Fragrance comparison

Byblos vs Istanbul IST

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 548 ratings analysed

Byblos

3.93524 votes

Rank #3,306 FruityWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Istanbul IST

The Scent of Departure

3.5424 votes

Rank #54,825 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Istanbul IST takes 3 of 5 categories.

Byblos
Choose it for a fruity and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Istanbul IST
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Byblos2/5

Istanbul IST3/5

Ratings & consensus: Byblos
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Istanbul IST
Sillage & projection: Istanbul IST
Value for money: Istanbul IST
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Byblos

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ByblosByblos

Istanbul ISTThe Scent of Departure

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 524 votes

Have 44%Had 36%Want 20%

3.54/ 5 · 24 votes

Have 9%Had 16%Want 75%

Category winnerByblosRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

48%Like

3%Ok

16%Dislike

1%Hate

524 votes

13%Love

58%Like

0%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityIstanbul IST

SillageIstanbul IST

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value70

¤ Price value75

Category winnerIstanbul ISTBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

white floral92%

sweet84%

powdery77%

floral69%

yellow floral61%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

fruity77%

sweet69%

rose61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both fruity and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PassionfruitPineappleBlack CurrantCassiaPeachMarigoldGrapefruitBergamot

Heart

MimosaHoneysuckleJasmineGardeniaHeliotropeVioletLily-of-the-ValleyYlang-Ylang

Base

RaspberryPepperVetiverMusk

Top

SpiceselemiBergamotRed BerriesGrapefruit

Heart

LitchiRosePepperSweet NotesLotusRaspberryViolet

Base

Woodsy NotesSandalwoodCinnamonMusk

InformationalShared notesGrapefruit, Bergamot, Violet and Raspberry. 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

Winter35

Day–

Night–

Spring86

Summer100

Fall71

Winter43

Day100

Night75

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex10

Women89

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,306

PerfumerIlias Ermenidis

Launched—

Reviews96

Overall rank#54,825

PerfumerGerald Ghislain

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerByblosHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Byblos by Byblos is a vibrant floral fruity fragrance for women that evokes a nostalgic 90s aesthetic. This perfume centers on a lush blend of passionfruit and pineapple, set against a complex heart of mimosa and jasmine. It feels ideal for bright spring days or casual summer outings, offering a refreshingly playful a…

Reviews →

Istanbul IST by The Scent of Departure opens with a sharp burst of bergamot and grapefruit, layered over a warm, peppery core. It settles into a soft cedarwood base, capturing the breezy vibe of the Bosporus. It works well for casual daytime wear during warm spring months.

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, Byblos or Istanbul IST?

Istanbul IST takes 3 of 5 categories. Byblos is rated 3.93/5 from 524 votes; Istanbul IST is rated 3.54/5 from 24 votes. Choose Byblos for a fruity and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Istanbul IST for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Byblos or Istanbul IST?

Istanbul IST lasts longest (Istanbul IST 65/100, Byblos 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Byblos or Istanbul IST?

Projection is very close: Istanbul IST 58/100, Byblos 56/100 for sillage.

Do Byblos and Istanbul IST smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity and sweet accords. Common notes include Grapefruit, Bergamot, Violet and Raspberry.

Is Byblos or Istanbul IST better for summer or winter?

Istanbul IST suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Byblos and Istanbul IST?

Byblos has top notes of Passionfruit, Pineapple, Black Currant and Cassia, heart notes of Mimosa, Honeysuckle, Jasmine and Gardenia, a base of Raspberry, Pepper, Vetiver and Musk. Istanbul IST has top notes of Spices, elemi, Bergamot and Red Berries, heart notes of Litchi, Rose, Pepper and Sweet Notes, a base of Woodsy Notes, Sandalwood, Cinnamon and Musk.