Fragrance comparison

Don't Explain vs Semi-Bespoke No. 11

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 12 ratings analysed

2 wins

Don't Explain

DSH Perfumes · 2021

4.717 votes

Rank #30,090 White FloralAnimalic

Full profile Similar & dupes

16%scent match

Clearly different

Semi-Bespoke No. 11

Roja Dove

4.005 votes

Rank #56,766 FreshAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Don't Explain takes 2 of 2 categories.

Don't Explain
Choose it for a white floral and animalic character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.
Semi-Bespoke No. 11
Choose it for a fresh and amber character.

Don't Explain2/2

Semi-Bespoke No. 110/2

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Don't ExplainDSH Perfumes

Semi-Bespoke No. 11Roja Dove

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.71/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 6%Had 1%Want 93%

4.00/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 20%Had 0%Want 80%

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

0%Ok

20%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate93

⏱ Longevity20

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityDon't Explain

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

animalic92%

musky84%

lactonic77%

leather69%

earthy61%

fresh100%

amber92%

aldehydic84%

aromatic77%

white floral69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match16%Clearly different · both white floral

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

Top

AldehydesPepperTarragonPetitgrainGalbanumBergamotRhubarb

Heart

VioletLily-of-the-ValleyOrange BlossomGardeniaTuberoseJasmineYlang-YlangRose

Base

AmbergrisSandalwoodVetiverPatchouliMuskStyraxCedarGuaiac Wood

InformationalShared notesGardenia, Ambergris, Tuberose and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Don't Explain, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer75

Fall100

Winter50

Day56

Night100

No season votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

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

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,090

PerfumerDawn Spencer Hurwitz

Launched2021

Reviews3

Overall rank#56,766

PerfumerRoja Dove

Launched—

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 →

Semi-Bespoke No. 11 reads as a fresh, aldehydic floral with a green, spicy opening and a much richer base underneath. Bergamot, galbanum, rhubarb and pepper give it lift early on, while white florals, violet and rose soften the centre. As it settles, sandalwood, ambergris, oakmoss, patchouli and animalic notes add dep…

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 Semi-Bespoke No. 11?

Don't Explain takes 2 of 2 categories. Don't Explain is rated 4.71/5 from 7 votes; Semi-Bespoke No. 11 is rated 4.00/5 from 5 votes. Choose Don't Explain for a white floral and animalic character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Semi-Bespoke No. 11 for a fresh and amber character.

Which lasts longer, Don't Explain or Semi-Bespoke No. 11?

Don't Explain lasts longest (Don't Explain 50/100, Semi-Bespoke No. 11 20/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Don't Explain and Semi-Bespoke No. 11 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 16% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral accords. Common notes include Gardenia, Ambergris, Tuberose and Jasmine.

Is Don't Explain or Semi-Bespoke No. 11 better for summer or winter?

Don't Explain suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Don't Explain and Semi-Bespoke No. 11?

Don't Explain features Butter, Mushroom, Gardenia, Cheese and Civet. Semi-Bespoke No. 11 has top notes of Aldehydes, Pepper, Tarragon and Petitgrain, heart notes of Violet, Lily-of-the-Valley, Orange Blossom and Gardenia, a base of Ambergris, Sandalwood, Vetiver and Patchouli.