Fragrance comparison

Begum vs Gelsomino

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 150 ratings analysed

4 wins

Begum

Xerjoff

4.16140 votes

Rank #6,432 WoodyRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

Gelsomino

Bottega Verde

3.5010 votes

Rank #60,685 White FloralWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Begum takes 4 of 4 categories.

Begum
Choose it for a woody and rose character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Gelsomino
Choose it for a white floral and woody character. Best in spring.

Begum4/4

Gelsomino0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BegumXerjoff

GelsominoBottega Verde

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 140 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

3.50/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 5%Had 10%Want 85%

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

20%Love

40%Like

10%Ok

30%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate63

Category winners

LongevityBegum

SillageBegum

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value24

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

rose92%

powdery84%

floral77%

sweet69%

vanilla61%

white floral100%

woody88%

fruity77%

powdery65%

floral53%

tuberose42%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both woody, powdery 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

Top

Jasmine SambacYlang-YlangDamask RoseLilac

Heart

TuberosePeachNectarineHoneysuckleArtemisiaRed currant leafBamboo

Base

SandalwoodCashmeranMusk

InformationalShared notesBulgarian Rose, Ylang-Ylang, Lilac and Jasmine Sambac. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter89

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men9

Unisex42

Women49

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,432

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews12

Overall rank#60,685

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 →

Bottega Verde Gelsomino brings together plush Jasmine Sambac and sweet nectarine over a dense base of cashmeran and musk. Green touches of bamboo and red currant leaf temper the heavy tuberose heart, keeping the white floral profile fresh rather than overly formal. It wears best during crisp spring afternoons and casu…

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 Gelsomino?

Begum takes 4 of 4 categories. Begum is rated 4.16/5 from 140 votes; Gelsomino is rated 3.50/5 from 10 votes. Choose Begum for a woody and rose character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring. Choose Gelsomino for a white floral and woody character. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Begum or Gelsomino?

Begum lasts longest (Begum 84/100, Gelsomino 80/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Begum or Gelsomino?

Begum projects furthest (Begum 73/100, Gelsomino 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Begum and Gelsomino smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, powdery and floral accords. Common notes include Bulgarian Rose, Ylang-Ylang, Lilac and Jasmine Sambac.

What are the notes in Begum and Gelsomino?

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. Gelsomino has top notes of Jasmine Sambac, Ylang-Ylang, Damask Rose and Lilac, heart notes of Tuberose, Peach, Nectarine and Honeysuckle, a base of Sandalwood, Cashmeran and Musk.