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Sissi Imperatrice

6.1 / 10 11 Ratings
A perfume by Nicolas de Barry for women. The release year is unknown. The scent is citrusy-floral. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Citrus
Floral
Sweet
Fresh
Woody

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
BergamotBergamot
Heart Notes Heart Notes
IrisIris VioletViolet
Base Notes Base Notes
VanillaVanilla

Perfumers

Ratings
Scent
6.111 Ratings
Longevity
7.58 Ratings
Sillage
6.98 Ratings
Bottle
7.415 Ratings
Submitted by Endorphin · last update on 06/03/2025.
Source-backed & verified

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Reviews

4 in-depth fragrance descriptions
ClaireV

969 Reviews
ClaireV
ClaireV
1  
Pretty little whirligig
L’Indomptable means indomitable, a person who cannot be subdued or defeated, and this describes perfectly both the character of Empress Sissi and the fragrance itself. Sissi is a cheeky little scent. It comes so over-stuffed with violet pastilles, gummy bears, face powder, cherry syrup, and doll head plastic that you’d think that it would be insufferable to anyone over the age of 12, and for a while, it is. But then a thick, raw lump of benzoin and the uncooked pallor of a very potato-y iris emerge, interjecting the saving grace of ugliness into the pretty.

Sissi is extreme in all respects – a sort of cosmetics violet-iris accord set on fire and sent rolling down the hill to flatten everybody in its wake. People who like the part-syrupy, part-powdery excesses of Guerlain’s Insolence, Incarnata by Anatole Lebreton, or Ombre Mercure by Terry de Gunsberg will probably love this lipstick-on-steroids perfume too. I don’t love it, myself, but I certainly enjoy wearing it more than I should. In fact, it’s become something of a guilty pleasure. There’s a fluffy marshmallow crème accord in the drydown that gives as much pleasure and comfort as a giant, fluffy onesie. I’d imagine. Not that I own one or anything.
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Rhiel

11 Reviews
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Rhiel
Rhiel
2  
Getting to Know Each Other
This fragrance was a blind buy for me. My new interest in iris and powdery scents, which is currently spreading alongside an insatiable craving for tuberose, led me to take the risk. And even the negative review here didn't deter me.
But how is it now? You get what you see: a fresh top note flashes briefly, soon giving way to a powdery iris. It's not too sweet, not dry or dusty, but just right for me to create a powder scent that is old-fashioned in the best sense of the word. It doesn't undergo any significant development, but remains simply pleasant.
The sillage is subtle and the longevity is acceptable. The fragrance lasts through a workday. That's enough for me for now, as I'm not in love. However, that could still happen: because somehow it reminds me a bit of Nantucket Briar by Crabtree & Evelyn. And I've had that in travel size for years, rarely used, often sniffed, and regularly checked to see if it's still there.
The bottle is simple, made of glass, and serves my purposes excellently. A real benefit: the sprayer is not from Gardena, so I can also dare to layer here, as it's easy to dose. Yes, I'm happy with Sissi.
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6Scent
Adisa

4 Reviews
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Adisa
Adisa
2  
Prepared for the worst...
.. I was already put off by the presentation of the sample. I find it not appealing at all to have a fragrance presented with the portrait of a historical figure (and such a tragic one at that), and any celebrity products or other merchandise items have a hard time winning me over. I am inherently skeptical.
So, to be honest, I didn’t expect much when I sprayed it on; I thought, well, I’m going to shower soon anyway, so I can take the risk.
But then it turned out to be far less dramatic than I had thought.
Only then did I start searching for the fragrance here and I did find it.

However, I cannot fully agree with Saoirse's comment; I don’t detect any mustiness at all. However, it doesn’t blow me away either, but it’s not that bad. For me, it mainly comes across as a slightly powdery vanilla with a hint of creaminess like in a body care product; the bergamot didn’t make an appearance for me. It’s a bit too sweet for my taste, at least in this form, and it doesn’t develop on me either.
Powdery vanilla with a sunscreen touch, and that’s it. It stays that way right after drying down on my wrist and doesn’t change. I’m done, so to speak.
Interestingly, my husband associates it with Hubba Bubba; he finds it a bit too synthetic.

Therefore, just a well-meant 60%. I can’t say anything about the longevity at the moment, but I think it has become a bit milder.

For me, it’s not a candidate that I would need to have in a bottle immediately, but it’s also not one that I wouldn’t use or that would trigger escape thoughts. Thanks anyway to Rosenrot for the sample.
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1Scent
Saoirse

13 Reviews
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Saoirse
Saoirse
0  
The Empress is dead, long live... yes, what?
It is certainly a nice gesture to dedicate a fragrance to a deceased empress. But the perfumer was probably not very impressed with Sissi, as this little water is an insult to every water - and to every noble or non-noble head, whether crowned or not. In principle, I can tell within the first 5 to 10 sniffing seconds whether I find a fragrance fantastic, whether it is good, mediocre, or... I haven't found anything really bad yet. But one never stops learning. I couldn't identify a single fragrance note, just an unbearable stench of mold. I mean, I am Gothic; I know a thing or two about moldy scents. But this is beyond anything acceptable, especially for me. You can tell from the content that the empress has been dead for a very long time. This brings me to the thought: How would the Nicolas de Barry version for King Ludwig II of Bavaria "smell"? Just a water sample from Lake Starnberg?
Be that as it may: I cannot categorize this "fragrance," much to my regret. But the options are simply missing from the list.
2 Comments

Statements

3 short views on the fragrance
2
Absolutely beautiful sweet Violet candies from the metallic vintage box .
Why so underrated ?‍️
0 Comments
11
13
Light, the lovely violet is there, maybe a bit of tuberose, unspectacular, a bit retro, kiss the hand, my dear..., you're a bit bland.
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13 Comments
2
Not really that terrible :D
I got a sample, so no Sissi,
and found a nice little scent,
lightly fresh and floral.
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0 Comments

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