Description
Sean “Diddy” Combs launches a new women’s perfume under his Sean John fragrance collection in 2011. Empress is the female equivalent of the I Am King fragrance from 2008.
„I created Empress for the woman who is powerful beyond all others. She is greater than a queen; she is the ruler of her universe”, said Sean to wwd.
Created by IFF perfumers, Empress is designed as a crisp floral scent. The top notes are key lime pie accord, mandarin, star fruit and cranberry. The heart consists of raspberry, peony, passion flower, cardamom and ambrette seed, followed by notes of vanilla, sandalwood, crystallized caramel and second skin accord in the base.
The fragrance is available as 50 and 100 ml EDP and 200 ml scented body lotion.
pde245speagoessenda – :
I actually love this on my wife,clean and fresh,very fruity ,and candy like, makes me want to eat her ….!!! It smells so sexy on her. lasts long 8/10 hours and moderate sillage, Great job Sean John !!! Bottle almost empty so i will suprise her with a new one.
eki-mik – :
Empress is a very likable perfume. Like the star fruit note with sandalwood. I have a large bottle of this in my collection. The flacon is lovely as well.
I also like that this celebrities products are developed cruelty free. Another one of my favorites.
cajetshar1982 – :
This perfume is like wearing a margarita.
unfixAnnext – :
Absolutely great and perfect for summer days
sweet but not sugary
fruity but not sour
it;s quite crispy and bright
don’t get fooled by the sandalwood and the caramel
it’s there but not horribly aggresive
the bottle is quite Chanel like
but i prefer this one ahaha
definitely gonna buy another bottle when i finish this one
this is not a love but a like
cuz summer is quite a sifficult time to use perfume
however this one is not that hard to wear
i mean ,perfect for any occasions
saint devil – :
I recently got Empress as a freebie with another purchase off eBay and decided to try it today because nobody else is home 😉 I don’t *HATE* it, but I’m not a fan – smells too much like Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Pour Homme. I don’t feel like it’s a truly feminine fragrance; this says “masculine and aquatic” to me (definitely NOT my vibe), not “floral fruity.” I might fob this off onto one of my nephews as an ADG knockoff, lol (it wouldn’t suit my husband in the least).
ETA: hub actually likes it (go figure), so it’s his now 😉
VIRUS6006 – :
Empress is very likable – I don’t get all the controversy.
It doesn’t smell the least bit masculine. It’s rather unisex, but the comments about Empress opening with masculine accords aren’t accurate, in my opinion. The opening is like those sweet and tart soft chew candy “Mambas.” The Mambas candy come in three flavors Raspberry, Orange, and Lemon… and that’s exactly what Empress smells like. Soft, tart, chewy candy that’s a pinch powdery. There are traces of the “I Am King” DNA drydown in the drydown of Empress, However, Empress isn’t as tart and astringent.
Empress really isn’t my kind of scent, but I purchased a 1oz and will happily wear it up. 🙂
vwj871Bessinepome – :
I just bought this one ! I am still not quite sure do I like it , but I am sure that this is A MAN FRAGRANCE ! And this is what makes me crazy my cousin love it , nothing feminine in that one is 100% a man perfume,even the bottle reminds me a man perfume . I don’t know am I gonna use it or I will give it away to my father or cousin ! Citrus too much dominate , it’s strong but ladies this is not for us !
bicuy – :
Empress is a sweet fruity Oriental. I thought the opening to this scent was pretty bizarre, not Womanity by Thierry Mugler kind of bizarre, just different. It smells like lime and almost like a faint echo of Virgin Island Water by Creed. The citrus is pretty strong and a bit masculine like a man’s after shave and something out of an old school barbershop for men. The passion fruit and carambola star fruit is really the best part of the fragrance. Fortunately for me and on me these 2 notes are the strongest accords. It smells tropical, like a beach scent. I love to wear fragrances that are like that because I live in Florida and I spend a lot of time either at the beach or near the beach. I grew up in Charleston South Carolina and enjoy cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Aquatic scents beach scents and tropical scents are my favorite. On the downside this is not a floral and I like my perfumes to have a floral aspect. This is mostly a fruity gourmand. A raspberry is here to make it girly and sweet. The caramel and vanilla begin to emerge as the scent progresses and gets into the dry down phase. Just a sweet and very lovely fruity caramel scent. Not candied, definitely richer and more full bodied but very fresh and youthful.
SoftmakerYA – :
Empress is a weird Oriental gourmand scent. To me it evokes Malaysia or Indonesia or the Philippines with tropical scents in the air. The carambola star fruit and passion flower are decidedly tropical and a bit aquatic. The soft peony gives it a sweetness and the citrus are rather strong and a bit like the opening to men’s colognes. The rest of the fragrance wears like a spicy women’s evening perfume. It’s sexy, aromatic, fruity and sweet, especially toward the end. I smell a lot of cranberry and raspberry and a vanilla note as it dries down. There is also a bit of musk and some woods that is other than the Oriental sandalwood. There could be a touch of rosewood here. It smells ancient in a beautiful way. I envision an Asian Empress ruling an island kingdom long ago and history never recorded her name or her reign. It’s sweet and strong, powerful but also delicate. It’s multi faceted and very unique among my fragrance collection.
slavikrus71 – :
I love the beginning, but the drydown is to musky and harsh.
Update: Bought a small bottle, and upon closer inspection, BLECH!
Way too bracing, going straight to my boyfriend’s table.
wrecker82 – :
This is nothing but a bottle full of every pleasant word in the dictionary. I can’t find a single fault. It’s summery alright, but is substantial enough to wear all winter too. What a nice surprise!
Meuvu240intitytek – :
I agree with a lot of the reviewers. Empress does have a masculine feel at first, and then it dries down to Cool Water. I have no complaints, it’s really nice and great for every day. I don’t really have anything like it in my collection.
Praporstr – :
Fizzy citrus soap smell. Clean but a tad sour (could just be the citrus on my skin). Kinda ok but not really my thing. Blind buy.
1a-ngel – :
Just received this in the mail yesterday and I wore it to my second job (which is at a restaurant.)
I agree with everyone in saying that it most definitely smells masculine upon first application…but in my opinion and experience…that is not a bad thing. I love variety and I love fragrances that can sometimes give you “the unexpected.” This fragrance deff is not a boring, “run of the mill” generic perfume. I like it. I get diff notes at diff times wearing it. The first time I wore it…I got mostly citrusy notes. Now that I’m wearing it today…I get a lot more woody notes than I did yesterday. Anyway…overall the smell is very pleasant…VERY CLEAN! Deff a crowd pleaser…I can’t really see anybody cringing at the smell of this as you pass by so that’s a plus!
Reasonably priced…pleasant smell…and performance was MOST DEFINITELY NOT bad for the $22 that I paid for a 3.4 oz bottle!
Overall scent : 8
Longevity : 5-6 hours
Sillagge : A couple feet away. Decent, while not being in your face or “filling a room.”
Overall score : I would give this a 7 or an 8.
Thumbs up Sean John!
Also as a side note….this was my very first Sean John fragrance. I think I’m going to try Unforgivable for men now 🙂
kei851speagoessenda – :
So, I found a 1 fl oz. bottle of Empress at Marshall’s today for $3.99 and grabbed it because it was so cheap! I wasn’t sure if I would like it or not but for 4 bucks I figured I might as well get it. After I paid and got into my car, I sprayed it in the air and could not smell anything at all. I really did think I bought a small bottle of water. But I sprayed it one more time right next to me and I could smell it…and I liked it! I sprayed it on my arm and the first spray is very citrusy and a little manly but in a few minutes it gets really good. It gets sweeter and the citrus stays constant. At least it stayed that way on me. It is not a strong scent, but I like perfumes like that. You don’t have to worry about giving anyone a headache 🙂 Also, the bottle is super plain looking so don’t judge just based on the bottle because this one is actually really good!
Vepfluequevew – :
Slightly masculine in the initial moments, Empress ultimately smells like watermelon bubble gum on me, but I like it very much as a summer aquatic. I bought a 30 ml bottle for $3.99 USD at Marshalls today. At that price, it’s damn near earned itself a love rating.
ip_spider – :
Under 5 dollars from Marshall’s “pick n’ save” rack. Nicely surprised! Sunny cute daytime frag. Has a bit of a “bamboo” smell in the dry down–as well as a slight “foodie” smell that I cannot quite describe. Like a few people below said “unisex” ….yeah . Blind Buy OK!
ReodeleTeal – :
Just bought this for 10 dollars AUD. Absolutely love this, it’s fresh and fruity and perfect for a hot, summer day. The only thing is that I don’t think it lasts long on my skin! Oh well, it was only 10 bucks for a 30ml EDP.I was pleasantly surprised with this fragrance, can’t wait to start wearing it!
master1000 – :
My initial reaction after sniffing the bottle was that this might be a men’s fragrance. That early analysis was quickly changed by the delicate floral notes that preceded. The peony mixed with a spark of lime delivers a refreshing twist. Cool star fruit blends well with the sandalwood notes and makes this a tranquil yet delicate fragrance that I look forward to wearing during the day. A welcome addition to my perfume collection.
leksusa – :
I also spotted one lonely bottle of this at T.J. Maxx today for $3.99. Truthfully, I didn’t know a whole lot about this going in, but based on some reviews, I thought it would be something I’d like. It’s actually quite nice. The lime is the first thing that hits me. It definitely more fruity-lime, rather than a sugary candy type of lime. About a split second after I sprayed it, I detected an almost men’s cologne note. It wasn’t bad, just unexpected. Once it settled a bit though, the masculinity in it dwindled down, and I could smell the sandalwood, caramel, and other fruity scents come through. To me, this is fresh and light, with just enough depth to it to keep it from being boring. This would make a good choice for someone who doesn’t want to drown a room with scent. The only negatives (for me) are that I do wish it was a bit stronger and lasted longer than 3 hours for me.
Mister006 – :
On me , it smells very citrus and soapy. I might like it for summer, we’ll see . I bought it for $2.99 at TJ Maxx so even if I toss it, it’s worth it.
SaymoNN – :
My husband LOVES this on me! He hardly ever buys me fragrances and he immediately went to get me some of this! I just wish it lasted a little longer than it does.
mixay33 – :
Looking at all of the fruit notes listed, I don’t know what possessed me to buy this perfume. (Maybe the $5 price tag?) I normally don’t like fruity scents at all on my skin. But what a happy accident that I ended up buying this despite my preconceived notions! This is really beautiful…and super sexy!!! I normally get a sharp, unpleasant, almost bitter effect from citrus notes, but not here. I almost always detest any and all berries…my skin makes them rotten upon impact. Smelling my wrist and really trying to pin down exactly what my nose is detecting in this lovely concoction, I don’t get the uber-fruity concoction that I would have expected. What I do get it a fresh, mildly sweet, very mildly floral, very warm and comforting, almost edible in a sexy way, scent. Does that even make sense? I think the creamy warmness of the vanilla and sandalwood along with the distinct, delicious caramel could be responsible for the uniqueness of this frag, at least in my collection. I am wearing this for the first time today. I can’t wait until my husband gets home. He is sensitive to perfumes and isn’t a fan of many. I have a feeling this one may get a different reaction…I hope so!
mechnikoff – :
I like this one, but can tell right off that it doesnt have staying power. However it’s VERY refreshing, lots of clean bright lime and delecate fruit- but I detect florals also- doesn’t say. This would be really nice if it had more power, but all in all a nice summer freshner.
fergusy – :
light, masculine, a bit sweet & creamy. if you like tommy girl, cool water, mont blanc presence type fragrances you will like this..it’s a nice and sexy unisex scent. not at all sugary sweet. but a bit creamy sweet. fall/winter scent.
eng07 – :
This is a good one ladies. I must agree with the most recent reviews. THanks for being helpful and my wife smells amazing in this perfume!
caawaa – :
Thanks to the two previous reviewers, I also got a one ounce bottle on eBay for a fiver. I am so glad I did! It is so fresh and delicious that I have caught myself reapplying through the day just to refresh the scent. I think I will buy a bigger bottle!
petrovich_1992.9 – :
Thx to Kaypops,I too got this gem off of EBay for five bucks;thank you so much sweetie!!!
I’m from Louisiana and it’s almost carnival here…the first thing that came to mind after spraying on Empress was a lavish Mardi Gras ball! I can totally see myself wearing this to the upcoming ball,all made up,formally dressed with a mask,wearing beads,second lining to jazz music while Louisiana cuisine,& king cake fill the air! On my skin I get key lime pie,sandalwood, caramel, & that I hugged a man wearing I Am King. IMO the name Empress fits this fragrance well!
sova69 – :
Gosh this smells good! I got a bottle of this for 5 bucks off e-bay brand new! I think it smells amazing! Super sexy and different then any other perfume I have.
paha17 – :
My Empress SJ, EDP arrived today, a blind buy which I bought on weegee’s Review written on here.
I am so happy I now have a bottle, I need to get more.
Definately tangy, but sweet limes, mandy’s, soft vanilla, opulent caramels, passionate passion flowers, spices and all things delightful.
It sits close to my skin and I have to keep sniffing my arm, I don’t mind, as it smells like sweet lime/mandy heaven, like a tangerine dream.
I think I will tape my arm to my head… but I won’t as I have work to do. I do not find this masculine at all, but if a man wore it I would not complain, just would make him pretty enticing.
Thanks weegee, another wonderful perfume I will add to my favorites.
JaibraAroub – :
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this fragrance. I picked it up for such a good price that I couldn’t resist. It starts off very strongly with lime. You can also picked up on the mandarin. Once it starts to settle, the berries come in and sweeten and the sandelwood softens the citrusy notes.
I agree with those who say it smells a little masculine but only during the initial stage. It’s a good day time fragrance for those looking for a fruity scent.
houston2010 – :
This perfume makes me think of Italy,for some reason. I think it’s the lime and the starfruit. I do smell lime,but it’s a zesty lime,not key lime pie,like others have stated. This smells like mens’ soap.
This is not overly feminine. It’s quite dry and woodsy. The bottle is quite regal-looking,too,though I’m not sure what an Empress is supposed to smell like.
This is what I thought K&L’s Unbreakable Bond was going to smell like. I like this much better.
This is a pleasant scent,and very affordable.
Рубль – :
Cranberries, limes, caramels and sandalwood are an unlikely combination but… they’re the stars in this production and together they’re GORGEOUS! Sweet & tangy-tart. Absolutely delicious. (Reminds me bit of B. Spears’ Believe, another lime/caramel treat but there the savory is patchouli and here it’s sandalwood.)
I, too, found a 1oz bottle for next to nothing and I’d buy a bigger one if only it lasted more than an hour on my skin. Still, truly enjoyable after an evening shower to enjoy while reading just before sleep. By morning it’s gone, leaving the stage free for your fragrance of choice that day.
Venom-PrO – :
A nice, inoffensive lime & sandalwood perfume. The drydown is a little sour. In truth it bores me but I don’t hate it. Lasting power- about 3 hours. Low sillage.
freddy012 – :
I sampled this at Kohls & really liked it. It wasn’t like a “wow” scent, but I thought it was nice & the bottle is pretty as well. Good for everyday wear, like to work, and wouldn’t be offensive. This is what I wanted the Hilary Duff With Love to be like.. Which I would gladly swap,if someone is interested! But, I wouldn’t say this is a quality scent & I wouldn’t pay full price for it!
utromorn – :
Bought this for next to nothing on clearance at Kohl’s, couldn’t pass up a good bargain. I don’t hate this fragrance at all. To me it really smelled like sugared citrus – I didn’t think the lime was too harsh, prominent though it was. Empress is linear and straightforward, what you smell at first is really what you get. I don’t get masculine or unisex at all, but this isn’t super feminine either… kind of hard to nail down. I will agree that the name doesn’t suit the fragrance – a perfume called Empress should exude class and sophistication, should be smooth and confident without being too loud or in your face. Sean John’s Empress is not these things – “she” is not exactly an imposter, but a pretender to the throne, maybe. I can wear it, and I am sure I will when the mood strikes, but it will most likely never find its way to my deepest affections.
maxik4444 – :
I always review fragrances with an open mind. I might not be a fan of Sean John, (Sean Combs, P. Diddy, Puff Daddy etc), however when I was handed a free sample of Empress, I promised myself that I would test it with all previous opinions aside. I like lime as a note, so I was actually looking forward to my first testing.
Unfortunately, Empress smells quite unappealing on my skin. All those fruit notes, when blended together, smell distracting and synthetic. Forget the dominant note of lime, and picture fruit salad with a dash of cloying vanilla and sandalwood shavings.
In its early stages, Empress was repulsive both on my skin and on a piece of card. This fragrance’s biggest mistake was bringing together an array of potent fruit notes, like raspberry, cranberry, star fruit and lime, and thinking that they could work well together. The strong floral accords in the heart only made matters worse. The peony mixed with passion flower and cardamom, is really not my cup of tea.
The drydown was thankfully more subtle, however it had an odd ‘play-doh’ scent, mostly due to the thick vanilla note. Had I not been an honest reviewer, that believes in experiencing a fragrance through all its stages, I would have scrubbed this fragrance off the second I applied it to my skin.
Empress resulted in a bad headache and a thorough scrub in the shower. Take my word of advice, Unforgivable for Women is a much better fragrance.
xxd554Negeltzex – :
Too bad that a perfume named Empress smells like this. I was truly disappointed. I don’t know what I was expecting but with a name like that I simply found it unfitting.
Also, I was very glad that it wears quickly b/c it’s just not to my tastes. It really smells like a kitchen cleaner. A very nice one, but still nonetheless, a kitchen cleaner without over amounts of harsh cleanser.
It’s not my cup of tea, but it does have the zingy lemon scent to it. Try it first.
I bought it blind and although it was 20 bucks, I’d rather have the 20 dollars I spent for it in my purse instead of a bottle of this. Sorry no offense to those who enjoy.
Xoxo
yura-zzz – :
Wore a sample of this today… to me it is a masculine smell, overlaid with a bit of a citrus zing. Disappears almost immediately after applying. Nothing pleasant in there at all, that I could notice.
superpanda71 – :
it is that thing a women has when all eyes are drawn to her
it is when a women has an undefinable thing called it
it is what every women can be
it is now
it is me
it is you
it is Empress by Sean John for Women
my Now, my Future, and my Forever.
vorotavoronezh – :
I sampled this yesterday and to my surprise liked it quite a bit. Perhaps I should say that I wasn’t impressed with Sean John’s any other offerings for women so this was a pleasant surprise. Bottle, while nice looking, is rather masculine so I guess I was expecting something more masculine as well. It really isn’t. I sprayed one pump on my hand and thought it was rather citrusy. After about a minute, zesty note went away and I was hit with key lime pie. Mmmm, nice. At that point, I was really liking it. It continued to develop into sweet lime pie scent with some caramel at the base notes.
I would have never guessed that this has so many floral notes because it doesn’t smell floral at all, neither I don’t get anything remotely masculine about this scent, unlike other reviewers. I also don’t see this as unisex scent all
Key Lime pie with some cream and mandarins on top is what I get. Lasting power was about an hour so I will have to sample it again to see whether the lasting power improves.
s.d.m.36 – :
wanted to love this so much but kinda came off smelling a little like a household cleaner 🙁 but I still think Sean John makes great scents.
parapet34 – :
I am a bit perplexed with empress. Its very unique! I can see the connection with cool water for women and with a “mens cologne”. I would never guess a celebrity would put something out like this. It fresh, zingy, masculine, feminine, and so much more. I DO NOT like masculine scents on myself, yet i find myself craving a bottle of empress…maybe at a good price:) very well done!
rzz436speagoessenda – :
Didn’t wanna like this – since I’m not a fan of Puffy – but it’s nice. I get the citrus, wood, and powder notes.
Fadey – :
I sniffed this from the bottle and sprayed it on paper. To me, it’s very cologne like and extremely musky.
Smaillic – :
The scent is not what I expected. I imagined Empress to smell dynamic and diva-like, but suprisingly encountered a sweet orange, citrus fragrance with a dry down that smelled remarkably similar to Davidoff’s Cool Water for women.
Its effervescent fragrance smells like something you would wear to a beach party.
rgnm – :
I am obsessed with I AM KING & Unforgivable. I just saw an advertisment for this & had no idea he was releasing a new fragrance. I need to smell this ASAP
FANTOM(22RUS) – :
Smelled this at Macy’s today and it smells just like I AM KING by Sean John. I dunno if that means I Am King is really femminine or Empress is really masculine. It smelles like a tad lemony or orangeish like I AM KING. Both are sweet citrus scents. Putting them both on 1 arm I don’t think I could really tell the difference