Fragrance comparison

AM-PM vs El

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 191 ratings analysed

AM-PM

Playboy

3.7427 votes

Rank #32,039 Warm SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Arquiste

4.04164 votes

Rank #30,079 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

El takes 4 of 7 categories.

AM-PM
Choose it for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear.
El
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

AM-PM3/7

El4/7

Ratings & consensus: El
Community sentiment: AM-PM
Longevity: El
Sillage & projection: El
Value for money: AM-PM
Versatility: AM-PM
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: El

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AM-PMPlayboy

ElArquiste

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.74/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 70%Had 13%Want 17%

4.04/ 5 · 164 votes

Have 30%Had 7%Want 63%

Category winnerElRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

22%Love

56%Like

4%Ok

11%Dislike

7%Hate

27 votes

47%Love

30%Like

5%Ok

16%Dislike

2%Hate

164 votes

Category winnerAM-PMMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityEl

SillageEl

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value87

¤ Price value45

Category winnerAM-PMBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

aromatic92%

citrus84%

amber77%

vanilla69%

soft spicy61%

aromatic100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

earthy77%

warm spicy69%

mossy61%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both aromatic and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LemonCardamomGinger

Heart

Clary SageCinnamonGeranium

Base

Amber XtremeVanillaPatchouli

Notes

OakmossCastoreumOrange BlossomClary SageCivetGeraniumVetiverHoneyCardamomPatchouliLaurelsRosemary

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Clary Sage, Geranium and Patchouli. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring74

Summer100

Fall83

Winter52

Day100

Night44

Spring91

Summer45

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAM-PMMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men86

Unisex11

Women4

Men84

Unisex13

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#32,039

PerfumerPaul Guerlain

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#30,079

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerElHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

AM-PM by Playboy starts with a sharp blast of lemon and ginger, backed by a cool hint of cardamom. It is a budget-friendly option for guys who want a clean, daily scent that does not demand too much attention. As it settles, clary sage and geranium bring a fresh green texture, while cinnamon adds a faint woody warmth.…

Reviews →

Arquiste El opens with a sharp flash of clary sage, rosemary, and bitter laurel leaves before deepening into a sweaty vintage heart. Rodrigo Flores-Roux built this 2016 release around raw oakmoss, earthy patchouli, and heavy animalic notes of castoreum and civet. A subtle streak of dark honey and cinnamon cuts through…

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, AM-PM or El?

El takes 4 of 7 categories. AM-PM is rated 3.74/5 from 27 votes; El is rated 4.04/5 from 164 votes. Choose AM-PM for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose El for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, AM-PM or El?

El lasts longest (El 70/100, AM-PM 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, AM-PM or El?

El projects furthest (El 63/100, AM-PM 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do AM-PM and El smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Clary Sage, Geranium and Patchouli.

Is AM-PM or El better for summer or winter?

For summer, AM-PM is the stronger pick. For winter, El is the stronger pick. AM-PM suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in AM-PM and El?

AM-PM has top notes of Lemon, Cardamom and Ginger, heart notes of Clary Sage, Cinnamon and Geranium, a base of Amber Xtreme, Vanilla and Patchouli. El features Oakmoss, Castoreum, Orange Blossom, Clary Sage and Civet.