Fragrance comparison

Apercu vs Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 303 ratings analysed

Apercu

Houbigant

4.13219 votes

Rank #24,297 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)

DSH Perfumes · 2000

4.2384 votes

Rank #17,267 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4.

Apercu
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Apercu4/8

Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)4/8

Ratings & consensus: Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)
Community sentiment: Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)
Longevity: Apercu
Sillage & projection: Apercu
Value for money: Apercu
Versatility: Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)
Note pyramid (duration): Apercu
Fragranxe ranking: Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ApercuHoubigant

Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)DSH Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 219 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.23/ 5 · 84 votes

Have 30%Had 7%Want 64%

Category winnerCimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)Rating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

46%Like

2%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

219 votes

46%Love

40%Like

2%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

84 votes

Category winnerCimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityApercu

SillageApercu

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value35

Category winnerApercuBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

earthy77%

green69%

citrus61%

warm spicy100%

amber90%

citrus80%

vanilla70%

fresh spicy60%

cinnamon50%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both warm spicy and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Green NotesAmalfi LemonJasmineBergamotNeroliTuberose

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonGeraniumYlang-Ylang

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossClovePatchouliCassiaVetiverSandalwood

Top15-30 mins

NutmegCardamomBitter OrangeNeroliClementineBergamotAmalfi Lemon

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonSaffronCloveBeeswaxCarnationTuberoseRoseGeranium

Base5-7 hrs

VanillaOpoponaxBenzoinSandalwoodFrench labdanum

Category winnerApercuLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring79

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night53

Spring27

Summer18

Fall100

Winter91

Day100

Night83

Category winnerCimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex47

Women53

Work 40%Casual 31%Date 20%Party 9%

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

Casual 35%Date 30%Work 28%Party 8%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,297

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#17,267

PerfumerDawn Spencer Hurwitz

Launched2000

Reviews19

Category winnerCimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Houbigant Apercu brings traditional chypre construction into sharp, modern focus. It opens with bitter bergamot, crisp neroli, and crushed green stems. The oakmoss hits quickly. Fresh Amalfi lemon balances a dry heart of spicy cinnamon and brisk geranium. There is no candy here. The fragrance dries down into dark patc…

Reviews →

Cimabue opens with a brisk, tangy splash of bitter orange, clementine, and lemon peel dusted with fresh nutmeg. The alcohol lift vanishes within two minutes. A thick wave of cinnamon, ground clove, and earthy saffron quickly follows, anchored by a slab of raw, sticky beeswax. It smells remarkably like unbaked ginger m…

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, Apercu or Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)?

No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4. Apercu is rated 4.13/5 from 219 votes; Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8) is rated 4.23/5 from 84 votes. Choose Apercu for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Apercu or Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)?

Apercu lasts longest (Apercu 72/100, Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8) 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Apercu or Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)?

Apercu projects furthest (Apercu 62/100, Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8) 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Apercu and Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8) smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and citrus accords. Common notes include Amalfi Lemon, Bergamot, Neroli and Tuberose.

Is Apercu or Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8) better for summer or winter?

For summer, Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8) is the stronger pick. For winter, Apercu is the stronger pick. Apercu suits daytime wear; Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8) suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Apercu and Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8)?

Apercu has top notes of Green Notes, Amalfi Lemon, Jasmine and Bergamot, heart notes of Cinnamon, Geranium and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Oakmoss, Clove, Patchouli and Cassia. Cimabue (Italian Journey no. 8) has top notes of Nutmeg, Cardamom, Bitter Orange and Neroli, heart notes of Cinnamon, Saffron, Clove and Beeswax, a base of Vanilla, Opoponax, Benzoin and Sandalwood.