Fragrance comparison

Begum vs Rue des Lilas

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 313 ratings analysed

6 wins

Begum

Xerjoff

4.16140 votes

Rank #6,436 WoodyRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

Rue des Lilas

Phaedon

3.72173 votes

Rank #16,942 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Begum takes 6 of 7 categories.

Begum
Choose it for a woody and rose character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.
Rue des Lilas
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring.

Begum6/7

Rue des Lilas1/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BegumXerjoff

Rue des LilasPhaedon

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 140 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

3.72/ 5 · 173 votes

Have 27%Had 16%Want 56%

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

29%Love

39%Like

6%Ok

23%Dislike

2%Hate

173 votes

Category winnerBegumMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityBegum

SillageBegum

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value24

¤ Price value40

Category winnerRue des LilasBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

rose92%

powdery84%

floral77%

sweet69%

vanilla61%

white floral100%

floral88%

fresh77%

green65%

powdery53%

musky42%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both 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

Notes

LilacLily-of-the-ValleyLilyMuskPowdery NotesPalisander Rosewood

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesLilac, Lily-of-the-Valley, Palisander Rosewood and Musk. 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

Summer56

Fall0

Winter20

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBegumMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men9

Unisex42

Women49

Men0

Unisex23

Women77

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,436

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews12

Overall rank#16,942

PerfumerPierre Guillaume

Launched—

Reviews11

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 →

Rue des Lilas by Phaedon opens with a dewy splash of white lilac alongside fresh lily of the valley. Perfumer Pierre Guillaume builds the scent around a botanical green accord, anchoring the pale blossoms with dark palisander rosewood and soft powdery musk. The floral opening feels realistic and airy, avoiding heavy s…

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 Rue des Lilas?

Begum takes 6 of 7 categories. Begum is rated 4.16/5 from 140 votes; Rue des Lilas is rated 3.72/5 from 173 votes. Choose Begum for a woody and rose character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring. Choose Rue des Lilas for a white floral and floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Begum or Rue des Lilas?

Begum lasts longest (Begum 84/100, Rue des Lilas 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Begum or Rue des Lilas?

Begum projects furthest (Begum 73/100, Rue des Lilas 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Begum and Rue des Lilas smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and powdery accords. Common notes include Lilac, Lily-of-the-Valley, Palisander Rosewood and Musk.

Is Begum or Rue des Lilas better for summer or winter?

For summer, Rue des Lilas is the stronger pick. For winter, Begum is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Begum and Rue des Lilas?

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. Rue des Lilas features Lilac, Lily-of-the-Valley, Lily, Musk and Powdery Notes.