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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Cuba Gold vs Max

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

Updated 61 ratings analysed
Very similar
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Max takes 3 of 5 categories.

  • Cuba Gold

    Choose it for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, day or night wear.

  • Max

    Choose it for a aromatic and vanilla character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Cuba Gold2/5
Max3/5
Ratings & consensus
Not scored
Community sentiment
Not scored
Longevity
Cuba Gold
Sillage & projection
Max
Value for money
Max
Versatility
Not scored
Note pyramid (duration)
Cuba Gold
Fragranxe ranking
Max

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
Cuba GoldParfums Guy Alari
MaxParis Elysees
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
4.50/ 5 · 2 votes
Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%
3.78/ 5 · 59 votes
Have 50%Had 32%Want 18%
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

36%Love
27%Like
24%Ok
7%Dislike
7%Hate

59 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity80
〰 Sillage50
♥ Love / hate88
⏱ Longevity64
〰 Sillage51
♥ Love / hate69
Category winners

LongevityCuba Gold

SillageMax

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value50
¤ Price value88
Category winnerMaxBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
aromatic100%
warm spicy92%
fresh spicy84%
vanilla77%
lavender69%
woody61%
aromatic100%
vanilla92%
warm spicy84%
fresh spicy77%
woody69%
amber61%
Scent match90%Very similar · both aromatic, warm spicy and vanilla

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top15-30 mins
LavenderCardamomMintBergamotArtemisia
Heart2-3 hrs
CinnamonOrange BlossomCumin
Base5-7 hrs
Tonka BeanVanillaSandalwoodCedarAmber
Top20 to 30 minutes
LavenderMintArtemisiaBergamot
Heart1 to 2 hours
Orange BlossomCinnamonCardamomCumin
Base3 to 5 hours
VanillaSandalwoodAmberTonka BeanMossCedar
Category winnerCuba GoldLongest dry-down: 5-7 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring0
Summer0
Fall100
Winter100
Day100
Night100
Spring100
Summer63
Fall100
Winter84
Day75
Night100
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men100
Unisex0
Women0
Men77
Unisex15
Women9
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#57,704

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#39,531

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMaxHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cuba Gold by Parfums Guy Alari brings a familiar, comforting barbershop warmth to everyday wear. The first spray releases a brisk flash of cool peppermint, bitter artemisia, and crisp bergamot that quickly gives way to aromatic French lavender. It smells clean, traditional, and subtly sweet. As the citrus settles, a c…

Reviews →

Max by Paris Elysees is an oriental fougere fragrance for men built around aromatic freshness, warm spices, and sweet base notes. It opens with an energetic blend of crisp mint, herbal lavender, tart bergamot, and bitter artemisia. As the opening settles, the heart reveals sweet orange blossom paired with the warmth o…

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

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Cuba Gold or Max?

Max takes 3 of 5 categories. Cuba Gold is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes; Max is rated 3.78/5 from 59 votes. Choose Cuba Gold for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Max for a aromatic and vanilla character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Cuba Gold or Max?

Cuba Gold lasts longest (Cuba Gold 80/100, Max 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cuba Gold or Max?

Projection is very close: Max 51/100, Cuba Gold 50/100 for sillage.

Do Cuba Gold and Max smell similar?

Very similar: a 90% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, warm spicy and vanilla accords. Common notes include Lavender, Cardamom, Mint and Bergamot.

Is Cuba Gold or Max better for summer or winter?

Cuba Gold suits day or night wear; Max suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cuba Gold and Max?

Cuba Gold has top notes of Lavender, Cardamom, Mint and Bergamot, heart notes of Cinnamon, Orange Blossom and Cumin, a base of Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Cedar. Max has top notes of Lavender, Mint, Artemisia and Bergamot, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Cumin, a base of Vanilla, Sandalwood, Amber and Tonka Bean.

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