Fragrance comparison

Apercu vs Cleopatra

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 221 ratings analysed

4 wins

Apercu

Houbigant

4.13219 votes

Rank #24,297 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

50%scent match

Some overlap

Cleopatra

Kesma

4.502 votes

Rank #50,694 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Apercu takes 4 of 4 categories.

Apercu
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Cleopatra
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Apercu4/4

Cleopatra0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ApercuHoubigant

CleopatraKesma

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 219 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 36%Had 9%Want 55%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityApercu

SillageApercu

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value50

Category winnerApercuBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

earthy77%

green69%

citrus61%

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

Scent match50%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and green

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

Top

BergamotCinnamonGalbanumPepperCloves

Heart

Orange BlossomYlang-YlangHeliotropeNarcissusTuberoseJasmineHoneyClove

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliLabdanumWormwoodOakmossLeatherVetiverIncense

InformationalShared notesJasmine, Bergamot, Tuberose and Cinnamon. Durations are only published for Apercu, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring79

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night53

Spring0

Summer0

Fall50

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex47

Women53

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

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,297

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#50,694

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerApercuHigher 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 →

Cleopatra by Kesma is a dense, unapologetic oriental floral from 1983. It opens with a punch of cloves and cinnamon before settling into a rich, resinous heart of tuberose, ylang-ylang, and honey. This is a cold-weather classic that leans heavily on its base of incense, leather, and oakmoss for a deep, vintage footpri…

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 Cleopatra?

Apercu takes 4 of 4 categories. Apercu is rated 4.13/5 from 219 votes; Cleopatra is rated 4.50/5 from 2 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 Cleopatra for a woody and amber character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Apercu or Cleopatra?

Apercu lasts longest (Apercu 72/100, Cleopatra 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Apercu or Cleopatra?

Apercu projects furthest (Apercu 62/100, Cleopatra 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Apercu and Cleopatra smell similar?

Some overlap: a 50% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and green accords. Common notes include Jasmine, Bergamot, Tuberose and Cinnamon.

Is Apercu or Cleopatra better for summer or winter?

Apercu suits daytime wear; Cleopatra suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Apercu and Cleopatra?

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. Cleopatra has top notes of Bergamot, Cinnamon, Galbanum and Pepper, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Ylang-Ylang, Heliotrope and Narcissus, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli, Labdanum and Wormwood.