Fragrance comparison

Begum vs Toscana

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 156 ratings analysed

4 wins

Begum

Xerjoff

4.16140 votes

Rank #6,294 WoodyRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

Toscana

Paolo Gigli

4.1216 votes

Rank #48,532 CitrusWoody

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.
Toscana
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Begum4/4

Toscana0/4

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

ToscanaPaolo Gigli

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 140 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

4.12/ 5 · 16 votes

Have 23%Had 30%Want 47%

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

44%Love

38%Like

6%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

16 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

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate78

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%

citrus100%

woody92%

amber84%

rose77%

white floral69%

musky61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both woody and rose

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

Top20-40 mins

BergamotLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

Damask RoseJasmine Sambac

Base6-10 hrs

Palisander RosewoodMuskWhite Amber

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Lemon, Bulgarian Rose and Jasmine Sambac. Durations are only published for Toscana, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter89

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer100

Fall50

Winter33

Day100

Night39

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men9

Unisex42

Women49

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Casual 36%Work 32%Date 20%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,294

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews12

Overall rank#48,532

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 →

Paolo Gigli Toscana starts with an immediate splash of tart Italian lemon and bitter bergamot. The citrus hits immediately. That sharp, solvent-heavy burst softens within five minutes into a clean floral heart of Damask rose and jasmine sambac. It feels classic yet remarkably fresh. As skin heat warms the oils, the ba…

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 Toscana?

Begum takes 4 of 4 categories. Begum is rated 4.16/5 from 140 votes; Toscana is rated 4.12/5 from 16 votes. Choose Begum for a woody and rose character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring. Choose Toscana for a citrus and woody character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Begum or Toscana?

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

Which projects more, Begum or Toscana?

Begum projects furthest (Begum 73/100, Toscana 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Begum and Toscana smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and rose accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Lemon, Bulgarian Rose and Jasmine Sambac.

Is Begum or Toscana better for summer or winter?

Toscana suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Begum and Toscana?

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. Toscana has top notes of Bergamot and Lemon, heart notes of Damask Rose and Jasmine Sambac, a base of Palisander Rosewood, Musk and White Amber.