Empress

Empress is Scentleys' extrait interpretation of Penhaligon's Empressa, the 2014 fruity-floral-oriental that built a reputation as one of the house's most opulent women's fragrances. The dupe opens with a juicy blood orange, bergamot and pink pepper burst, aiming for the same citrus-fruit brightness that opens the original before a rose, cassis and neroli heart takes over. Empressa's real signature is the way that fruity-floral heart sits over a genuinely rich, slightly dry base, and Scentleys chases that with patchouli, vanilla, musk and amber. In the opening two hours the resemblance is strong - the blood-orange-rose combination is a recognisable echo of the original. As it develops, the dupe's patchouli-vanilla base reads sweeter and simpler than Penhaligon's more layered, fruity-chypre dry-down, losing some of the regal, slightly serious character reviewers describe in the original. Performance is solid for an oil-based extrait, five to seven hours with good initial projection. A good entry point for wearers drawn to fruity-oriental women's fragrances who want Empressa's warm, rosy opening on a budget, with the understanding that the sophisticated dry-down does not fully carry through.