Fragrance comparison

Arctic vs California Blue

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 18 ratings analysed

Arctic

Gulf Orchid

4.333 votes

Rank #55,349 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

California Blue

Mykonos

4.3315 votes

Rank #29,723 AromaticMarine

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

California Blue takes 2 of 2 categories.

Arctic
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
California Blue
Choose it for a aromatic and marine character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Arctic0/2

California Blue2/2

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ArcticGulf Orchid

California BlueMykonos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

4.33/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 57%Had 14%Want 29%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

67%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

47%Love

40%Like

13%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value80

Category winnerCalifornia BlueBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic92%

marine84%

caramel77%

woody69%

aquatic61%

aromatic100%

marine92%

aquatic84%

lavender77%

floral69%

sweet61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both aromatic, marine and aquatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

MandarinCardamomBergamotMelonPearLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

CedarwoodJasmineGalbanum

Base6-8+ hrs

Marine notesCaramelMuskMoss

Top

LavenderPearGrapefruitSalt

Heart

Marine notesWater FlowersRhubarb

Base

CaramelMossWoody Notes

InformationalShared notesPear, Marine notes, Caramel and Moss. Durations are only published for Arctic, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night53

Spring55

Summer100

Fall27

Winter27

Day100

Night36

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Casual 36%Work 31%Date 18%Party 16%

Men57

Unisex43

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#55,349

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#29,723

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerCalifornia BlueHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Arctic by Gulf Orchid hits the skin like a blast of arctic wind over sunlit water. You get a fast burst of tart Italian bergamot, juicy mandarin, and cold sliced melon right away. It feels crisp. Then, warm cardamom spices up the fruit before a green kick of galbanum and jasmine smooths out the edges. As the initial s…

Reviews →

California Blue by Mykonos is a fresh, salty aquatic with a fruity opening and a softer sweet base. Pear and grapefruit give it an easy brightness up top, while marine notes, water flowers, and rhubarb keep it breezy and slightly tart. As it settles, caramel, moss, and woody notes round it out without taking it too fa…

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, Arctic or California Blue?

California Blue takes 2 of 2 categories. Arctic is rated 4.33/5 from 3 votes; California Blue is rated 4.33/5 from 15 votes. Choose Arctic for a citrus and aromatic character. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose California Blue for a aromatic and marine character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Do Arctic and California Blue smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, marine and aquatic accords. Common notes include Pear, Marine notes, Caramel and Moss.

Is Arctic or California Blue better for summer or winter?

Arctic suits daytime wear; California Blue suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Arctic and California Blue?

Arctic has top notes of Mandarin, Cardamom, Bergamot and Melon, heart notes of Cedarwood, Jasmine and Galbanum, a base of Marine notes, Caramel, Musk and Moss. California Blue has top notes of Lavender, Pear, Grapefruit and Salt, heart notes of Marine notes, Water Flowers and Rhubarb, a base of Caramel, Moss and Woody Notes.