Cruel vs Retrospect
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
38%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Retrospect takes 2 of 2 categories.
CruelChoose it for a woody and powdery character.
RetrospectChoose it for a musky and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Cruel0/2
Retrospect2/2
- Ratings & consensus
- Not scored
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- Not scored
- Sillage & projection
- Retrospect
- Value for money
- Not scored
- Versatility
- Not scored
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Retrospect
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
CruelRheymsRetrospectMeritWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split5.00/ 5 · 1 votes
Have 8%Had 0%Want 92%
3.93/ 5 · 519 votes
Have 41%Had 6%Want 54%
Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate100%Love
0%Like
0%Ok
0%Dislike
0%Hate
1 vote · too few to score
41%Love
30%Like
14%Ok
11%Dislike
4%Hate
519 votes
Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityNo data
SillageRetrospect
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerNot enough dataBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothwoody100%
powdery91%
floral83%
violet74%
earthy65%
iris56%
musky100%
powdery92%
floral84%
iris77%
fresh69%
fruity61%
Scent match38%Some overlap · both powdery, floral and iris
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
ChinottoPearSaffronCinnamonOzonic notes
Heart
VioletAcáciaRose PetalsYlang Ylang
Base
Cashmere WoodCedarOrrisMoss
Top
PearAmbretteAldehydesBergamot
Heart
OrrisJasmineVioletRoseRosemary
Base
MuskMossVanilla
InformationalShared notesPear, Violet, Orris and Moss. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonNo season votes yet
Spring100
Summer51
Fall0
Winter74
Day–
Night–
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesNot enough votes yet
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#55,621
PerfumerVincenzo Arpaia
Launched—
Reviews0
Overall rank#4,170
PerfumerFanny Bal
Launched—
Reviews158
Category winnerRetrospectHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotCruel by Rheyms is a bold oriental floral fragrance for men and women. Launched in 2024, it centers on a complex interplay between bitter chinotto and bright pear, warmed by saffron and cinnamon. The heart adds a powdery violet and acacia dimension, while the base relies on cedar and cashmere wood for a grounding, lin…
Reviews →Retrospect opens with a sharp burst of crisp pear and airy aldehydes before settling into a soft, powdery heart of orris and violet. As it sits on skin, clean musk and warm vanilla create an intimate second-skin feel. It works best during cool spring mornings and quiet office workdays where subtle elegance matters.
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
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Recent comparisons
Head-to-head activity from live history
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Cruel or Retrospect?
Retrospect takes 2 of 2 categories. Cruel is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes; Retrospect is rated 3.93/5 from 519 votes. Choose Cruel for a woody and powdery character. Choose Retrospect for a musky and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Which projects more, Cruel or Retrospect?
Retrospect projects furthest (Retrospect 43/100, Cruel 25/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Cruel and Retrospect smell similar?
Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, floral and iris accords. Common notes include Pear, Violet, Orris and Moss.
What are the notes in Cruel and Retrospect?
Cruel has top notes of Chinotto, Pear, Saffron and Cinnamon, heart notes of Violet, Acácia, Rose Petals and Ylang Ylang, a base of Cashmere Wood, Cedar, Orris and Moss. Retrospect has top notes of Pear, Ambrette, Aldehydes and Bergamot, heart notes of Orris, Jasmine, Violet and Rose, a base of Musk, Moss and Vanilla.
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