Fragrance comparison

C'est Magique vs Samba Star

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 20 ratings analysed

C'est Magique

Kesling

4.003 votes

Rank #23,441 WoodyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

30%scent match

Clearly different

2 wins

Samba Star

Perfumer's Workshop

3.5317 votes

Rank #48,741 White FloralYellow Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Samba Star takes 2 of 3 categories.

C'est Magique
Choose it for a woody and fruity character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Samba Star
Choose it for a white floral and yellow floral character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

C'est Magique1/3

Samba Star2/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Samba Star
Sillage & projection: Samba Star
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: C'est Magique

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

C'est MagiqueKesling

Samba StarPerfumer's Workshop

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 34%Had 8%Want 58%

3.53/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 37%Had 41%Want 22%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

33%Like

33%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

18%Love

47%Like

6%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate63

Category winners

LongevitySamba Star

SillageSamba Star

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value56

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fruity92%

citrus84%

sweet77%

floral69%

white floral61%

white floral100%

yellow floral92%

floral84%

iris77%

green69%

powdery61%

Scent match30%Clearly different · both white floral and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LemonGreen NotesPlumMandarin OrangeBergamotPineappleFruity Notes

Heart

GardeniaFreesiaYlang-YlangJasmineRoseVioletLily-of-the-Valley

Base

Palisander RosewoodPrecious WoodsMusk

Notes

IrisNarcissusGardeniaFreesiaYlang-YlangJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyApricotRose

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesGardenia, Freesia, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night50

Spring0

Summer25

Fall100

Winter75

Day60

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men0

Unisex40

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,441

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#48,741

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerC'est MagiqueHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

C'est Magique is a bright, fruity floral blend from 1997. It opens with a vibrant burst of lemon, mandarin, and pineapple, eventually settling into a gardenia and ylang-ylang heart. On the skin, the fragrance relies on palisander rosewood and musk to provide a grounded, woodsy finish suitable for casual daytime wear d…

Reviews →

Samba Star by Perfumer's Workshop opens with a burst of gardenia, ylang-ylang, and freesia before shifting into a dry, powdery iris base. Released in 2001, this floral composition pairs sharp yellow florals with soft apricot sweetness. It suits crisp spring afternoons when you want a budget-friendly retro floral that …

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, C'est Magique or Samba Star?

Samba Star takes 2 of 3 categories. C'est Magique is rated 4.00/5 from 3 votes; Samba Star is rated 3.53/5 from 17 votes. Choose C'est Magique for a woody and fruity character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Samba Star for a white floral and yellow floral character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, C'est Magique or Samba Star?

Samba Star lasts longest (Samba Star 65/100, C'est Magique 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, C'est Magique or Samba Star?

Projection is very close: Samba Star 58/100, C'est Magique 56/100 for sillage.

Do C'est Magique and Samba Star smell similar?

Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral and floral accords. Common notes include Gardenia, Freesia, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine.

Is C'est Magique or Samba Star better for summer or winter?

C'est Magique suits daytime wear; Samba Star suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in C'est Magique and Samba Star?

C'est Magique has top notes of Lemon, Green Notes, Plum and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Gardenia, Freesia, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine, a base of Palisander Rosewood, Precious Woods and Musk. Samba Star features Iris, Narcissus, Gardenia, Freesia and Ylang-Ylang.