Fragrance comparison

Begum vs Embruns d'Ylang

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 581 ratings analysed

5 wins

Begum

Xerjoff

4.16140 votes

Rank #6,928 WoodyRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

Embruns d'Ylang

Guerlain

3.94441 votes

Rank #7,926 Yellow FloralWoody

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.
Embruns d'Ylang
Choose it for a yellow floral and woody character. Wins on versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Begum5/7

Embruns d'Ylang1/7

Ratings & consensus: Begum
Community sentiment: Begum
Longevity: Begum
Sillage & projection: Begum
Value for money: Tie
Versatility: Embruns d'Ylang
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Begum

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BegumXerjoff

Embruns d'YlangGuerlain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 140 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

3.94/ 5 · 441 votes

Have 39%Had 12%Want 49%

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

39%Love

36%Like

10%Ok

10%Dislike

5%Hate

441 votes

Category winnerBegumMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityBegum

SillageBegum

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value24

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

rose92%

powdery84%

floral77%

sweet69%

vanilla61%

yellow floral100%

woody92%

sweet84%

salty77%

warm spicy69%

white floral61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both woody and sweet

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

SaltBergamot

Heart4 to 6 hours

Ylang-YlangJasmine SambacClovesHoney

Base4 to 6 hours

IrisPatchouliVanilla

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Iris, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine Sambac. Durations are only published for Embruns d'Ylang, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter89

Day–

Night–

Spring96

Summer100

Fall81

Winter37

Day100

Night56

Category winnerEmbruns d'YlangMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men9

Unisex42

Women49

Men3

Unisex23

Women73

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,928

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews12

Overall rank#7,926

PerfumerThierry Wasser

Launched—

Reviews50

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 →

Embruns d'Ylang by Guerlain takes the sunny tropical flower and drops it into a marine breeze. Thierry Wasser opens the scent with an unusual clash of crisp bergamot and mineral salt, cutting through the usual heaviness of floral perfumes. At the centre, ylang-ylang reveals its ripe, slightly fruity character, bolster…

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, Begum or Embruns d'Ylang?

Begum takes 5 of 7 categories. Begum is rated 4.16/5 from 140 votes; Embruns d'Ylang is rated 3.94/5 from 441 votes. Choose Begum for a woody and rose character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring. Choose Embruns d'Ylang for a yellow floral and woody character. Wins on versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Begum or Embruns d'Ylang?

Begum lasts longest (Begum 84/100, Embruns d'Ylang 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Begum or Embruns d'Ylang?

Begum projects furthest (Begum 73/100, Embruns d'Ylang 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Begum and Embruns d'Ylang smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and sweet accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Iris, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine Sambac.

Is Begum or Embruns d'Ylang better for summer or winter?

For summer, Embruns d'Ylang is the stronger pick. For winter, Begum is the stronger pick. Embruns d'Ylang suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Begum and Embruns d'Ylang?

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. Embruns d'Ylang has top notes of Salt and Bergamot, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine Sambac, Cloves and Honey, a base of Iris, Patchouli and Vanilla.