Cabotine vs L'Instant Magic
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
22%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
L'Instant Magic takes 4 of 7 categories.
CabotineChoose it for a floral and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.
L'Instant MagicChoose it for a powdery and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Cabotine3/7
L'Instant Magic4/7
- Ratings & consensus
- L'Instant Magic
- Community sentiment
- L'Instant Magic
- Longevity
- Cabotine
- Sillage & projection
- Cabotine
- Value for money
- Cabotine
- Versatility
- L'Instant Magic
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- L'Instant Magic
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
CabotineGrèsL'Instant MagicGuerlainWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.68/ 5 · 5,225 votes
Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%
4.23/ 5 · 5,932 votes
Have 43%Had 24%Want 33%
Category winnerL'Instant MagicRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate28%Love
41%Like
6%Ok
23%Dislike
3%Hate
5,225 votes
46%Love
41%Like
2%Ok
10%Dislike
0%Hate
5,932 votes
Category winnerL'Instant MagicMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityCabotine
SillageCabotine
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerCabotineBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothfloral100%
white floral92%
aromatic84%
green77%
fruity69%
woody61%
powdery100%
floral92%
violet84%
almond77%
iris69%
sweet61%
Scent match22%Clearly different · both floral
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
CorianderOrange BlossomCassiaBlack CurrantPlumTangerinePeach
Heart
TuberoseHiacynthCarnationJasmineGingerYlang-YlangRoseFreesia
Base
CivetMuskVetiverSandalwoodCedarAmberTonka BeanVanilla
Top15 to 30 minutes
AniseBergamotLemon
Heart2 to 4 hours
VioletMimosaRoseFreesiaCarnation
Base5 to 8 hours
AlmondIrisVanillaWhite MuskSandalwoodCedar
InformationalShared notesCarnation, Rose, Freesia and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for L'Instant Magic, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring100
Summer0
Fall0
Winter38
Day–
Night–
Spring52
Summer26
Fall86
Winter100
Day100
Night83
Category winnerL'Instant MagicMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#1,567
PerfumerJean Claude Delville
Launched—
Reviews206
Overall rank#1,375
PerfumerRanda Hammami, Sylvaine Delacourte
Launched—
Reviews200
Category winnerL'Instant MagicHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotCabotine by Grès is a Floral fragrance for women. Cabotine was launched in 1990. The nose behind this fragrance is Jean Claude Delville. Top notes are Coriander, Orange Blossom, Cassia, Black Currant, Plum, Tangerine and Peach; middle notes are Tuberose, Hiacynth, Carnation, Jasmine, Ginger, Ylang-Ylang, Rose, Freesia…
Reviews →L'Instant Magic by Guerlain brings a plush, comforting warmth built around soft almond, delicate iris, and soothing white musk. Launched in 2007, this floral woody musk opens with a light touch of bergamot, lemon, and aromatic anise before settling into a powdery cloud of violet, mimosa, and rose. It does not shout or…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
Recent comparisons
Head-to-head activity from live history
Ramsés IIAtelier Segall & BaruttiRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
Mata HariDSH PerfumesWINNER
Baccarat Rouge 540Maison Francis KurkdjianRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
KhamrahLattafa PerfumesWINNER
PancaldiPancaldiRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
Fight Club WhiteReyane TraditionWINNER
♛
Tequila Pour Femme RedBhararaWINNER
vs
Ameixa RubiPaixãoRUNNER-UP
1 person compared this today
Tequila Pour Femme RedBhararaWINNER
vs
Ameixa RubiPaixãoRUNNER-UP
Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Cabotine or L'Instant Magic?
L'Instant Magic takes 4 of 7 categories. Cabotine is rated 3.68/5 from 5,225 votes; L'Instant Magic is rated 4.23/5 from 5,932 votes. Choose Cabotine for a floral and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring. Choose L'Instant Magic for a powdery and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Which lasts longer, Cabotine or L'Instant Magic?
They last about the same: Cabotine 74/100, L'Instant Magic 73/100 for longevity in community votes.
Which projects more, Cabotine or L'Instant Magic?
Cabotine projects furthest (Cabotine 69/100, L'Instant Magic 66/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Cabotine and L'Instant Magic smell similar?
Clearly different: a 22% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral accords. Common notes include Carnation, Rose, Freesia and Sandalwood.
Is Cabotine or L'Instant Magic better for summer or winter?
For summer, L'Instant Magic is the stronger pick. For winter, L'Instant Magic is the stronger pick. L'Instant Magic suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Cabotine and L'Instant Magic?
Cabotine has top notes of Coriander, Orange Blossom, Cassia and Black Currant, heart notes of Tuberose, Hiacynth, Carnation and Jasmine, a base of Civet, Musk, Vetiver and Sandalwood. L'Instant Magic has top notes of Anise, Bergamot and Lemon, heart notes of Violet, Mimosa, Rose and Freesia, a base of Almond, Iris, Vanilla and White Musk.
Popular fragrance comparisons
The matchups people have compared most on Fragranxe.
vs
Sauvage vs Bleu de Chanel
Dior · Chanel · 36 comparisons
vs
Paco Rabanne Pour Homme Rabanne for men vs Shiyaaka Shadow
Rabanne · Khadlaj Perfumes · 30 comparisons
vs
Baccarat Rouge 540 vs Khamrah
Maison Francis Kurkdjian · Lattafa Perfumes · 21 comparisons
vs
Birth of Venus vs Brioni Eau de Parfum Intense
Argos · Brioni · 17 comparisons
vs
Supremacy Not Only Intense vs Arabians Tonka
Afnan · Montale · 14 comparisons
vs
Secret De Venus Eau de Parfum vs # What Matters is Inside - Italy
Weil · Jovoy Paris · 14 comparisons