Fragrance comparison

Chemystery vs Paul Smith Man 2

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 242 ratings analysed

Chemystery

Ajmal

3.7774 votes

Rank #27,360 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

5 wins

Paul Smith Man 2

Paul Smith

3.56168 votes

Rank #10,300 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Paul Smith Man 2 takes 5 of 7 categories.

Chemystery
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Paul Smith Man 2
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Chemystery2/7

Paul Smith Man 25/7

Ratings & consensus: Chemystery
Community sentiment: Chemystery
Longevity: Paul Smith Man 2
Sillage & projection: Paul Smith Man 2
Value for money: Paul Smith Man 2
Versatility: Paul Smith Man 2
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Paul Smith Man 2

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ChemysteryAjmal

Paul Smith Man 2Paul Smith

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.77/ 5 · 74 votes

Have 29%Had 25%Want 47%

3.56/ 5 · 168 votes

Have 47%Had 31%Want 22%

Category winnerChemysteryRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

16%Love

64%Like

8%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

64 votes

20%Love

49%Like

8%Ok

22%Dislike

0%Hate

95 votes

Category winnerChemysteryMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityPaul Smith Man 2

SillagePaul Smith Man 2

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value74

¤ Price value75

Category winnerPaul Smith Man 2Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic90%

fresh spicy80%

warm spicy70%

citrus60%

vanilla50%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

musky77%

powdery69%

cinnamon61%

Scent match56%Closely related · both woody, fresh spicy and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CardamomGrapefruitNutmegMandarin OrangeBasil

Heart

LavenderCypressThyme

Base

SandalwoodVetiverVanilleVirginia CedarTonka Bean

Top

CardamomGrapefruitGranny Smith appleMandarin Orange

Heart

Cashmere WoodCinnamonNutmegLavender

Base

SandalwoodMuskTonka BeanVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Grapefruit, Nutmeg and Mandarin Orange. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer92

Fall60

Winter16

Day100

Night33

Spring45

Summer41

Fall100

Winter83

Day77

Night100

Category winnerPaul Smith Man 2Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men80

Unisex10

Women10

Men93

Unisex7

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,360

PerfumerNazir Ajmal

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#10,300

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews28

Category winnerPaul Smith Man 2Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ajmal Chemystery is a woody aromatic fougere built around citrus, herbs and soft woods. It opens bright and spicy with grapefruit, mandarin and cardamom, then settles into a clean lavender heart with thyme and cypress. The dry down turns smoother and slightly sweet, with sandalwood, cedar, tonka and a touch of vanilla…

Reviews →

Paul Smith Man 2 is a woody spicy EDT that opens with bright citrus, green apple and cardamom, then turns warmer with nutmeg, cinnamon and soft woods. It usually wears as a sweet, slightly powdery designer scent with a fresh edge. It suits someone who wants an easy autumn to spring daily fragrance at a fair price. Sam…

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

Saffron AmberIlluminumRUNNER-UP vs

Septieme Sens (7e Sens)Sonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP vs

Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER

3 people compared this today

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Chemystery or Paul Smith Man 2?

Paul Smith Man 2 takes 5 of 7 categories. Chemystery is rated 3.77/5 from 74 votes; Paul Smith Man 2 is rated 3.56/5 from 168 votes. Choose Chemystery for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Paul Smith Man 2 for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Chemystery or Paul Smith Man 2?

Paul Smith Man 2 lasts longest (Paul Smith Man 2 69/100, Chemystery 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Chemystery or Paul Smith Man 2?

Projection is very close: Paul Smith Man 2 63/100, Chemystery 62/100 for sillage.

Do Chemystery and Paul Smith Man 2 smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, fresh spicy and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Grapefruit, Nutmeg and Mandarin Orange.

Is Chemystery or Paul Smith Man 2 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Chemystery is the stronger pick. For winter, Paul Smith Man 2 is the stronger pick. Chemystery suits daytime wear; Paul Smith Man 2 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chemystery and Paul Smith Man 2?

Chemystery has top notes of Cardamom, Grapefruit, Nutmeg and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Lavender, Cypress and Thyme, a base of Sandalwood, Vetiver, Vanille and Virginia Cedar. Paul Smith Man 2 has top notes of Cardamom, Grapefruit, Granny Smith apple and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Cashmere Wood, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Lavender, a base of Sandalwood, Musk, Tonka Bean and Virginia Cedar.