Fragrance comparison

Cleopatra vs Instincts

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 290 ratings analysed

Cleopatra

Kesma

4.502 votes

Rank #58,019 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

30%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Instincts

Rasasi · 2000

4.50288 votes

Rank #5,919 Fresh SpicyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Instincts takes 4 of 4 categories.

Cleopatra
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Best in winter, evening wear.
Instincts
Choose it for a fresh spicy and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Cleopatra0/4

Instincts4/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CleopatraKesma

InstinctsRasasi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 36%Had 9%Want 55%

4.50/ 5 · 288 votes

Have 44%Had 0%Want 56%

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

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityInstincts

SillageInstincts

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value75

Category winnerInstinctsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

fresh spicy91%

powdery83%

woody56%

Scent match30%Clearly different · both woody and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotCinnamonGalbanumPepperCloves

Heart

Orange BlossomYlang-YlangHeliotropeNarcissusTuberoseJasmineHoneyClove

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliLabdanumWormwoodOakmossLeatherVetiverIncense

Top

PepperFreesia

Heart

HeliotropeJasmineHibiscusDamask Rose

Base

CedarwoodOakmossMusk

InformationalShared notesPepper, Heliotrope, Jasmine and Oakmoss. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall50

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#58,019

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#5,919

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2000

Reviews6

Category winnerInstinctsHigher 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 →

Instincts by Rasasi offers a fresh, powdery floral experience for women who prioritize versatility. With notes of pepper and freesia balancing a heart of jasmine and heliotrope, it provides a clean, rounded finish. Ideal for daily use in spring and summer, this fragrance serves as a balanced, approachable scent profil…

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 Instincts?

Instincts takes 4 of 4 categories. Cleopatra is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes; Instincts is rated 4.50/5 from 288 votes. Choose Cleopatra for a woody and amber character. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Instincts for a fresh spicy and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Cleopatra or Instincts?

Instincts lasts longest (Instincts 65/100, Cleopatra 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cleopatra or Instincts?

Instincts projects furthest (Instincts 60/100, Cleopatra 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cleopatra and Instincts smell similar?

Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Pepper, Heliotrope, Jasmine and Oakmoss.

Is Cleopatra or Instincts better for summer or winter?

Cleopatra suits evening wear; Instincts suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cleopatra and Instincts?

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. Instincts has top notes of Pepper and Freesia, heart notes of Heliotrope, Jasmine, Hibiscus and Damask Rose, a base of Cedarwood, Oakmoss and Musk.