Fragrance comparison

Act 5 vs Old Story

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 95 ratings analysed

Act 5

Pantomime

3.7851 votes

Rank #17,789 GreenAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Old Story

Alexandria Fragrances

4.2344 votes

Rank #25,486 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Old Story takes 5 of 7 categories.

Act 5
Choose it for a green and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Old Story
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Act 52/7

Old Story5/7

Ratings & consensus: Old Story
Community sentiment: Old Story
Longevity: Act 5
Sillage & projection: Old Story
Value for money: Old Story
Versatility: Old Story
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Act 5

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Act 5Pantomime

Old StoryAlexandria Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.78/ 5 · 51 votes

Have 27%Had 12%Want 61%

4.23/ 5 · 44 votes

Have 45%Had 8%Want 46%

Category winnerOld StoryRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

35%Love

24%Like

29%Ok

8%Dislike

4%Hate

51 votes

46%Love

36%Like

10%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

39 votes

Category winnerOld StoryMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityAct 5

SillageOld Story

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value36

¤ Price value70

Category winnerOld StoryBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

green100%

aromatic83%

balsamic65%

bitter48%

herbal30%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy90%

woody80%

white floral70%

green60%

citrus50%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both aromatic and green

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

GalbanumVetiver

No top / heart / base split published

Top

NeroliLavenderPetitgrainRosemary

Heart

JasmineGeraniumGalbanumClary Sage

Base

AmberVetiverSandalwoodOakCedar

InformationalShared notesGalbanum and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Act 5, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer100

Fall56

Winter33

Day100

Night31

Spring100

Summer90

Fall95

Winter35

Day100

Night70

Category winnerOld StoryMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men58

Unisex38

Women4

Work 39%Casual 36%Date 17%Party 8%

Men92

Unisex8

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,789

PerfumerFredrik Dalman

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#25,486

PerfumerHany Hafez

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerAct 5Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Pantomime Act 5 rethinks classic vetiver by stripping away heavy campfire smoke and muddy root mulch. The first spray releases a sharp, electric pop of raw galbanum and bitter grapefruit zest. It feels bracing. Crisp green pepper and crushed celery stems follow right behind, giving the opening a crisp, botanical snap.…

Reviews →

Old Story leans aromatic, green and woody, opening with neroli, lavender, petitgrain and rosemary before moving into a sharper herbal heart. The jasmine and geranium soften it slightly, but this stays firmly fresh, structured and masculine in character. On skin, it usually reads like a crisp woody floral musk with a c…

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, Act 5 or Old Story?

Old Story takes 5 of 7 categories. Act 5 is rated 3.78/5 from 51 votes; Old Story is rated 4.23/5 from 44 votes. Choose Act 5 for a green and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Old Story for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Act 5 or Old Story?

Act 5 lasts longest (Act 5 67/100, Old Story 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Act 5 or Old Story?

Old Story projects furthest (Old Story 58/100, Act 5 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Act 5 and Old Story smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and green accords. Common notes include Galbanum and Vetiver.

Is Act 5 or Old Story better for summer or winter?

For summer, Act 5 is the stronger pick. For winter, Old Story is the stronger pick. Act 5 suits daytime wear; Old Story suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Act 5 and Old Story?

Act 5 features Galbanum and Vetiver. Old Story has top notes of Neroli, Lavender, Petitgrain and Rosemary, heart notes of Jasmine, Geranium, Galbanum and Clary Sage, a base of Amber, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Oak.