Fragrance comparison

Ciel vs Sex in The City Sexy

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 430 ratings analysed

3 wins

Ciel

Ulric de Varens

4.18408 votes

Rank #5,464 VanillaPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

Sex in The City Sexy

InStyle

3.3622 votes

Rank #47,795 FloralCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ciel takes 3 of 4 categories.

Ciel
Choose it for a vanilla and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Sex in The City Sexy
Choose it for a floral and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Ciel3/4

Sex in The City Sexy1/4

Ratings & consensus: Ciel
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Ciel
Sillage & projection: Sex in The City Sexy
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Ciel

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CielUlric de Varens

Sex in The City SexyInStyle

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 408 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.36/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 31%Had 33%Want 35%

Category winnerCielRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

41%Like

6%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

408 votes

9%Love

55%Like

0%Ok

36%Dislike

0%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity27

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate59

Category winners

LongevityCiel

SillageSex in The City Sexy

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

powdery88%

iris77%

rose65%

violet53%

amber42%

floral100%

citrus92%

tropical84%

fruity77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

VanilleIrisRoseAmber

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Tropical FruitBergamot

Heart

MagnoliaLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineFreesiaRoseIris

Base

Orris RootVetyverMuskVanilleSandalwoodAmber

InformationalShared notesVanille, Iris, Rose and Amber. Durations are only published for Ciel, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter98

Day100

Night79

Spring40

Summer100

Fall40

Winter60

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex14

Women85

Casual 46%Work 32%Date 16%Party 7%

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,464

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews55

Overall rank#47,795

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerCielHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The first puff of Ciel by Ulric de Varens brings an unmistakable cloud of cosmetic talcum powder. It hits immediately. A gentle warmth follows, led by creamy Bourbon vanilla and sweet Ispahan rose petals that soften the opening sharpness. As the scent settles on skin, powdery iris root steps forward, providing an eart…

Reviews →

Sex in The City Sexy by InStyle is a floral fruity fragrance defined by bright tropical fruit and crisp bergamot. It settles into a bouquet of magnolia and lily-of-the-valley, anchored by a base of sandalwood and musk. This scent works well as a casual daytime choice during the spring and summer months for those who p…

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, Ciel or Sex in The City Sexy?

Ciel takes 3 of 4 categories. Ciel is rated 4.18/5 from 408 votes; Sex in The City Sexy is rated 3.36/5 from 22 votes. Choose Ciel for a vanilla and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Sex in The City Sexy for a floral and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Ciel or Sex in The City Sexy?

Ciel lasts longest (Ciel 57/100, Sex in The City Sexy 27/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ciel or Sex in The City Sexy?

Sex in The City Sexy projects furthest (Sex in The City Sexy 68/100, Ciel 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ciel and Sex in The City Sexy smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery accords. Common notes include Vanille, Iris, Rose and Amber.

Is Ciel or Sex in The City Sexy better for summer or winter?

Ciel suits daytime wear; Sex in The City Sexy suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ciel and Sex in The City Sexy?

Ciel features Vanille, Iris, Rose and Amber. Sex in The City Sexy has top notes of Tropical Fruit and Bergamot, heart notes of Magnolia, Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine and Freesia, a base of Orris Root, Vetyver, Musk and Vanille.