Fragrance comparison

Breathe vs Malbec Noir

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 1,285 ratings analysed

Breathe

Akro

3.49275 votes

Rank #9,040 AquaticLavender

Full profile Similar & dupes

17%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Malbec Noir

O Boticário

4.301,010 votes

Rank #23,157 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Malbec Noir takes 5 of 7 categories.

Breathe
Choose it for a aquatic and lavender character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Malbec Noir
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Breathe2/7

Malbec Noir5/7

Ratings & consensus: Malbec Noir
Community sentiment: Malbec Noir
Longevity: Malbec Noir
Sillage & projection: Malbec Noir
Value for money: Malbec Noir
Versatility: Breathe
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Breathe

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BreatheAkro

Malbec NoirO Boticário

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.49/ 5 · 275 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

4.30/ 5 · 1,010 votes

Have 69%Had 31%Want 0%

Category winnerMalbec NoirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

19%Love

46%Like

21%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

167 votes

55%Love

30%Like

5%Ok

7%Dislike

3%Hate

1,010 votes

Category winnerMalbec NoirMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage49

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityMalbec Noir

SillageMalbec Noir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value42

¤ Price value57

Category winnerMalbec NoirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aquatic100%

lavender90%

musky80%

citrus70%

fresh spicy60%

fresh50%

woody100%

aromatic92%

citrus84%

wine77%

fruity69%

amber61%

Scent match17%Clearly different · both citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LavenderBergamot

Heart

Water Notes

Base

Musk

Top

Water NotesPink PepperApplePineappleBergamotOrangeSicilian LemonMandarin Orange

Heart

Pinot Noir grapesRed WineLavenderPepperCorianderNeroli

Base

Tonka BeanAmberSandalwoodGinCashmeranPatchouliVetiverMusk

InformationalShared notesLavender, Bergamot, Water Notes 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

Spring87

Summer100

Fall38

Winter9

Day100

Night22

Spring57

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBreatheMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men46

Unisex49

Women4

Men96

Unisex3

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#9,040

PerfumerOlivier Cresp

Launched—

Reviews82

Overall rank#23,157

PerfumerDominique Ropion, Napoleão Bastos

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBreatheHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Akro Breathe is a clean, airy aquatic that leans into that familiar 90s and early 2000s freshie comfort zone. It opens bright and aromatic with bergamot and lavender, then turns watery and blue before settling into a musky, mineral skin scent. Many people describe it as a higher-quality take on Versace Man Eau Fraiche…

Reviews →

O Boticário Malbec Noir combines a crisp, fruit-forward opening with a rich, dark base built around red wine and woods. It kicks off with a splash of aquatic freshness, tart green apple, juicy pineapple, and bright citrus that immediately grabs your attention. As the initial freshness settles, a distinct note of chill…

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, Breathe or Malbec Noir?

Malbec Noir takes 5 of 7 categories. Breathe is rated 3.49/5 from 275 votes; Malbec Noir is rated 4.30/5 from 1,010 votes. Choose Breathe for a aquatic and lavender character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Malbec Noir for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Breathe or Malbec Noir?

Malbec Noir lasts longest (Malbec Noir 78/100, Breathe 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Breathe or Malbec Noir?

Malbec Noir projects furthest (Malbec Noir 68/100, Breathe 49/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Breathe and Malbec Noir smell similar?

Clearly different: a 17% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus accords. Common notes include Lavender, Bergamot, Water Notes and Musk.

Is Breathe or Malbec Noir better for summer or winter?

For summer, Breathe is the stronger pick. For winter, Malbec Noir is the stronger pick. Breathe suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Breathe and Malbec Noir?

Breathe has top notes of Lavender and Bergamot, heart notes of Water Notes, a base of Musk. Malbec Noir has top notes of Water Notes, Pink Pepper, Apple and Pineapple, heart notes of Pinot Noir grapes, Red Wine, Lavender and Pepper, a base of Tonka Bean, Amber, Sandalwood and Gin.