Fragrance comparison

Begum vs Miss Cotton Musk

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 148 ratings analysed

3 wins

Begum

Xerjoff

4.16140 votes

Rank #6,436 WoodyRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

Miss Cotton Musk

Ulric de Varens

4.508 votes

Rank #36,576 FloralLavender

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Begum takes 3 of 4 categories.

Begum
Choose it for a woody and rose character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Miss Cotton Musk
Choose it for a floral and lavender character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Begum3/4

Miss Cotton Musk1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Begum
Sillage & projection: Begum
Value for money: Miss Cotton Musk
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

Miss Cotton MuskUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 140 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

4.50/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 21%Had 13%Want 66%

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

50%Love

50%Like

0%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

⏱ Longevity51

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityBegum

SillageBegum

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value24

¤ Price value83

Category winnerMiss Cotton MuskBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

rose92%

powdery84%

floral77%

sweet69%

vanilla61%

floral100%

lavender92%

musky84%

vanilla77%

powdery69%

white floral61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both floral, powdery and vanilla

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

Top15-30 mins

LavenderWhite Musk

Heart2-4 hrs

LilacJasmineFreesia

Base5-7 hrs

VanillaMusk

InformationalShared notesFreesia, Lilac, Vanilla and Musk. Durations are only published for Miss Cotton Musk, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter89

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter75

Day100

Night41

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men9

Unisex42

Women49

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

Casual 43%Work 35%Date 15%Party 7%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,436

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews12

Overall rank#36,576

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 →

Miss Cotton Musk by Ulric de Varens smells like freshly washed cotton sheets drying in a cool spring breeze. The fragrance opens with an immediate burst of aromatic French lavender and clean white musk, accompanied by a fleeting alcohol lift that quickly settles onto warm skin. Within fifteen minutes, the composition …

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 Miss Cotton Musk?

Begum takes 3 of 4 categories. Begum is rated 4.16/5 from 140 votes; Miss Cotton Musk is rated 4.50/5 from 8 votes. Choose Begum for a woody and rose character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Miss Cotton Musk for a floral and lavender character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Begum or Miss Cotton Musk?

Begum lasts longest (Begum 84/100, Miss Cotton Musk 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Begum or Miss Cotton Musk?

Begum projects furthest (Begum 73/100, Miss Cotton Musk 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Begum and Miss Cotton Musk smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, powdery and vanilla accords. Common notes include Freesia, Lilac, Vanilla and Musk.

Is Begum or Miss Cotton Musk better for summer or winter?

Miss Cotton Musk suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Begum and Miss Cotton Musk?

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. Miss Cotton Musk has top notes of Lavender and White Musk, heart notes of Lilac, Jasmine and Freesia, a base of Vanilla and Musk.