Fragrance comparison

Decadence vs Purgatory

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 6,965 ratings analysed

3 wins

Decadence

Marc Jacobs

3.776,956 votes

Rank #3,423 WoodyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Purgatory

Puzzle Parfum

3.569 votes

Rank #52,714 OudRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Decadence takes 3 of 5 categories.

Decadence
Choose it for a woody and fruity character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Purgatory
Choose it for a oud and rose character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Decadence3/5

Purgatory1/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DecadenceMarc Jacobs

PurgatoryPuzzle Parfum

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.77/ 5 · 6,956 votes

Have 73%Had 28%Want 0%

3.56/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 17%Had 8%Want 75%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

32%Like

6%Ok

22%Dislike

3%Hate

6,956 votes

22%Love

44%Like

11%Ok

11%Dislike

11%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityPurgatory

SillageDecadence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value51

¤ Price value46

Category winnerDecadenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fruity92%

iris84%

earthy77%

powdery69%

sweet61%

oud100%

rose92%

warm spicy84%

earthy77%

woody69%

fruity61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both woody, earthy and fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

PlumSaffronIris

Heart2-4 hrs

OrrisJasmine SambacBulgarian Rose

Base8-10+ hrs

VetiverPapyrusLiquidambar

Top20-30 mins

SaffronPlumOrange

Heart3-4 hrs

RoseOrrisPatchouli

Base7-10 hrs

Agarwood (Oud)VetiverAmberHoneyMusk

Category winnerTieSame dry-down length

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring35

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day33

Night100

Spring88

Summer63

Fall100

Winter100

Day44

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex16

Women83

Date 41%Party 32%Work 14%Casual 13%

Men22

Unisex56

Women22

Date 39%Party 31%Casual 17%Work 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,423

PerfumerAnn Gottlieb, Annie Buzantian

Launched—

Reviews210

Overall rank#52,714

PerfumerCengiz Yatagan

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerDecadenceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Jacobs Decadence is a rich, boozy plum perfume wrapped in dry woods and dark powders. It opens with an unmistakable rush of sweet Italian plum, bittersweet saffron, and velvety iris. Do not expect light garden petals here. The scent quickly deepens into a sultry heart of orris root and Bulgarian rose before dryin…

Reviews →

Purgatory by Puzzle Parfum is a dark, intoxicating woody fragrance that hits the skin with immediate warmth. Saffron and boozy dark plum arrive right away, cut through by a brief flash of bitter orange peel. It feels dense, moody, and deliberate. Within fifteen minutes, velvety Turkish rose and powdery orris root wrap…

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, Decadence or Purgatory?

Decadence takes 3 of 5 categories. Decadence is rated 3.77/5 from 6,956 votes; Purgatory is rated 3.56/5 from 9 votes. Choose Decadence for a woody and fruity character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Purgatory for a oud and rose character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Decadence or Purgatory?

They last about the same: Purgatory 75/100, Decadence 73/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Decadence or Purgatory?

Decadence projects furthest (Decadence 67/100, Purgatory 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Decadence and Purgatory smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, earthy and fruity accords. Common notes include Plum, Saffron, Orris and Bulgarian Rose.

Is Decadence or Purgatory better for summer or winter?

Decadence suits evening wear; Purgatory suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Decadence and Purgatory?

Decadence has top notes of Plum, Saffron and Iris, heart notes of Orris, Jasmine Sambac and Bulgarian Rose, a base of Vetiver, Papyrus and Liquidambar. Purgatory has top notes of Saffron, Plum and Orange, heart notes of Rose, Orris and Patchouli, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Vetiver, Amber and Honey.