Fragrance comparison

Apercu vs Pavlova

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 612 ratings analysed

Apercu

Houbigant

4.13219 votes

Rank #24,297 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

59%scent match

Closely related

5 wins

Pavlova

Payot

3.86393 votes

Rank #2,434 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Pavlova takes 5 of 7 categories.

Apercu
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Pavlova
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Apercu2/7

Pavlova5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ApercuHoubigant

PavlovaPayot

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 219 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

3.86/ 5 · 393 votes

Have 58%Had 42%Want 0%

Category winnerApercuRating 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

26%Love

55%Like

2%Ok

16%Dislike

1%Hate

352 votes

Category winnerApercuMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityPavlova

SillagePavlova

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value70

Category winnerPavlovaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

earthy77%

green69%

citrus61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

white floral84%

earthy77%

green69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match59%Closely related · both woody, aromatic and earthy

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

CassiaGrapefruitRaspberryMandarin Orange

Heart

TuberoseHiacynthGeraniumYlang-YlangJasmineNeroli

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodMuskVanilla

InformationalShared notesJasmine, Neroli, Tuberose and Geranium. 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

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter91

Day–

Night–

Category winnerPavlovaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex47

Women53

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

Men0

Unisex15

Women85

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,297

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#2,434

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews81

Category winnerPavlovaHigher 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 →

Pavlova is an old-school floral with a bright fruity opening, then a fuller heart of tuberose, jasmine and ylang-ylang over moss, woods and soft vanilla. On skin it often reads green, powdery and slightly soapy, with a distinctly vintage character. It suits shoppers who enjoy classic florals with oakmoss depth more th…

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 Pavlova?

Pavlova takes 5 of 7 categories. Apercu is rated 4.13/5 from 219 votes; Pavlova is rated 3.86/5 from 393 votes. Choose Apercu for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Pavlova for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Apercu or Pavlova?

They last about the same: Pavlova 73/100, Apercu 72/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Apercu or Pavlova?

Projection is very close: Pavlova 64/100, Apercu 62/100 for sillage.

Do Apercu and Pavlova smell similar?

Closely related: a 59% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and earthy accords. Common notes include Jasmine, Neroli, Tuberose and Geranium.

Is Apercu or Pavlova better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Apercu and Pavlova?

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. Pavlova has top notes of Cassia, Grapefruit, Raspberry and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Tuberose, Hiacynth, Geranium and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Musk.