Fragrance comparison

Berlin Urban vs Luminous Waves

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 22 ratings analysed

3 wins

Berlin Urban

Mahogany

4.388 votes

Rank #48,840 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Luminous Waves

Volaré

4.5714 votes

Rank #20,319 AmberMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Berlin Urban takes 3 of 4 categories.

Berlin Urban
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, day or night wear.
Luminous Waves
Choose it for a amber and musky character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Berlin Urban3/4

Luminous Waves1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Berlin UrbanMahogany

Luminous WavesVolaré

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.38/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 40%Had 20%Want 40%

4.57/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 68%Had 5%Want 28%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

63%Love

13%Like

25%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

64%Love

29%Like

7%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate89

Category winners

LongevityBerlin Urban

SillageBerlin Urban

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value95

¤ Price value81

Category winnerBerlin UrbanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

fresh spicy84%

amber77%

citrus69%

earthy61%

amber100%

musky83%

fresh spicy65%

fresh48%

rose30%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both amber and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

Mandarin OrangeViolet LeafGrapefruitPink PepperSicilian LemonBergamotGinger

Heart

KephalisRosemaryCassisYlang-YlangLily-of-the-ValleyNutmegGeraniumTransparent Woods

Base

OakmossAmberPatchouliMuskLabdanumSandalwood

Top

GingerGrapefruitBergamot

Heart

GeraniumWater NotesRosemarySage

Base

LabdanumAmberAmbroxan

InformationalShared notesGrapefruit, Bergamot, Ginger and Rosemary. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring83

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring83

Summer100

Fall50

Winter33

Day100

Night75

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men75

Unisex13

Women13

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#48,840

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#20,319

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerLuminous WavesHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Berlin Urban by Mahogany is a woody, aromatic scent built for daily wear. It opens with a vibrant mix of citrus and pink pepper before shifting into a complex heart of woods and spices. The dry-down relies on patchouli and oakmoss, providing a grounded, masculine finish that performs reliably through long office days …

Reviews →

Luminous Waves is a bright aromatic freshie with a brisk grapefruit and ginger opening, watery herbs through the middle, and a smooth ambery Ambroxan base. It leans clean, modern, and easy to wear. It suits warm weather, daytime use, and anyone who likes fresh scents with a little spice. Performance looks mixed, so it…

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, Berlin Urban or Luminous Waves?

Berlin Urban takes 3 of 4 categories. Berlin Urban is rated 4.38/5 from 8 votes; Luminous Waves is rated 4.57/5 from 14 votes. Choose Berlin Urban for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, day or night wear. Choose Luminous Waves for a amber and musky character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Berlin Urban or Luminous Waves?

Berlin Urban lasts longest (Berlin Urban 83/100, Luminous Waves 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Berlin Urban or Luminous Waves?

Berlin Urban projects furthest (Berlin Urban 55/100, Luminous Waves 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Berlin Urban and Luminous Waves smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Grapefruit, Bergamot, Ginger and Rosemary.

Is Berlin Urban or Luminous Waves better for summer or winter?

Berlin Urban suits day or night wear; Luminous Waves suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Berlin Urban and Luminous Waves?

Berlin Urban has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Violet Leaf, Grapefruit and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Kephalis, Rosemary, Cassis and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Oakmoss, Amber, Patchouli and Musk. Luminous Waves has top notes of Ginger, Grapefruit and Bergamot, heart notes of Geranium, Water Notes, Rosemary and Sage, a base of Labdanum, Amber and Ambroxan.