Fragrance comparison

Begum vs Joa

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 148 ratings analysed

Begum

Xerjoff

4.16140 votes

Rank #7,062 WoodyRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

Joa

Blancheide

4.258 votes

Rank #42,161 IrisFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

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

Begum
Choose it for a woody and rose character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Joa
Choose it for a iris and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Begum2/4

Joa2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Begum
Sillage & projection: Joa
Value for money: Joa
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

JoaBlancheide

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 140 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

4.25/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 19%Had 6%Want 75%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

38%Love

50%Like

13%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity47

〰 Sillage81

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityBegum

SillageJoa

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value24

¤ Price value75

Category winnerJoaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

rose92%

powdery84%

floral77%

sweet69%

vanilla61%

iris100%

floral92%

powdery84%

rose77%

violet69%

almond61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both rose, floral and powdery

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

Bitter AlmondMint

Heart

IrisDamask RoseLilacPatchouli

Base

MuskMadagascar VanillaLabdanumSandalwood

InformationalShared notesBulgarian Rose, Iris, Lilac and Sandalwood. 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–

Spring25

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night67

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men9

Unisex42

Women49

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,062

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews12

Overall rank#42,161

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

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 →

Blancheide Joa opens with a quick flash of bitter almond and cool mint before turning into a dense floral heart. Powdered iris, damask rose, and lilac merge over a quiet patchouli base. As the fragrance settles on skin, Madagascar vanilla, labdanum, sandalwood, and musk take over. The overall effect delivers a thick, …

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 Joa?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Begum is rated 4.16/5 from 140 votes; Joa is rated 4.25/5 from 8 votes. Choose Begum for a woody and rose character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Joa for a iris and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Begum or Joa?

Begum lasts longest (Begum 84/100, Joa 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Begum or Joa?

Joa projects furthest (Joa 81/100, Begum 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Begum and Joa smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share rose, floral and powdery accords. Common notes include Bulgarian Rose, Iris, Lilac and Sandalwood.

Is Begum or Joa better for summer or winter?

Joa suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Begum and Joa?

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. Joa has top notes of Bitter Almond and Mint, heart notes of Iris, Damask Rose, Lilac and Patchouli, a base of Musk, Madagascar Vanilla, Labdanum and Sandalwood.