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Sean John Empress ~ new fragrance

Posted by Robin on 8 July 2011 45 Comments

Sean John Empress

Sean John Fragrances will launch Empress, a new perfume for women, in August. Empress is the feminine counterpart to 2008's I Am King. According to Sean John Combs,

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.

Empress is a crisp fruity floral; notes include key lime pie, mandarin imperial, starfruit, imperial french berry, raspberries, passion flower, peony, cardamom, ambrette seeds, vanilla, sandalwood, crystallized caramel and second skin accord.

Sean John Empress will be exclusive to Macy's, and will be available in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Parfum.

(via wwd)

Update: see a review of Sean John Empress.

Filed Under: new fragrances
Tagged With: celebrity perfumes, sean john

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45 Comments

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  1. Gblue says:
    8 July 2011 at 9:23 am

    And there was me hoping for I am Queen.

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    • Robin says:
      8 July 2011 at 10:11 am

      IIRC, there was some reason they couldn’t use “I Am Queen” — probably somebody has already got the trademark.

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      • monkeytoe says:
        8 July 2011 at 10:23 am

        Queen Latifah?

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        • Gblue says:
          8 July 2011 at 10:48 am

          Ah that’d make sense.
          I’ve got a sample of Queen Latifah’s first perfume and it’s not terrible.

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          • Anne from Makeupwoot says:
            8 July 2011 at 11:57 am

            Her second one, “Queen of Hearts,” was surprisingly nice. Still a gourmand, but a little fresher. At first sniff, it reminded me a bit of Shalimar and once it dried down it had a great sweet-baked-goods aroma to it.

          • Morgan says:
            10 July 2011 at 7:59 am

            I liked it too, it’s my favourite celebrity scent. I haven’t tried all of them (its not a genre that calls to me) but she’s awesome so I had to give it a go. I haven’t tried any Sean John ones, to be honest, his persona puts me right off. They might be fine but I couldnt wear something called I Am King with the image of his smug face in my mind

        • Robin says:
          8 July 2011 at 11:42 am

          Probably.

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          • Racine says:
            8 July 2011 at 3:14 pm

            Or Justin Bieber for when he comes out of the closet..

  2. Daisy says:
    8 July 2011 at 9:39 am

    am I the only one who saw the bottle and thought “Chanel”.
    I’ve smelled a few Sean John fragrances and they were better than a lot of the mainstream stuff….so this might be worth a sniff too.

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    • Robin says:
      8 July 2011 at 10:12 am

      They did a reasonably good job so far, yeah, I’ll try this!

      The bottle is sort of similar to I Am King, sort of similar to Chanel.

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    • Rappleyea says:
      8 July 2011 at 12:44 pm

      And obviously named for our beloved Empress of Enabling. 😉 You *have* to try it!

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  3. donix says:
    8 July 2011 at 10:15 am

    i looked at the bottle and thought omg, another sth that tries to be sth else;-) it got worse when i read that crap that all these people say about their fragrances… listen mr P Diddy, all fragrances are created for women you described, there’s nothing new about yours, it’s just different words you or your marketing people use… it looks like i’m really tired of all these so called individual fragrances that are gonna make me rule the world.. i wish one day there will be sth more and above that

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    • Robin says:
      8 July 2011 at 11:43 am

      Hope springs eternal 🙂

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    • LaMaroc says:
      8 July 2011 at 1:41 pm

      Yeah, Mr. Diddy, what about those of us who aren’t megalomaniacs and prefer anonymity, a quiet life with a few good friends and family? What fragrance is that called? Serf? Peasant?

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      • Anne from Makeupwoot says:
        8 July 2011 at 4:59 pm

        Speaking as a student of the history of the British Isles, I would TOTALLY purchase a fragrance titled, “Serf.”

        I can see it now, bottled in a plain, poorly glazed pottery bottle, a cork for a lid, and perhaps a bit of rag tied round the top for embellishment like Lanvin did with “Jeanne.” 😉

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        • LaMaroc says:
          8 July 2011 at 11:05 pm

          Hmmm, yes, yes, but what would it smell like?

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          • Anne from Makeupwoot says:
            10 July 2011 at 9:14 am

            I would think it would be something pleasant but earthy, perhaps even a gourmand. Irony of ironies, when I thought of a perfume that embodies all of those, the first thing that sprang to mind was “Tonkamand” by Perfumerie Generale.

  4. Dilana says:
    8 July 2011 at 10:27 am

    When I really want to feel powerful, I do not want to smell like a key lime pie.

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    • Robin says:
      8 July 2011 at 11:43 am

      LOL!

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    • Tama says:
      8 July 2011 at 6:39 pm

      That was my first thought exactly.

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  5. monkeytoe says:
    8 July 2011 at 10:29 am

    The Empress Key Lime Pie that is powerful beyond all others.

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    • Anita says:
      8 July 2011 at 3:22 pm

      LOL!!!

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  6. prism says:
    8 July 2011 at 10:36 am

    the bottle looks cute

    but wth is an Imperial French Berry???

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    • Fuddy Duddy 101 says:
      8 July 2011 at 2:28 pm

      According to Kevin’s review of “I am King” the note is cranberry, “a proprietary Imperial French berry note”. And yes, “I am King’ also had a key lime pie note. Apparently as Kevin also noted, all Kings and Empresses should smell like Mr. Combs’ favorite foods.

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  7. sayitisntso says:
    8 July 2011 at 11:31 am

    I think the bottle is beautiful – far nicer than it has the right to be, considering whose name is on it. Key Lime Pie? Really? Again? He loves that note, doesn’t he? I’m positive they used that note in I Am King.

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    • miss katrina says:
      8 July 2011 at 6:53 pm

      I agree. The bottle really appeals to me. I’d like to see it in person.

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    • thenoseknows says:
      8 July 2011 at 9:24 pm

      could not have said that better if i had tried! Just A shame such a GORGEOUS Bottle has such a Scummy Name on it! I even like/love the Fragrance Name… Just not my idea of what a fragrance called “Empress” would smell like! 🙁

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  8. Absolute Scentualist says:
    8 July 2011 at 12:59 pm

    If this has a good dose of Eclix’s yummy key lime pie-ness, I have to try it. The other notes don’t hurt, either. 😉

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    • LaMaroc says:
      8 July 2011 at 1:43 pm

      Ooohhh, good point! I forgot that note was in Eclix! Probably because it blends so gorgeously and doesn’t make me smell like a bakery or a cheap B&BW spray.

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  9. Anita says:
    8 July 2011 at 3:21 pm

    I like the bottle, but another fruity floral? That seems too immature to be an Empress. I would think an Empress would smell somewhat more womanly, commanding and take charge, instead of like a fruit salad or a teen scent.

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    • JoElla says:
      8 July 2011 at 3:57 pm

      Exactamundo my dear!

      I would rather eat key lime pie and fruit salad than smell like them!

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    • donix says:
      11 July 2011 at 7:31 am

      you got it Anita, can’t imagine any empress, evenif she rules her own universe only, wanting to smell like any gilr leaving school after classes or teenager doing shopping for fun. but, he’s the idol so there will be enough of these who will follow and believe any word he’s saying. it just makes me laugh more and more bacause i can be the clairvoyent right now and tell you what exactly next fragrance of any celebrity will be and what women it’s gonna be recommended for… any of you guys could do the same, couldn’t you?

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  10. Anne from Makeupwoot says:
    8 July 2011 at 5:07 pm

    Am I the only one who snorted my morning cappuccino at his quote? First off, I highly doubt he had any part in creating it other than sniffing at a few solitary notes and saying, “Yeah, throw a bit of that in there too.” Anyone who has even a beginners grasp of what it takes to master the art of crafting a fragrance should be insulted, as should the ACTUAL person who was responsible for the brewing of the juice.

    Second, when I think of a fragrance that inspires “power” and, apparently authority since this is supposed to make the wearer feel like the “ruler of her universe,” a juice that makes me smell like an EDIBLE ARRANGEMENT is NOT what comes to mind.

    Would someone tell Mr. Diddy to let the professionals do what they do best and craft the juice and he can do what he does best and stick to being a strutting peacock who happily slaps his signature on anything that will turn a profit?

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    • APassionateJourney says:
      9 July 2011 at 3:58 am

      “Am I the only one who snorted my morning cappuccino at his quote? First off, I highly doubt he had any part in creating it other than sniffing at a few solitary notes and saying, “Yeah, throw a bit of that in there too.” Anyone who has even a beginners grasp of what it takes to master the art of crafting a fragrance should be insulted, as should the ACTUAL person who was responsible for the brewing of the juice.

      Second, when I think of a fragrance that inspires “power” and, apparently authority since this is supposed to make the wearer feel like the “ruler of her universe,” a juice that makes me smell like an EDIBLE ARRANGEMENT is NOT what comes to mind.

      Would someone tell Mr. Diddy to let the professionals do what they do best and craft the juice and he can do what he does best and stick to being a strutting peacock who happily slaps his signature on anything that will turn a profit?
      ”

      Wait a minute, hold on here. You turn your nose up at Mr. Combs and tell him to, “Let the professionals” do it but those “Professionals” you speak of do the SAME thing he does. Sniff, Sniff, PASS, put a little more of this in here, still isn’t ready yet, pass me another blotter, etc. What’s the difference between what HE does than what Marc Jacobs or Tom Ford does? None of them are actually mixing the juices together. They all have perfumers do that for them so what “Profefssionals” are you speaking of?????

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  11. kindcrow says:
    8 July 2011 at 7:24 pm

    What is “second skin accord?”

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    • LaMaroc says:
      8 July 2011 at 11:11 pm

      Yeah that kinda made me shudder. It makes me think of either a bris or the Aztec god Xipe Totec – which translates to “flayed skin”. Either way, yeeeeesh. 😯

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    • Robin says:
      11 July 2011 at 9:53 am

      Usually a musk.

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  12. thenoseknows says:
    8 July 2011 at 9:30 pm

    First Off… SUBLIME BOTTLE! Really, Truly Masterful work there, SJ’s People… and Great Name to go with that Bottle…

    Now to the Second Part… KEY LIME PIE? CRYSTALIZED CARAMEL? SECOND SKIN????? SERIOUSLY? Not the notes i’d expect of a Majestic name like “EMPRESS”

    Tell me if this sounds somewhat more suitable for a List of notes for juice named “EMPRESS”

    Gardenia, Casablanca Lily, Osmanthus, Cassia, Szechuan Peppercorn, Benzoin, Labdanum, Gingerlily, Frangipani, Clove, Damascus Rose and something Honey like… maybe also Heliotropin… I dunno… that sounds more REGAL to me alas!

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  13. Luminous Phenomena says:
    8 July 2011 at 11:47 pm

    This. A quick wikipedia disambiguation search brought up only one item that could have a scent : “2nd Skin a blister treatment product made by Spenco” Blister treatment? If the Empress has blisters, I don’t think she will want that note in her perfume. Just a guess.

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  14. eminere says:
    9 July 2011 at 12:25 pm

    She is the ruler of her universe, of course, but still slavish to Sean John I suspect.

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  15. Scandalwood says:
    9 July 2011 at 3:30 pm

    I’m guessing second skin is just a blend of musks. Crystalized caramel…I don’t know. All those sweet notes come in crystal form: vanillin, ethyl maltol, coumarin, heliotropin.

    His other fragrances aren’t marketed here, so I doubt I’ll ever smell it. The bottle ‘is’ nice though.

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  16. Emily says:
    9 July 2011 at 8:14 pm

    “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.”

    How nice that someone finally made a fragrance for my cat, though she really prefers Purina kibble to key lime pie and imperial French berries.

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  17. Lammy says:
    14 July 2011 at 7:43 pm

    Is it on purpose that several of the notes start with ‘imperial..’ ?
    i wna sniff it though, that lime pie is got me curious

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  18. jonr951 says:
    21 August 2011 at 4:01 am

    I Am King of Miami on macys.com. I kinda wanna try it. : ) http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=583877&CategoryID=30088&LinkType=#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D768

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    • Robin says:
      22 August 2011 at 11:09 pm

      I don’t know why, but that is really cracking me up! Imagine the series: I Am King of Cleveland! I Am King of Saint Louis!

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