Fragrance comparison

Cleopatra vs Monarch

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 90 ratings analysed

Cleopatra

Kesma

4.502 votes

Rank #58,019 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Monarch

Alexandria Fragrances

4.1988 votes

Rank #8,976 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Monarch takes 4 of 4 categories.

Cleopatra
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Best in winter, evening wear.
Monarch
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Cleopatra0/4

Monarch4/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CleopatraKesma

MonarchAlexandria Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 36%Had 9%Want 55%

4.19/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 49%Had 9%Want 43%

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

66%Love

27%Like

2%Ok

3%Dislike

2%Hate

62 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityMonarch

SillageMonarch

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value69

Category winnerMonarchBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

earthy77%

aromatic69%

fruity61%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both woody, amber and warm spicy

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

RhubarbBergamotPineapple

Heart

JasmineIrisPaprika

Base

CinnamonVanillaOakmossVirginia CedarLabdanumVetiverAmberStyrax

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Cinnamon, Jasmine and Labdanum. 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

Spring87

Summer45

Fall100

Winter65

Day96

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men95

Unisex5

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#58,019

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#8,976

PerfumerHany Hafez

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerMonarchHigher 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 →

Monarch opens with a tart fruity lift of rhubarb, bergamot and pineapple, then settles into a warmer woody amber core with iris, spice and mossy depth. It usually reads smooth, dry and slightly sweet rather than loud or sugary. This is a strong pick for wearers who like aromatic woods with some richness. It can suit c…

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 Monarch?

Monarch takes 4 of 4 categories. Cleopatra is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes; Monarch is rated 4.19/5 from 88 votes. Choose Cleopatra for a woody and amber character. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Monarch for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Cleopatra or Monarch?

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

Which projects more, Cleopatra or Monarch?

Monarch projects furthest (Monarch 67/100, Cleopatra 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cleopatra and Monarch smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Cinnamon, Jasmine and Labdanum.

Is Cleopatra or Monarch better for summer or winter?

Cleopatra suits evening wear; Monarch suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cleopatra and Monarch?

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. Monarch has top notes of Rhubarb, Bergamot and Pineapple, heart notes of Jasmine, Iris and Paprika, a base of Cinnamon, Vanilla, Oakmoss and Virginia Cedar.