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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Carmen vs Imagination

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

Updated 281 ratings analysed
Clearly different
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Carmen takes 3 of 5 categories.

  • Carmen

    Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

  • Imagination

    Choose it for a fruity and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in spring.

Carmen3/5
Imagination2/5
Ratings & consensus
Imagination
Community sentiment
Not scored
Longevity
Carmen
Sillage & projection
Carmen
Value for money
Imagination
Versatility
Not scored
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Carmen

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
CarmenNimere Parfums
ImaginationOriflame
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
3.81/ 5 · 38 votes
Have 20%Had 17%Want 63%
3.67/ 5 · 243 votes
Have 43%Had 57%Want 0%
Category winnerImaginationRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
32%Love
41%Like
5%Ok
23%Dislike
0%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

15%Love
59%Like
5%Ok
21%Dislike
1%Hate

243 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity83
〰 Sillage65
♥ Love / hate74
⏱ Longevity43
〰 Sillage49
♥ Love / hate67
Category winners

LongevityCarmen

SillageCarmen

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value25
¤ Price value64
Category winnerImaginationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
amber100%
warm spicy92%
leather84%
sweet77%
smoky69%
woody61%
fruity100%
floral90%
musky80%
aquatic70%
fresh60%
sweet50%
Scent match12%Clearly different · both sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top
CardamomSpicy NotesBergamot
Heart
PearYlang-YlangJasmineRose
Base
Tolu BalsamBirchCastoreumOakmossMyrrhTobaccoBenzoinLabdanum
Top
PearViolet LeafPink Pepper
Heart
Pear BlossomWater LilyRose
Base
MuskCashmeranBenzoin
InformationalShared notesPear, Rose and Benzoin. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring13
Summer25
Fall100
Winter75
Day100
Night57
Spring100
Summer0
Fall0
Winter8
Day–
Night–
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men0
Unisex67
Women33
Men0
Unisex4
Women96
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,002

PerfumerNikolay Eremin

Launched—

Reviews18

Overall rank#18,269

PerfumerNadège Le Garlantezec

Launched—

Reviews15

Category winnerCarmenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Carmen by Nimere Parfums creates an intense, resinous portrait of a dramatic scent. It opens with sharp cardamom and spicy notes, settling into a dark, complex base of tobacco, tolu balsam, and birch. Designed for those who appreciate bold, character-driven fragrances, it thrives in cool autumn weather when you want a…

Reviews →

Oriflame Imagination opens with crisp pear and fresh violet leaf, spiked by subtle pink pepper. The heart settles into watery floral tones where clean water lily merges with soft pear blossom and rose. It stays close to the skin as cashmeran, Siam benzoin, and quiet musk form a lightweight base. Designed as a breezy …

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Carmen or Imagination?

Carmen takes 3 of 5 categories. Carmen is rated 3.81/5 from 38 votes; Imagination is rated 3.67/5 from 243 votes. Choose Carmen for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Imagination for a fruity and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Carmen or Imagination?

Carmen lasts longest (Carmen 83/100, Imagination 43/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Carmen or Imagination?

Carmen projects furthest (Carmen 65/100, Imagination 49/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Carmen and Imagination smell similar?

Clearly different: a 12% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet accords. Common notes include Pear, Rose and Benzoin.

Is Carmen or Imagination better for summer or winter?

Carmen suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Carmen and Imagination?

Carmen has top notes of Cardamom, Spicy Notes and Bergamot, heart notes of Pear, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Tolu Balsam, Birch, Castoreum and Oakmoss. Imagination has top notes of Pear, Violet Leaf and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Pear Blossom, Water Lily and Rose, a base of Musk, Cashmeran and Benzoin.

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