Fragrance comparison

Althaïr vs Musk Al-Shams

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 8,865 ratings analysed

6 wins

Althaïr

Parfums de Marly

4.418,816 votes

Rank #732 SweetVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

77%scent match

Very similar

Musk Al-Shams

Ibraheem AlQurashi

4.1049 votes

Rank #15,855 VanillaMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Althaïr takes 6 of 8 categories.

Althaïr
Choose it for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Musk Al-Shams
Choose it for a vanilla and musky character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Althaïr6/8

Musk Al-Shams2/8

Ratings & consensus: Althaïr
Community sentiment: Althaïr
Longevity: Althaïr
Sillage & projection: Althaïr
Value for money: Musk Al-Shams
Versatility: Musk Al-Shams
Note pyramid (duration): Althaïr
Fragranxe ranking: Althaïr

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AlthaïrParfums de Marly

Musk Al-ShamsIbraheem AlQurashi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.41/ 5 · 8,816 votes

Have 88%Had 12%Want 0%

4.10/ 5 · 49 votes

Have 68%Had 6%Want 26%

Category winnerAlthaïrRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

19%Like

7%Ok

4%Dislike

4%Hate

8,816 votes

37%Love

39%Like

22%Ok

2%Dislike

0%Hate

49 votes

Category winnerAlthaïrMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityAlthaïr

SillageAlthaïr

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value67

Category winnerMusk Al-ShamsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

vanilla92%

warm spicy84%

cinnamon77%

aromatic69%

musky61%

vanilla100%

musky92%

powdery84%

warm spicy77%

cinnamon69%

sweet61%

Scent match77%Very similar · both vanilla, sweet and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CinnamonCardamomOrange BlossomBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

Bourbon Vanillaelemi

Base8-12 hrs

PralineMuskAmbroxanGuaiac WoodTonkaCandied Almond

Top15-30 mins

CinnamonBergamotCardamomOrange Blossom

Heart2-4 hrs

Vanillaelemi

Base6-8+ hrs

MuskSweet AlmondGuaiac WoodAmbroxan

Category winnerAlthaïrLongest dry-down: 8-12 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring31

Summer13

Fall0

Winter100

Day63

Night100

Spring46

Summer42

Fall81

Winter100

Day71

Night100

Category winnerMusk Al-ShamsMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men56

Unisex38

Women5

Men14

Unisex65

Women22

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#732

PerfumerHamid Merati-Kashani, Ilias Ermenidis

Launched—

Reviews210

Overall rank#15,855

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerAlthaïrHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Parfums de Marly Althaïr puts a cozy spin on heavy gourmand scents. It hits skin with sharp cinnamon, aromatic green cardamom, and a fleeting streak of orange blossom. The sweetness is intense. Within ten minutes, rich Bourbon vanilla takes complete control of the scent bubble. Toasted praline and candied almond add a…

Reviews →

Musk Al-Shams by Ibraheem AlQurashi opens with a bright burst of bergamot and crisp orange blossom before diving straight into warm, spicy cinnamon and green cardamom. The initial kick is dry and vibrant rather than syrupy. Within twenty minutes, the citrus flash fades, making room for a pillowy heart of rich vanilla …

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Althaïr or Musk Al-Shams?

Althaïr takes 6 of 8 categories. Althaïr is rated 4.41/5 from 8,816 votes; Musk Al-Shams is rated 4.10/5 from 49 votes. Choose Althaïr for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Musk Al-Shams for a vanilla and musky character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Althaïr or Musk Al-Shams?

Althaïr lasts longest (Althaïr 76/100, Musk Al-Shams 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Althaïr or Musk Al-Shams?

Althaïr projects furthest (Althaïr 62/100, Musk Al-Shams 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Althaïr and Musk Al-Shams smell similar?

Very similar: a 77% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla, sweet and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cinnamon, Cardamom, Orange Blossom and Bergamot.

Is Althaïr or Musk Al-Shams better for summer or winter?

For summer, Musk Al-Shams is the stronger pick. For winter, Althaïr is the stronger pick. Althaïr suits evening wear; Musk Al-Shams suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Althaïr and Musk Al-Shams?

Althaïr has top notes of Cinnamon, Cardamom, Orange Blossom and Bergamot, heart notes of Bourbon Vanilla and elemi, a base of Praline, Musk, Ambroxan and Guaiac Wood. Musk Al-Shams has top notes of Cinnamon, Bergamot, Cardamom and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Vanilla and elemi, a base of Musk, Sweet Almond, Guaiac Wood and Ambroxan.