Fragrance comparison

Begum vs Cotton T-Shirt

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 368 ratings analysed

5 wins

Begum

Xerjoff

4.16140 votes

Rank #6,736 WoodyRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

Cotton T-Shirt

Clean

3.45228 votes

Rank #42,767 PowderyAldehydic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Begum takes 5 of 7 categories.

Begum
Choose it for a woody and rose character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.
Cotton T-Shirt
Choose it for a powdery and aldehydic character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Begum5/7

Cotton T-Shirt2/7

Ratings & consensus: Begum
Community sentiment: Begum
Longevity: Begum
Sillage & projection: Begum
Value for money: Cotton T-Shirt
Versatility: Cotton T-Shirt
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Begum

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BegumXerjoff

Cotton T-ShirtClean

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 140 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

3.45/ 5 · 228 votes

Have 37%Had 19%Want 44%

Category winnerBegumRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

55%Love

22%Like

11%Ok

8%Dislike

4%Hate

140 votes

21%Love

38%Like

7%Ok

34%Dislike

0%Hate

228 votes

Category winnerBegumMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate61

Category winners

LongevityBegum

SillageBegum

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value24

¤ Price value68

Category winnerCotton T-ShirtBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

rose92%

powdery84%

floral77%

sweet69%

vanilla61%

powdery100%

aldehydic92%

floral84%

fresh77%

musky69%

woody61%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both powdery, woody and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Red BerriesBergamotLemonFreesia

Heart

Damask RoseBulgarian RoseIrisYlang-YlangLilacJasmine SambacLily-of-the-Valley

Base

SandalwoodVanillaPalisander RosewoodPatchouliAmberMuskVetiver

Top15 to 30 minutes

AldehydesBergamot

Heart2 to 3 hours

Cotton FlowerFreesiaPalisander Rosewood

Base3 to 4 hours

MuskVetiverAmber

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Freesia, Palisander Rosewood and Amber. Durations are only published for Cotton T-Shirt, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter89

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer100

Fall37

Winter28

Day100

Night16

Category winnerCotton T-ShirtMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men9

Unisex42

Women49

Men39

Unisex35

Women26

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,736

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews12

Overall rank#42,767

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBegumHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Begum by Xerjoff is an intense unisex chypre floral fragrance from the brand's premium 17/17 Stone Label collection. Master perfumer Chris Maurice constructed this scent around a lush contrast between vibrant fruit and heavy timber. It opens with a flash of tart red berries, bergamot, and freesia before revealing a de…

Reviews →

Clean launched Cotton T-Shirt in 2011 to bottle the crisp feeling of freshly laundered clothing dried in a warm breeze. The fragrance opens with an invigorating surge of cool aldehydes and sparkling bergamot, creating an immediate sensation of soapy water and breezy morning air. In the heart, airy cotton flower mingle…

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, Begum or Cotton T-Shirt?

Begum takes 5 of 7 categories. Begum is rated 4.16/5 from 140 votes; Cotton T-Shirt is rated 3.45/5 from 228 votes. Choose Begum for a woody and rose character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring. Choose Cotton T-Shirt for a powdery and aldehydic character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Begum or Cotton T-Shirt?

Begum lasts longest (Begum 84/100, Cotton T-Shirt 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Begum or Cotton T-Shirt?

Begum projects furthest (Begum 73/100, Cotton T-Shirt 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Begum and Cotton T-Shirt smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, woody and floral accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Freesia, Palisander Rosewood and Amber.

Is Begum or Cotton T-Shirt better for summer or winter?

For summer, Cotton T-Shirt is the stronger pick. For winter, Begum is the stronger pick. Cotton T-Shirt suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Begum and Cotton T-Shirt?

Begum has top notes of Red Berries, Bergamot, Lemon and Freesia, heart notes of Damask Rose, Bulgarian Rose, Iris and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Sandalwood, Vanilla, Palisander Rosewood and Patchouli. Cotton T-Shirt has top notes of Aldehydes and Bergamot, heart notes of Cotton Flower, Freesia and Palisander Rosewood, a base of Musk, Vetiver and Amber.