Fragrance comparison

Candide vs The Heart of Leo

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

Updated 31 Oct 2026 253 ratings analysed

Candide

Aftelier

4.3010 votes

Rank #21,087 CitrusAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

The Heart of Leo

Gucci

4.13243 votes

Rank #6,177 AmberFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The Heart of Leo takes 3 of 4 categories.

Candide
Choose it for a citrus and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
The Heart of Leo
Choose it for a amber and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Candide1/4

The Heart of Leo3/4

Ratings & consensus: The Heart of Leo
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: The Heart of Leo
Sillage & projection: Candide
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Heart of Leo

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CandideAftelier

The Heart of LeoGucci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.30/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 15%Had 1%Want 84%

4.13/ 5 · 243 votes

Have 30%Had 6%Want 63%

Category winnerThe Heart of LeoRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

30%Love

70%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

47%Love

30%Like

14%Ok

6%Dislike

3%Hate

243 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityThe Heart of Leo

SillageCandide

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value24

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

amber92%

fresh spicy84%

white floral77%

balsamic69%

warm spicy61%

amber100%

fruity90%

warm spicy80%

aromatic70%

balsamic60%

woody50%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both amber, warm spicy and balsamic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Pink GrapefruitBlood OrangeBlack Pepper

Heart

JasmineRose

Base

OpoponaxOlibanumMyrrh

Top30 to 60 minutes

Black Currant

Heart2 to 4 hours

Olibanum

Base4 to 7 hours

Myrrh

InformationalShared notesOlibanum and Myrrh. Durations are only published for The Heart of Leo, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer67

Fall67

Winter0

Day100

Night50

Spring86

Summer29

Fall100

Winter91

Day81

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men21

Unisex49

Women31

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,087

PerfumerMandy Aftel

Launched—

Reviews11

Overall rank#6,177

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews34

Category winnerThe Heart of LeoHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Candide opens with bright grapefruit and blood orange, then quickly softens into jasmine, rose, and comforting incense. It feels polished rather than loud, with a tender citrus floral character that stays textured by frankincense, myrrh, and opoponax. This suits someone who wants natural-smelling citrus and white flo…

Reviews →

The Heart of Leo by Gucci is a resinous and fruity perfume that combines a dark fruit opening with a warm, smoky resin dry-down. It opens with a tart, deep burst of black currant, giving the scent a wine-like edge before softening into rich balsamic layers. At the centre, olibanum adds an aromatic incense brightness t…

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, Candide or The Heart of Leo?

The Heart of Leo takes 3 of 4 categories. Candide is rated 4.30/5 from 10 votes; The Heart of Leo is rated 4.13/5 from 243 votes. Choose Candide for a citrus and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose The Heart of Leo for a amber and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Candide or The Heart of Leo?

The Heart of Leo lasts longest (The Heart of Leo 69/100, Candide 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Candide or The Heart of Leo?

Candide projects furthest (Candide 67/100, The Heart of Leo 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Candide and The Heart of Leo smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and balsamic accords. Common notes include Olibanum and Myrrh.

Is Candide or The Heart of Leo better for summer or winter?

Candide suits daytime wear; The Heart of Leo suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Candide and The Heart of Leo?

Candide has top notes of Pink Grapefruit, Blood Orange and Black Pepper, heart notes of Jasmine and Rose, a base of Opoponax, Olibanum and Myrrh. The Heart of Leo has top notes of Black Currant, heart notes of Olibanum, a base of Myrrh.