Fragrance comparison

Donna vs Sama

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 32 ratings analysed

Donna

Mariella Burani

4.001 votes

Rank #66,385 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Sama

Mawwal Arabia

4.2631 votes

Rank #42,358 AromaticFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sama takes 2 of 2 categories.

Donna
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Sama
Choose it for a aromatic and fruity character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Donna0/2

Sama2/2

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DonnaMariella Burani

SamaMawwal Arabia

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 9%Had 0%Want 91%

4.26/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 32%Had 3%Want 65%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

55%Love

29%Like

6%Ok

6%Dislike

3%Hate

31 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value76

Category winnerSamaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

floral84%

aromatic77%

fruity69%

musky61%

aromatic100%

fruity92%

woody84%

citrus77%

fresh spicy69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

Black CurrantViolet LeavesSweet PepperCardamomMandarin

Heart2 to 4 hours

Wild RoseAllspiceFreesiaDavana

Base4 to 7 hours

Candied AlmondCashmere WoodSandalwoodWhite MuskPatchouliVanilla

Top

Violet LeavesGrapefruitPearBlack CurrantBergamotBasil

Heart

CardamomGingerPeachLily of the ValleyCinnamon

Base

VetiverMuskCedarwoodPatchouliVanillaAmberSandalwood

InformationalShared notesBlack Currant, Violet Leaves, Cardamom and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Donna, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer88

Fall50

Winter33

Day100

Night74

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men84

Unisex16

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#66,385

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#42,358

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerSamaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Donna by Mariella Burani is an oriental floral fragrance built on an intriguing blend of kitchen spices, tart fruit, and comforting woody undertones. Composed by perfumer Mark Buxton, the scent opens with bright mandarin and tangy black currant balanced by green violet leaves, pungent cardamom, and sweet pepper. Its h…

Reviews →

Sama opens bright and aromatic, with grapefruit, bergamot, pear and black currant over green violet leaf and basil. As it settles, cardamom, ginger and a touch of peach soften the freshness before a woody musky base of vetiver, cedar, sandalwood and amber takes over. It reads as a fresh woody aromatic with fruity lift…

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, Donna or Sama?

Sama takes 2 of 2 categories. Donna is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes; Sama is rated 4.26/5 from 31 votes. Choose Donna for a warm spicy and woody character. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Sama for a aromatic and fruity character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Do Donna and Sama smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Black Currant, Violet Leaves, Cardamom and Sandalwood.

Is Donna or Sama better for summer or winter?

Donna suits day or night wear; Sama suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Donna and Sama?

Donna has top notes of Black Currant, Violet Leaves, Sweet Pepper and Cardamom, heart notes of Wild Rose, Allspice, Freesia and Davana, a base of Candied Almond, Cashmere Wood, Sandalwood and White Musk. Sama has top notes of Violet Leaves, Grapefruit, Pear and Black Currant, heart notes of Cardamom, Ginger, Peach and Lily of the Valley, a base of Vetiver, Musk, Cedarwood and Patchouli.