Fragrance comparison

Cancer vs Mary McFadden

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

Updated 26 Oct 2026 21 ratings analysed

Cancer

Demeter Fragrance

2.8715 votes

Rank #65,066 Yellow FloralAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

24%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Mary McFadden

4.836 votes

Rank #28,947 RoseFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Mary McFadden takes 4 of 5 categories.

Cancer
Choose it for a yellow floral and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Mary McFadden
Choose it for a rose and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in winter, evening wear.

Cancer1/5

Mary McFadden4/5

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Mary McFadden
Sillage & projection: Mary McFadden
Value for money: Cancer
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Mary McFadden
Fragranxe ranking: Mary McFadden

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CancerDemeter Fragrance

Mary McFaddenMary McFadden

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

2.87/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 32%Had 9%Want 59%

4.83/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 27%Had 9%Want 64%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

13%Love

20%Like

27%Ok

20%Dislike

20%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

83%Love

17%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage30

♥ Love / hate47

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage88

♥ Love / hate96

Category winners

LongevityMary McFadden

SillageMary McFadden

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value70

¤ Price value50

Category winnerCancerBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

yellow floral100%

aromatic90%

vanilla80%

green70%

woody60%

sweet50%

rose100%

floral92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

amber69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match24%Clearly different · both aromatic and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Ylang-YlangDavanaVanilla BeanWoodsy Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

CorianderHyacinthDavanaBergamot

Heart3-5 hrs

Moroccan RoseEgyptian RoseBulgarian RoseCarnationYlang-YlangJasmine

Base8-12 hrs

SandalowoodAmberMuskLabdanumMyrhhPatchouli

Category winnerMary McFaddenLongest dry-down: 8-12 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night35

Spring33

Summer33

Fall67

Winter100

Day33

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex17

Women83

Casual 43%Work 30%Date 19%Party 8%

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 44%Party 34%Work 13%Casual 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#65,066

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#28,947

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerMary McFaddenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cancer by Demeter Fragrance takes an unexpected route for a zodiac scent. Instead of watery or aquatic notes, it serves up a sunlit floral aromatic blend. The first spray releases a noticeable burst of perfumer alcohol that evaporates within two minutes, revealing lush ylang-ylang paired with fruity, wine-like davana.…

Reviews →

Mary McFadden is a rich, spicy vintage floriental released in 1979 that celebrates dramatic texture. The opening hits with a sharp burst of green hyacinth, pungent herbal coriander, and tart bergamot that quickly commands your attention. Within twenty minutes, that brisk green edge softens into an opulent floral heart…

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, Cancer or Mary McFadden?

Mary McFadden takes 4 of 5 categories. Cancer is rated 2.87/5 from 15 votes; Mary McFadden is rated 4.83/5 from 6 votes. Choose Cancer for a yellow floral and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Mary McFadden for a rose and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Cancer or Mary McFadden?

Mary McFadden lasts longest (Mary McFadden 80/100, Cancer 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cancer or Mary McFadden?

Mary McFadden projects furthest (Mary McFadden 88/100, Cancer 30/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cancer and Mary McFadden smell similar?

Clearly different: a 24% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang and Davana.

Is Cancer or Mary McFadden better for summer or winter?

Cancer suits daytime wear; Mary McFadden suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cancer and Mary McFadden?

Cancer features Ylang-Ylang, Davana, Vanilla Bean and Woodsy Notes. Mary McFadden has top notes of Coriander, Hyacinth, Davana and Bergamot, heart notes of Moroccan Rose, Egyptian Rose, Bulgarian Rose and Carnation, a base of Sandalowood, Amber, Musk and Labdanum.