Fragrance comparison

Cleopatra vs Embruns d'Ylang

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 443 ratings analysed

Cleopatra

Kesma

4.502 votes

Rank #56,174 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Embruns d'Ylang

Guerlain

3.94441 votes

Rank #7,926 Yellow FloralWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Embruns d'Ylang takes 3 of 4 categories.

Cleopatra
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Embruns d'Ylang
Choose it for a yellow floral and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Cleopatra1/4

Embruns d'Ylang3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Embruns d'Ylang
Sillage & projection: Embruns d'Ylang
Value for money: Cleopatra
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Embruns d'Ylang

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CleopatraKesma

Embruns d'YlangGuerlain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 36%Had 9%Want 55%

3.94/ 5 · 441 votes

Have 39%Had 12%Want 49%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

39%Love

36%Like

10%Ok

10%Dislike

5%Hate

441 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityEmbruns d'Ylang

SillageEmbruns d'Ylang

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value24

Category winnerCleopatraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

yellow floral100%

woody92%

sweet84%

salty77%

warm spicy69%

white floral61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotCinnamonGalbanumPepperCloves

Heart

Orange BlossomYlang-YlangHeliotropeNarcissusTuberoseJasmineHoneyClove

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliLabdanumWormwoodOakmossLeatherVetiverIncense

Top30 to 45 minutes

SaltBergamot

Heart4 to 6 hours

Ylang-YlangJasmine SambacClovesHoney

Base4 to 6 hours

IrisPatchouliVanilla

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Cloves, Ylang-Ylang and Honey. Durations are only published for Embruns d'Ylang, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall50

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Spring96

Summer100

Fall81

Winter37

Day100

Night56

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men3

Unisex23

Women73

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#56,174

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#7,926

PerfumerThierry Wasser

Launched—

Reviews50

Category winnerEmbruns d'YlangHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cleopatra by Kesma is a dense, unapologetic oriental floral from 1983. It opens with a punch of cloves and cinnamon before settling into a rich, resinous heart of tuberose, ylang-ylang, and honey. This is a cold-weather classic that leans heavily on its base of incense, leather, and oakmoss for a deep, vintage footpri…

Reviews →

Embruns d'Ylang by Guerlain takes the sunny tropical flower and drops it into a marine breeze. Thierry Wasser opens the scent with an unusual clash of crisp bergamot and mineral salt, cutting through the usual heaviness of floral perfumes. At the centre, ylang-ylang reveals its ripe, slightly fruity character, bolster…

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, Cleopatra or Embruns d'Ylang?

Embruns d'Ylang takes 3 of 4 categories. Cleopatra is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes; Embruns d'Ylang is rated 3.94/5 from 441 votes. Choose Cleopatra for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Embruns d'Ylang for a yellow floral and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Cleopatra or Embruns d'Ylang?

Embruns d'Ylang lasts longest (Embruns d'Ylang 70/100, Cleopatra 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cleopatra or Embruns d'Ylang?

Embruns d'Ylang projects furthest (Embruns d'Ylang 65/100, Cleopatra 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cleopatra and Embruns d'Ylang smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and white floral accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Cloves, Ylang-Ylang and Honey.

Is Cleopatra or Embruns d'Ylang better for summer or winter?

Cleopatra suits evening wear; Embruns d'Ylang suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cleopatra and Embruns d'Ylang?

Cleopatra has top notes of Bergamot, Cinnamon, Galbanum and Pepper, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Ylang-Ylang, Heliotrope and Narcissus, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli, Labdanum and Wormwood. Embruns d'Ylang has top notes of Salt and Bergamot, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine Sambac, Cloves and Honey, a base of Iris, Patchouli and Vanilla.