Fragrance comparison

Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic vs Desire

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

Updated 4 Nov 2026 8,281 ratings analysed

Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic

Guerlain

4.128,272 votes

Rank #4,625 CitrusFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

16%scent match

Clearly different

Desire

Alexander

4.119 votes

Rank #49,786 SweetEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic
Choose it for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Desire
Choose it for a sweet and earthy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic2/4

Desire2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Desire
Sillage & projection: Desire
Value for money: Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Aqua Allegoria Mandarine BasilicGuerlain

DesireAlexander

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.12/ 5 · 8,272 votes

Have 49%Had 20%Want 31%

4.11/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 20%Had 4%Want 76%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

36%Love

48%Like

8%Ok

7%Dislike

1%Hate

8,272 votes

44%Love

44%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

11%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity51

〰 Sillage46

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityDesire

SillageDesire

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value42

¤ Price value29

Category winnerAqua Allegoria Mandarine BasilicBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

fresh spicy86%

green72%

aromatic58%

fresh44%

sweet30%

sweet100%

earthy90%

vanilla80%

lactonic70%

white floral60%

animalic50%

Scent match16%Clearly different · both sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

ClementineBitter OrangeOrange BlossomGreen TeaIvy

Heart1 to 3 hours

Mandarin OrangeBasilChamomilePeony

Base2 to 4 hours

SandalwoodAmber

Top

GingerBitter OrangeBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart

KulfiTruffleRoseJasmineOrange Blossom

Base

VanillaMastic or LentisqueSandalwoodAmber

InformationalShared notesBitter Orange, Orange Blossom, Mandarin Orange and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer100

Fall17

Winter17

Day100

Night9

Spring67

Summer17

Fall83

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex36

Women63

Men18

Unisex36

Women45

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,625

PerfumerMarie Salamagne

Launched—

Reviews208

Overall rank#49,786

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAqua Allegoria Mandarine BasilicHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic by Guerlain is a bright citrus aromatic fragrance built around crisp orchard fruit and garden greens. It opens with an immediate rush of juicy clementine and bitter orange, accented by a leafy touch of green tea and ivy. As the initial zest settles, herbal basil and sweet mandarin oran…

Reviews →

Desire by Alexander is a sweet, earthy gourmand-leaning scent built around bright citrus and ginger up top, then a creamy kulfi note tangled with truffle and white florals. It dries down into vanilla, sandalwood and amber with a resinous, balsamic edge from mastic. It often reads cosy and slightly sensual, best for co…

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, Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic or Desire?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic is rated 4.12/5 from 8,272 votes; Desire is rated 4.11/5 from 9 votes. Choose Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Desire for a sweet and earthy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic or Desire?

Desire lasts longest (Desire 73/100, Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic or Desire?

Desire projects furthest (Desire 63/100, Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic 46/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic and Desire smell similar?

Clearly different: a 16% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet accords. Common notes include Bitter Orange, Orange Blossom, Mandarin Orange and Sandalwood.

Is Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic or Desire better for summer or winter?

Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic suits daytime wear; Desire suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic and Desire?

Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic has top notes of Clementine, Bitter Orange, Orange Blossom and Green Tea, heart notes of Mandarin Orange, Basil, Chamomile and Peony, a base of Sandalwood and Amber. Desire has top notes of Ginger, Bitter Orange, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Kulfi, Truffle, Rose and Jasmine, a base of Vanilla, Mastic or Lentisque, Sandalwood and Amber.