Fragrance comparison

#278 Sourire De Cassis vs Alchimie

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 19 Oct 2026 2,014 ratings analysed

4 wins

#278 Sourire De Cassis

Le Ré Noir

4.3694 votes

Rank #10,967 FruitySoft Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

Alchimie

Rochas

4.211,920 votes

Rank #377 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

#278 Sourire De Cassis takes 4 of 7 categories.

#278 Sourire De Cassis
Choose it for a fruity and soft spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Alchimie
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

#278 Sourire De Cassis4/7

Alchimie2/7

Ratings & consensus: #278 Sourire De Cassis
Community sentiment: #278 Sourire De Cassis
Longevity: Alchimie
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: #278 Sourire De Cassis
Versatility: #278 Sourire De Cassis
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Alchimie

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

#278 Sourire De CassisLe Ré Noir

AlchimieRochas

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.36/ 5 · 94 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.21/ 5 · 1,920 votes

Have 52%Had 48%Want 0%

Category winner#278 Sourire De CassisRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

47%Like

2%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

94 votes

51%Love

39%Like

2%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

1,736 votes

Category winner#278 Sourire De CassisMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityAlchimie

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value51

¤ Price value47

Category winner#278 Sourire De CassisBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

soft spicy86%

aromatic72%

green58%

woody44%

fresh30%

fruity100%

sweet92%

vanilla84%

floral77%

powdery69%

soft spicy61%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both fruity and soft spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Notes

Black CurrantCassisChampagneMuskPearPlum

No top / heart / base split published

Top

PeachPlumLilacPearBlack CurrantCassiaHiacynthMandarin Orange

Heart

Black locustWisteriaCoconutHeliotropeJasmineRoseLily-of-the-Valley

Base

CaramelVanillaTonka BeanSandalwoodAmberLicoriceMusk

InformationalShared notesBlack Currant, Musk, Pear and Plum. Durations are only published for #278 Sourire De Cassis, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer76

Fall33

Winter18

Day100

Night29

Spring45

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winner#278 Sourire De CassisMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men6

Unisex62

Women32

Casual 37%Work 26%Date 21%Party 16%

Men0

Unisex4

Women96

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,967

PerfumerValery Sokolov

Launched—

Reviews10

Overall rank#377

PerfumerJacques Cavallier Belletrud

Launched—

Reviews163

Category winnerAlchimieHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Le Ré Noir #278 Sourire De Cassis delivers a hyper-realistic study of black currant, skipping candy syrupy sweetness to capture the whole wild plant. You get tart purple berries, crushed green leaves, snap twigs, and cold morning dew. Crisp champagne sparkles at the top, lifting the rich fruit before ripe pear and sof…

Reviews →

Alchimie by Rochas is an oriental floral fragrance for women that blends fruit, spice, and resins. It opens with a bright mix of peach, plum, and citrus before settling into a warm, powdery base of vanilla, caramel, and tonka bean. This 1998 classic remains a sought-after piece for those who enjoy sophisticated, sweet…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, #278 Sourire De Cassis or Alchimie?

#278 Sourire De Cassis takes 4 of 7 categories. #278 Sourire De Cassis is rated 4.36/5 from 94 votes; Alchimie is rated 4.21/5 from 1,920 votes. Choose #278 Sourire De Cassis for a fruity and soft spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Alchimie for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, #278 Sourire De Cassis or Alchimie?

Alchimie lasts longest (Alchimie 77/100, #278 Sourire De Cassis 74/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, #278 Sourire De Cassis or Alchimie?

Projection is very close: #278 Sourire De Cassis 70/100, Alchimie 70/100 for sillage.

Do #278 Sourire De Cassis and Alchimie smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity and soft spicy accords. Common notes include Black Currant, Musk, Pear and Plum.

Is #278 Sourire De Cassis or Alchimie better for summer or winter?

For summer, #278 Sourire De Cassis is the stronger pick. For winter, Alchimie is the stronger pick. #278 Sourire De Cassis suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in #278 Sourire De Cassis and Alchimie?

#278 Sourire De Cassis features Black Currant, Cassis, Champagne, Musk and Pear. Alchimie has top notes of Peach, Plum, Lilac and Pear, heart notes of Black locust, Wisteria, Coconut and Heliotrope, a base of Caramel, Vanilla, Tonka Bean and Sandalwood.