Fragrance comparison

Alpona vs Imagine

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 172 ratings analysed

5 wins

Alpona

Caron

4.45141 votes

Rank #7,314 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

Imagine

Jean Louis Vermeil

4.0331 votes

Rank #42,931 FruityWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Alpona takes 5 of 7 categories.

Alpona
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Imagine
Choose it for a fruity and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Alpona5/7

Imagine2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AlponaCaron

ImagineJean Louis Vermeil

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.45/ 5 · 141 votes

Have 37%Had 9%Want 54%

4.03/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 40%Had 23%Want 38%

Category winnerAlponaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

57%Love

35%Like

1%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

141 votes

42%Love

32%Like

13%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

31 votes

Category winnerAlponaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate86

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityAlpona

SillageImagine

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value50

Category winnerImagineBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic91%

woody83%

fresh spicy74%

mossy65%

earthy56%

fruity100%

woody92%

mossy84%

earthy77%

sweet69%

amber61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both woody, mossy and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

LemonBergamotGrapefruitRose

Heart2-4 hrs

ThymeOrangeJasmineOrchid

Base8-10 hrs

OakmossMyrrhCedarSandalwoodPatchouliMusk

Top

Black CurrantPineappleRaspberryPeachGrapefruitThymeAppleBergamot

Heart

RoseLilyClovesYlang-YlangHoneysuckleJasmineOrange Blossom

Base

OakmossAmberSandalwoodPatchouli

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Grapefruit, Rose and Thyme. Durations are only published for Alpona, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring81

Summer38

Fall100

Winter56

Day100

Night46

Spring33

Summer17

Fall100

Winter83

Day100

Night83

Category winnerAlponaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex36

Women64

Casual 40%Work 34%Date 17%Party 9%

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,314

PerfumerErnest Daltroff

Launched—

Reviews15

Overall rank#42,931

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAlponaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Alpona by Caron delivers a sharp, historic contrast that catches modern noses off guard. The opening bursts with tart grapefruit, sharp lemon peel, and bitter bergamot. It wakes you up fast. Within twenty minutes, the bright citrus flash subsides, revealing a dry heart of aromatic thyme, sunny orange blossom, and head…

Reviews →

Imagine by Jean Louis Vermeil brings back the bold, fruity green spirit of 1989. It opens with sharp black currant and tart pineapple before settling into a deep base of oakmoss and patchouli. This fragrance suits collectors who love complex, vintage woody florals that perform well in cool autumn weather.

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, Alpona or Imagine?

Alpona takes 5 of 7 categories. Alpona is rated 4.45/5 from 141 votes; Imagine is rated 4.03/5 from 31 votes. Choose Alpona for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Imagine for a fruity and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Alpona or Imagine?

They last about the same: Alpona 75/100, Imagine 73/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Alpona or Imagine?

Imagine projects furthest (Imagine 71/100, Alpona 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Alpona and Imagine smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, mossy and earthy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Grapefruit, Rose and Thyme.

Is Alpona or Imagine better for summer or winter?

For summer, Alpona is the stronger pick. For winter, Imagine is the stronger pick. Alpona suits daytime wear; Imagine suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Alpona and Imagine?

Alpona has top notes of Lemon, Bergamot, Grapefruit and Rose, heart notes of Thyme, Orange, Jasmine and Orchid, a base of Oakmoss, Myrrh, Cedar and Sandalwood. Imagine has top notes of Black Currant, Pineapple, Raspberry and Peach, heart notes of Rose, Lily, Cloves and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Oakmoss, Amber, Sandalwood and Patchouli.