Fragrance comparison

Decadence Sheer vs Pretexte

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 56 ratings analysed

Decadence Sheer

Parlux

3.867 votes

Rank #57,148 WoodyEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Pretexte

Lanvin

4.5149 votes

Rank #11,170 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Pretexte takes 3 of 3 categories.

Decadence Sheer
Choose it for a woody and earthy character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Pretexte
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Decadence Sheer0/3

Pretexte3/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Decadence SheerParlux

PretexteLanvin

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 25%Had 20%Want 55%

4.51/ 5 · 49 votes

Have 44%Had 6%Want 50%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

14%Love

71%Like

0%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

68%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

34 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage42

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate90

Category winners

LongevityPretexte

SillagePretexte

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value60

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

earthy92%

yellow floral84%

powdery77%

warm spicy69%

patchouli61%

woody100%

amber92%

leather84%

animalic77%

floral69%

aldehydic61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Fruity Notes

Heart

NarcissusRoseJasmineIris

Base

SandalwoodOakmossPatchouli

Top

AldehydesNarcissusBergamot

Heart

OpoponaxRoseCarnationIrisHawthornHay

Base

CivetLeatherOakmossCastoreumTonka BeanSandalwoodPalisander RosewoodPatchouli

InformationalShared notesNarcissus, Rose, Iris and Sandalwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer50

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night–

Spring20

Summer0

Fall100

Winter80

Day40

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#57,148

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#11,170

PerfumerAndre Fraysse

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerPretexteHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Decadence Sheer opens with a bright burst of fruity top notes that quickly settles into a rich floral core. Narcissus and iris give the heart a dry, powdery pollen texture, while soft rose and jasmine add subtle sweetness. The floral layer rests on a grounded base of oakmoss and patchouli. As the fragrance settles, s…

Reviews →

Pretexte by Lanvin is a bold oriental floral from 1937, defined by its complex leathery and animalic character. This scent opens with bright aldehydes and narcissus, shifting into a deep, dark heart of opoponax and hay. It remains a legendary piece of vintage perfumery for those who appreciate woody, resinous composit…

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 Sheer or Pretexte?

Pretexte takes 3 of 3 categories. Decadence Sheer is rated 3.86/5 from 7 votes; Pretexte is rated 4.51/5 from 49 votes. Choose Decadence Sheer for a woody and earthy character. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Pretexte for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Decadence Sheer or Pretexte?

Pretexte lasts longest (Pretexte 79/100, Decadence Sheer 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Decadence Sheer or Pretexte?

Pretexte projects furthest (Pretexte 69/100, Decadence Sheer 42/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Decadence Sheer and Pretexte smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Narcissus, Rose, Iris and Sandalwood.

Is Decadence Sheer or Pretexte better for summer or winter?

Decadence Sheer suits daytime wear; Pretexte suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Decadence Sheer and Pretexte?

Decadence Sheer has top notes of Fruity Notes, heart notes of Narcissus, Rose, Jasmine and Iris, a base of Sandalwood, Oakmoss and Patchouli. Pretexte has top notes of Aldehydes, Narcissus and Bergamot, heart notes of Opoponax, Rose, Carnation and Iris, a base of Civet, Leather, Oakmoss and Castoreum.