Fragrance comparison

AI vs Prelude

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 208 ratings analysed

Lush

3.0553 votes

Rank #16,265 CitrusRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Prelude

Balenciaga

4.24155 votes

Rank #5,811 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Prelude takes 4 of 5 categories.

AI
Choose it for a citrus and rose character.
Prelude
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

AI0/5

Prelude4/5

Ratings & consensus: Prelude
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: Prelude
Value for money: Prelude
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Prelude

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AILush

PreludeBalenciaga

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.05/ 5 · 53 votes

Have 6%Had 0%Want 94%

4.24/ 5 · 155 votes

Have 41%Had 20%Want 39%

Category winnerPreludeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

50%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

41%Love

50%Like

1%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

155 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillagePrelude

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value59

¤ Price value60

Category winnerPreludeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

rose92%

cinnamon84%

yellow floral77%

fresh spicy69%

warm spicy61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

powdery84%

floral77%

sweet69%

yellow floral61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both warm spicy and yellow floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Baked AppleRoseYlang-YlangBergamotCinnamonLemongrassJasmine

No top / heart / base split published

Top

AldehydesOrangeBergamot

Heart

CarnationYlang-YlangCinnamonJasmineRoseOrchid

Base

Tolu BalsamBenzoinAmberCivetVanillaPatchouli

InformationalShared notesRose, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Cinnamon. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

No season votes yet

Spring57

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men0

Unisex36

Women64

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,265

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

Overall rank#5,811

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews25

Category winnerPreludeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

AI by Lush blends baked apple with rose and ylang-ylang, creating a fruity, floral composition. It features a prominent cinnamon spice that warms the blend, making it suited for casual wear in cooler weather. This unisex fragrance leans into a sweet, spicy profile that develops with a notable citrus brightness upon in…

Reviews →

Balenciaga Prelude opens with a rush of soapy, sparkling aldehydes and citrus before settling into a warm, spice-laden floral core. The heart relies on ylang-ylang and carnation, which are dusted with ground cinnamon to create a dry, textured warmth. It eventually settles into a quiet, resinous base of tolu balsam and…

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, AI or Prelude?

Prelude takes 4 of 5 categories. AI is rated 3.05/5 from 53 votes; Prelude is rated 4.24/5 from 155 votes. Choose AI for a citrus and rose character. Choose Prelude for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, AI or Prelude?

They last about the same: AI 74/100, Prelude 74/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, AI or Prelude?

Prelude projects furthest (Prelude 70/100, AI 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do AI and Prelude smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and yellow floral accords. Common notes include Rose, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Cinnamon.

What are the notes in AI and Prelude?

AI features Baked Apple, Rose, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Cinnamon. Prelude has top notes of Aldehydes, Orange and Bergamot, heart notes of Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Cinnamon and Jasmine, a base of Tolu Balsam, Benzoin, Amber and Civet.