Fragrance comparison

Carat vs Lumen

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 2,109 ratings analysed

4 wins

Carat

Cartier

3.842,092 votes

Rank #2,888 GreenFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

17%scent match

Clearly different

Lumen

Parallax Olfactory

3.8817 votes

Rank #39,469 SoapyBeeswax

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Carat takes 4 of 5 categories.

Carat
Choose it for a green and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.
Lumen
Choose it for a soapy and beeswax character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Carat4/5

Lumen1/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CaratCartier

LumenParallax Olfactory

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.84/ 5 · 2,092 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

3.88/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 14%Had 5%Want 81%

Category winnerCaratRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

30%Love

42%Like

11%Ok

15%Dislike

1%Hate

2,092 votes

35%Love

35%Like

18%Ok

6%Dislike

6%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage46

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityLumen

SillageCarat

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price value33

Category winnerCaratBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

green100%

floral91%

yellow floral83%

white floral74%

powdery65%

fruity56%

soapy100%

beeswax90%

floral80%

honey70%

animalic60%

soft spicy50%

Scent match17%Clearly different · both floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Green NotesPearBergamot

Heart

HyacinthTulipNarcissusLilyHoneysuckleVioletYlang-Ylang

Base

MimosaWhite Musk

Notes

SoapBeeswaxTulipSweet NotesLily

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesTulip and Lily. Durations are only published for Lumen, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer61

Fall0

Winter18

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer71

Fall86

Winter43

Day100

Night41

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex6

Women94

Men0

Unisex11

Women89

Casual 38%Work 35%Date 17%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,888

PerfumerMathilde Laurent

Launched—

Reviews170

Overall rank#39,469

PerfumerLinda Sivrican

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerCaratHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cartier Carat opens with a sharp burst of crushed green leaves, crisp pear, and sour bergamot that feels like stepping into a cold florist shop on an April morning. Mathilde Laurent built this fragrance around seven distinct floral notes: hyacinth, tulip, narcissus, lily, honeysuckle, violet, and ylang-ylang. As the i…

Reviews →

Lumen by Parallax Olfactory smells like clean bath soap resting beside a warm incandescent bulb. The opening delivers a crisp bar of white soap paired with waxy, candied tulips and a hint of warm glass. As it warms on the skin, raw beeswax and sweet honey emerge alongside dewy lily petals. The scent feels bright, slig…

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, Carat or Lumen?

Carat takes 4 of 5 categories. Carat is rated 3.84/5 from 2,092 votes; Lumen is rated 3.88/5 from 17 votes. Choose Carat for a green and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring. Choose Lumen for a soapy and beeswax character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Carat or Lumen?

They last about the same: Lumen 63/100, Carat 62/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Carat or Lumen?

Carat projects furthest (Carat 58/100, Lumen 46/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Carat and Lumen smell similar?

Clearly different: a 17% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral accords. Common notes include Tulip and Lily.

Is Carat or Lumen better for summer or winter?

Lumen suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Carat and Lumen?

Carat has top notes of Green Notes, Pear and Bergamot, heart notes of Hyacinth, Tulip, Narcissus and Lily, a base of Mimosa and White Musk. Lumen features Soap, Beeswax, Tulip, Sweet Notes and Lily.