Fragrance comparison

Don't Explain vs Cuir et Champignon

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 17 ratings analysed

Don't Explain

DSH Perfumes · 2021

4.717 votes

Rank #30,090 White FloralAnimalic

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Cuir et Champignon

DSH Perfumes · 2010

4.2010 votes

Rank #48,689 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cuir et Champignon takes 3 of 5 categories.

Don't Explain
Choose it for a white floral and animalic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.
Cuir et Champignon
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear.

Don't Explain1/5

Cuir et Champignon3/5

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Cuir et Champignon
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Cuir et Champignon
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Cuir et Champignon
Fragranxe ranking: Don't Explain

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Don't ExplainDSH Perfumes

Cuir et ChampignonDSH Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.71/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 6%Had 1%Want 93%

4.20/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 15%Had 5%Want 79%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

71%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

40%Love

40%Like

20%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate93

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityCuir et Champignon

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value58

Category winnerCuir et ChampignonBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

animalic92%

musky84%

lactonic77%

leather69%

earthy61%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

earthy84%

animalic77%

leather69%

aromatic61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both animalic, earthy and leather

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

ButterMushroomGardeniaCheeseCivetTiare FlowerCastoreumAmbergrisLeatherTuberoseGreen AccordJasmine

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

ChamomileClary SageBergamotGalbanumNeroli

Heart2-4 hrs

MushroomCloveHoneyIrisSandalwoodTuberose

Base6-8+ hrs

LeatherCivetPeru BalsamGuaiac WoodCedarTobaccoCastoreumJava vetiver oil

Category winnerCuir et ChampignonLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer75

Fall100

Winter50

Day56

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day44

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

Date 41%Casual 27%Work 17%Party 15%

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

Casual 38%Date 35%Work 16%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,090

PerfumerDawn Spencer Hurwitz

Launched2021

Reviews3

Overall rank#48,689

PerfumerDawn Spencer Hurwitz

Launched2010

Reviews0

Category winnerDon't ExplainHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Don't Explain by DSH Perfumes rebuilds the living gardenia from root to petal. Independent perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz rejects synthetic, sugary white floral formulas here. Instead, you get ripe gardenia blossoms layered with savory white button mushroom and rich butter CO2. It feels startlingly organic on first spr…

Reviews →

Cuir et Champignon by DSH Perfumes presents an evocative study in forest floor botanicals and vintage hide. The first spray releases bitter galbanum and herbal chamomile lifted by a fleeting touch of bergamot. Within minutes, an authentic wild mushroom accord rises from the skin with damp, savory realism. This fungal …

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, Don't Explain or Cuir et Champignon?

Cuir et Champignon takes 3 of 5 categories. Don't Explain is rated 4.71/5 from 7 votes; Cuir et Champignon is rated 4.20/5 from 10 votes. Choose Don't Explain for a white floral and animalic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Cuir et Champignon for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Don't Explain or Cuir et Champignon?

Cuir et Champignon lasts longest (Cuir et Champignon 67/100, Don't Explain 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Don't Explain or Cuir et Champignon?

Projection is very close: Don't Explain 50/100, Cuir et Champignon 50/100 for sillage.

Do Don't Explain and Cuir et Champignon smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share animalic, earthy and leather accords. Common notes include Mushroom, Civet, Castoreum and Leather.

Is Don't Explain or Cuir et Champignon better for summer or winter?

Don't Explain suits evening wear; Cuir et Champignon suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Don't Explain and Cuir et Champignon?

Don't Explain features Butter, Mushroom, Gardenia, Cheese and Civet. Cuir et Champignon has top notes of Chamomile, Clary Sage, Bergamot and Galbanum, heart notes of Mushroom, Clove, Honey and Iris, a base of Leather, Civet, Peru Balsam and Guaiac Wood.