some time. I like Coco Mademoiselle too, something Empressa has been compared to. But for me it another level. I have used up the sample and have now purchased 100mls.

@lunedeosie if you are looking for a better performing alternative I suggest Coco Mademoiselle Intense. That is a beast compared, smells the same to my nose and much better performance on me.

This to me smells good. It’s a perfume that you’ll never get tired of. It smells like the coco m. But in a better way. They fix whatever it is that still can be improve in coco m.

It has similar DNA to Chanel Coco Madamoiselle only Empressa gives a more fruity vibe especially on the orangy, zesty note. Suitable year round and easy to wear.

There are many fruit baskets, but none are as good as Empressa. Yes, I'm a man. But it suits me so well. I love it!

OK, I gave this perfume a good trial: I wore it for 5 days by different temperatures, outside (equatorial climate), in shopping malls, cafes, in my apartment, at night and day. When I first put it on I just felt a strong but fleeting blast of rose, and then immediately patchouli, which is not exactly my most favourite note. However, as the fragrance progresses, it becomes very beautiful: I can't smell any fruitiness, cacao or vanilla - it's mostly spices and patchouli on me. I like how unobtrusive this scent is. It's very comfortable to wear even though it clearly doesn't suit my personality. I imagine it on a mature woman with great taste and sophisticated manners; she is stylish without sacrificing comfort, she's calm and a bit slow, she appreciates punctuality and never overstay her welcome, she knows she's precious and doesn't need to prove anything to anyone. A few random observations: - sounds beautifully on linen clothes, but, what's important, doesn't sound too loud or stay too long (you don't need to wash the clothes to get rid of it) - lasts on my skin 12+ hours - I don't know how but the silage is both noticeable and non-offensive. I'm very tempted to buy a bottle though it's not my scent.

I picked up a Penhaligon's discovery set on a recent trip to London, and Empressa is my first to review. A noughties-style fruitchouli in the style of Coco Mademoiselle, it is a pleasant, elegant everyday scent, a crowdpleaser that is equal parts sweet and fresh while being nothing groundbreaking. Empressa opens with juicy orange, imbuing this scent with fresh, dewy sweetness. Peach follows closely, with neroli rounding out the sweet citrus opening. The patchouli emerges early on, firmly bringing this scent to fruitchouli territory and providing a nice earthy counterpoint to the floral-fruity notes. As it develops, the blackcurrant adds freshness to the fruit accord, cordial-like and slightly green. The berry accord adds interest here, and melds nicely with the dewy rose that follows. I get some peppery spice here. The sweet amber base slowly comes into play, lightweight and dry, with some vanilla and clean musk forming the drydown. Sillage and longevity are moderate, and it is a feminine spring/summer daytime scent. A breezy, warm-weather scent for everyday use, this is inoffensive and nicely composed with natural-smelling ingredients. Ultimately however, it's not quite fit for an Empressa. 3/5.

Agree with the Coco Mademoiselle comparison. The first spray is indeed a fresh subtle version of coco, it's not too overpowering, unlike coco where on the first spray it hits right onto my nose (borderline unpleasing). This is very subtle, I would say more elegant and slightly powdery. The dry down although not much change, but it's creamier than coco. If you're someone like me who albeit love coco but think the scent is too strong/ too sharp for the nose, this Empressa is for you. I overall prefer Empressa. Putting all the coco comparison aside, this scent itself is beautiful, very elegant and mature, definitely a feminine fragrance. It's not a fragrance that you can pull off with only a t-shirt and jeans (maybe you can, I can't), you need to dress up because this fragrance smells like old money. The only downside is, the scent can be too vintage, something that belongs in the 80s rather than 21 century. Penhaligon's always made an elegant and friendly perfume, from my experience they don't have the craziest longevity and sillage. But Empressa is a surprise for sure, maybe the notes/ingredients they used, I would be careful when using this perfume.

The first thing I thought when I sprayed this was 'Coco Mademoiselle' which used to be a bit of a signature for me, along with 'Miss Dior Cherie' in my early twenties. The opening was very citrusy on me, with white florals and patchouli which explains the Chanel feel. It was very pretty. The fruit was fleeting, and after a few minutes it becomes less sweet, more musky and powdery. After six hours wear, there is almost nothing left, but a vanilla base which was a bit of a surprise to me, as it was so drastically different from the opening. This is an elegant and pretty scent, but it really doesn't have much projection or silage, and personally I prefer Coco Mademoiselle to this and would sooner buy that again or try the intense or extrait version. If we're looking at Penhaligons, I would choose something like Elisabethan Rose, which I found much more interesting, and while it doesn't smell similar at all, it gives me a similar impression, of something classy, elegant and wearable. I would prefer that as a daytime or professional scent, over this one, as this doesn't have enough oomph for me for night time.

This fragrance's opening is slightly harsh/strong with citrus and which im assuming is the patchouli but drys down pretty quickly into a clean heavy fruity smell with some florals. Its pretty smooth when it drydowns. Although its biggest flaw is it has a poor sillage and poor longevity which considering the price point and how nice it smells is unfortunate, that said i do think this one shines when youre close with someone its very very nice when its close to skin. I got the discovery set and im a guy but really enjoy to use one spray and just wear around the house. Im not sure how to describe it but its very cozy and gives the feeling of a nice cold beginning of spring time outside picnic.

Much as I do like this I can’t quite believe how short lived it is on my skin. At £190 its really expensive for something which needs such liberal spraying initially and then so much topping up throughout the day. My bottle was bought for me from the official Penhaligons website in January so it’s definitely the real deal. Hope you all have better luck with this pretty scent. My fb won’t last long at this rate and I wouldn't replace based on this performance

It is a very good fragrance, but also too similar to Coco Mademoiselle, in my opinion. I like both, but I do not have none, since this is a very popular scent profile that you can really smell everywhere, so I do not find it very unique. If you like this scent profile anyhow, I believe Coco Mademoiselle is more available, it comes in many different formats, and it is also a bit less expensive, so I would suggest to go for it.

it smells a bit powdery and flowers with a hint of citrus. But I found this perfume by an accident. And understand that I already have this smell and i have it in arabic oil for 4$) if you want a cheap version of this smell - al rehab - be cute is your choice. I'm shocked how similar it is. somehow it is not on fragrantica and the pyramid listed on where i bought is so different. but the smell is just the same for me.

Smells great... Deep... sensual... sexy... citrusy... It’s a better scent than Coco Mademoiselle... However... This has 0 longevity & 0 sillage... It’s a freaken joke Update: Yeah I still love it my friends love it but the longevity and pillage is still an issue so either over spray this ooooooor do what I recently did and layer it with Coco Mademoiselle the body oil it does wonders and smells amazing

Immediately sends a strong deep orange zest, almost the smell of your fingers after peeling an orange and musk scented sillage and dry down, with a hint of nuttiness. It's interesting as there are different smells if sprayed on clothing than on skin. It remains citrusy on clothes but sweet and warm dry down on pulse points.

Almost sensual, citric flower bomb. Quite strong. I can see an English woman with a high sperm count wearing this. 😏😬 This is a refined, well dressed feminine fragrance. Where there is a beautiful citrus accord, there is crumby longevity. Here is no exception. Otherwise, VG!

It's got that sweet and fruity vibe going on with just a hint of pepper that sneaks up on you much later. While it doesn't stick around all day or fill up the room, it leaves behind a clean scent that's perfect for everyday wear during warm weather. It's classy and natural.

Heavy on the patchouli in the opening, but the dry down is a gorgeous fruity floral with a nice sandalwood base. I’ve smelled this before, and I remember it differently, more citrusy. It’s relatively generic, and I was hoping for something more.

The fragrance opens with bright orange zest, a vibrant note that instantly captures attention. This is accompanied by the delicate essence of rose, adding a floral elegance. However, there are also some elusive sweet and green notes that I can't quite identify, and I’m unsure if they blend well together on my skin. While the scent is undoubtedly pleasant and has the signature charm of Penhaligon's, it has a slight overwhelming quality that makes it a bit headache-inducing. Overall, it doesn't leave me longing for a full-sized bottle.

Nothing for my skin unfortunately. Almost too masculine the first hour and kind of harsh. Love grapefruit but I'm this combination it's dry and peppery Makes me feel ten years older and like I'm supposed to join an evening golf club meeting or something. So, fancy, mature. But I wouldn't say it's elegant. I tried this in summer so maybe it's a different vibe during the colder season. Wouldn't recommend it as a blind buy. I definitely see some men being able to enjoy this scent

Empressa smells like a perfume store, I'm not joking. I feel like every other person smells of this. It's intense and has good longevity, but it's that kind of fragrance that you buy when you want to wear something expensive and "niche", but at the same time you want to smell like everyone else 😉

On my skin this fragrance smells like oranges at first and luckily I don't get the patchouli too much. After a few hours this turns down into a more powdery scent which my partner described like "butter". It's not a strong perfume but it doesn't excite me for some reason, it's just OK.

Reviewing a sample from 2025. Empressa Eau de Parfum was launched in 2018. The EDT from 2014 had issues with lack of originality and lack of performance. Also note that the Fragrantica listing for the 2014 EDT shows the EDP bottle resulting in confusing reviews. Empressa Eau de Parfum is an unoriginal fruity floral. Opens with fruity citrus - peach , berries, orange/bergamot - a bit too unrealistic smelling for me. Soon the aromatic (synthetic patchouli) white musk base comes through. I don't smell any of the other base notes listed by Fragrantica. Patchouli, bergamot and peach are the only listed notes on the Penhaligon's site. Quality-average 3/5 (good blending, ingredients too synthetic smelling) Unisex Performance-poor 2/5 (despite being an EDP!) The effort was not good enough on this EDP. Penhaligon's should just bury the Empressa and move on. 4/10

I really searched for something less negative and more constructive to say about this, but I just can't interpret this fragrance any other way than as cheap fruity shower gel or shampoo. Harsh, not at all subtle, very sweet in a flat sort of way. One spray already gave off some beastly sillage on me and I had to scrub it off.

Empressa is definitely not my cup of tea, the musk overpowers the rest of the notes and that is all I can smell - a fruity muskiness. This is of course my subjective interpretation of this perfume, and we all perceive scents differently :-)

I completely forgot about the bottle of Gucci Rush I splurged on in college until I smelled this. There’s a lot happening here. Too much.

This scent reminds me of teenage to early 20s boys in 00’s somehow. I am sure if you like this one, you will like HALFETI and HELEN from penhaligon’s. I know I am the rare case and I am sorry this is really not my taste. It is not the perfume’s fault, just the mismatching of the taste. There is other perfumes I really like from penhaligon’s.

I have a full bottle of Empressa hair and body mist and a sampler of Empressa EDP. Their scents are strikingly different. Empressa (EDP) is by far more pleasant. I can only wear Empressa (mist) on my hair as the fruity notes only seem to exist on hair, as the spice scent isn't flattering on the body and the fruity scent is nonexistent on skin. Empressa (EDP) has an almost cooling scent- it is slightly sweet, peachy, with very muted notes of spice and patchouli to round it off. Note that the spices don't make this a warming or 'spicy' fragrance- it is perfectly acceptable for spring and summer and does not come off as a fall/winter perfume. If you ever drank Calpico, the peachy scent has that sweet yogurty, creamy scent to it. Out of all the fragrances I got from Penhaligons (Luna, Halfeti, Empressa, and Elizabethan Rose), Empressa has to be my favorite.

A beautiful smell. I completely get the comparison with Coco Mademoiselle, however this is smoother and less intense and is more wearable to me. It’s also slightly sweeter and the patchouli is less intense and there is more of a gourmand roundness which isn’t found in CM. CM has a sharpness that can make me feel overwhelmed. When I first smelled this I didn’t detect the similarities with CM; I’m glad I purchased it. I no longer feel I have to get bang for my buck and a beast mode strength - I rather like it when perfumes fade - I also dont want to smell my perfume the following day on my clothes as it detracts from the fragrance I choose to wear that day❤️

Fresh, fruity patchouli scent. Very similar to Coco Mademoiselle with more intense citric notes. In the first few minutes it even reminded me of Dior Sauvage! I thought is this for men or for women? it smells like my husbands Sauvage! then the floral and fruity notes start to develop and you end up with something extremely similar to Coco M. I like it but don't need it.

This smells very similar with Coco Mademoiselle Intense; but just slightly sweeter? To me, this is suitable for colder weathers and more feminine-leaning. It's not a bad perfume, but it's nothing special since the Coco mademoiselle intense is popular already. Honestly not something I would expect from the Penhaligons aesthetic.

Pretty much Mademoiselle Intense on me, but younger, brighter, more uplifting. I don't hate it, but since all the girls use Mademoiselle in my city, I won't touch neither that nor Empressa until people stop being hyped on it just because it's popular and without even appreciating the perfume.

Good, classic, inoffensive smell. Nothing to be crazy about though : for this price point I would invest in something more unique. The notes are cooler than the actual smell in my opinion.

Very fruity sweet berries with a floral chocolatey background... Lovely mature scent, I'm male and would find this sexy on a female

Honestly a little disappointed. Smells exactly like dawn detergent to me. My least fave out of the penhaligon library sampler

Try Empressa with Strawberry Pound Cake (Bath & Body Works) & Lancome La Vie Est Belle! Thank me later 😁

Very nice but too fruity for my taste, and I feel like I've smelled it many many times.

@lunedesoie this one smelled a lot like Coco Mademoiselle to me.

Smells like a shampoo like L'oreal or Pantene Pro-v.