Fragrance comparison

Cleopatra vs The King

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 57 ratings analysed

Cleopatra

Kesma

4.502 votes

Rank #51,093 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

The King

Boadicea the Victorious

4.5155 votes

Rank #7,107 Warm SpicySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The King takes 3 of 4 categories.

Cleopatra
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
The King
Choose it for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Cleopatra1/4

The King3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CleopatraKesma

The KingBoadicea the Victorious

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 36%Had 9%Want 55%

4.51/ 5 · 55 votes

Have 33%Had 10%Want 57%

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

64%Love

24%Like

13%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

55 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityThe King

SillageThe King

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value36

Category winnerCleopatraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

warm spicy100%

sweet91%

leather83%

tobacco74%

amber65%

smoky56%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both warm spicy and amber

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

PlumSaffronRumCinnamonCardamomCloves

Heart

ImmortelleRoseGeraniumHeliotrope

Base

TobaccoIncenseLeatherVanillaLabdanumCastoreumOakmossPatchouli

InformationalShared notesCinnamon, Cloves, Heliotrope and Patchouli. 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

Spring67

Summer12

Fall97

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men67

Unisex28

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#51,093

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#7,107

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews15

Category winnerThe KingHigher 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 →

The King by Boadicea the Victorious hits skin with an intense surge of dark plum, saffron, and spiced rum. Cinnamon and cardamom sharpen the rich fruit, giving the opening a sharp bite of dry spice that cuts through crisp winter air. The plum feels stewed and dark rather than fresh or sugary. As the scent settles, de…

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, Cleopatra or The King?

The King takes 3 of 4 categories. Cleopatra is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes; The King is rated 4.51/5 from 55 votes. Choose Cleopatra for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose The King for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Cleopatra or The King?

The King lasts longest (The King 81/100, Cleopatra 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cleopatra or The King?

The King projects furthest (The King 68/100, Cleopatra 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cleopatra and The King smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Cinnamon, Cloves, Heliotrope and Patchouli.

Is Cleopatra or The King better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Cleopatra and The King?

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. The King has top notes of Plum, Saffron, Rum and Cinnamon, heart notes of Immortelle, Rose, Geranium and Heliotrope, a base of Tobacco, Incense, Leather and Vanilla.