Fragrance comparison

Cleopatra vs Memoir Man

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 3,828 ratings analysed

Cleopatra

Kesma

4.502 votes

Rank #57,501 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Memoir Man

Amouage

4.283,826 votes

Rank #25,768 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Memoir Man takes 3 of 4 categories.

Cleopatra
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Memoir Man
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Cleopatra1/4

Memoir Man3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CleopatraKesma

Memoir ManAmouage

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 36%Had 9%Want 55%

4.28/ 5 · 3,826 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

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

54%Love

32%Like

5%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

3,826 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityMemoir Man

SillageMemoir Man

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value38

Category winnerCleopatraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

green77%

amber69%

smoky61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both woody, amber and green

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

WormwoodMintBasil

Heart

IncenseLavenderRose

Base

TobaccoLeatherSandalwoodGuaiac WoodVetiveroak mossAmberVanille

InformationalShared notesSandalwood, Wormwood, Leather and Vetiver. 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

Spring68

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men81

Unisex17

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#57,501

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#25,768

PerfumerKarine Vinchon Spehner

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMemoir ManHigher 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 →

Amouage Memoir Man presents a dark, dry green opening that transitions into a cold, smoky incense. It suits individuals looking for an unconventional, dramatic signature scent for cold autumn nights and formal winter settings where standard sweet fragrances fail to make a statement.

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

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Super CedarByredoRUNNER-UP vs

NorthMendittorosaWINNER

1 person compared this today

BohemeSegreti di LuccaRUNNER-UP vs

Soir de LuneSisleyWINNER

1 person compared this today

Orange FlowerOscar de la RentaRUNNER-UP vs

Ti AmoRoja DoveWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Cleopatra or Memoir Man?

Memoir Man takes 3 of 4 categories. Cleopatra is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes; Memoir Man is rated 4.28/5 from 3,826 votes. Choose Cleopatra for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Memoir Man for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Cleopatra or Memoir Man?

Memoir Man lasts longest (Memoir Man 76/100, Cleopatra 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cleopatra or Memoir Man?

Memoir Man projects furthest (Memoir Man 61/100, Cleopatra 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cleopatra and Memoir Man smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and green accords. Common notes include Sandalwood, Wormwood, Leather and Vetiver.

Is Cleopatra or Memoir Man better for summer or winter?

Cleopatra suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cleopatra and Memoir Man?

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. Memoir Man has top notes of Wormwood, Mint and Basil, heart notes of Incense, Lavender and Rose, a base of Tobacco, Leather, Sandalwood and Guaiac Wood.