Fragrance comparison

Encounter vs Yellow Velvet

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 92 ratings analysed

Encounter

Victoria's Secret

4.297 votes

Rank #47,554 PowderyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Yellow Velvet

Zara

4.0785 votes

Rank #10,709 FruityVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Yellow Velvet takes 3 of 4 categories.

Encounter
Choose it for a powdery and fruity character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.
Yellow Velvet
Choose it for a fruity and vanilla character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Encounter1/4

Yellow Velvet3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

EncounterVictoria's Secret

Yellow VelvetZara

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.29/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 41%Had 24%Want 35%

4.07/ 5 · 85 votes

Have 42%Had 15%Want 42%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

43%Like

14%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

38%Love

42%Like

9%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

85 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage42

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityEncounter

SillageYellow Velvet

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value85

Category winnerYellow VelvetBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

fruity91%

violet83%

floral74%

yellow floral65%

musky56%

fruity100%

vanilla86%

sweet72%

powdery58%

floral44%

lactonic30%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both fruity, powdery and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PeachMimosa

Heart

VioletPowdery NotesRoseOrchidVanilla Flower

Base

MuskAmberSandalwoodVanillaCaramel

Top

Peach

Heart

Orchid

Base

Vanilla

InformationalShared notesPeach, Orchid and Vanilla. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer33

Fall100

Winter50

Day75

Night100

Spring60

Summer100

Fall26

Winter10

Day100

Night11

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex17

Women83

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#47,554

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#10,709

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews15

Category winnerYellow VelvetHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Encounter by Victoria's Secret opens with a bright burst of juicy peach and sweet, pollen-heavy mimosa. As it settles onto the skin, the initial fruitiness yields to a soft, comforting haze of violet and powdery notes, wrapped in vanilla flower. It dries down to a warm base of caramel, amber, and sandalwood, creating …

Reviews →

Yellow Velvet by Zara offers a bright, tropical hit of peach and citrus that quickly shifts into a light floral orchid heart. It settles into a warm vanilla base that hugs the skin. The perfume is built for casual summer days when you want a clean, refreshing scent without heavy projection.

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, Encounter or Yellow Velvet?

Yellow Velvet takes 3 of 4 categories. Encounter is rated 4.29/5 from 7 votes; Yellow Velvet is rated 4.07/5 from 85 votes. Choose Encounter for a powdery and fruity character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Yellow Velvet for a fruity and vanilla character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Encounter or Yellow Velvet?

Encounter lasts longest (Encounter 60/100, Yellow Velvet 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Encounter or Yellow Velvet?

Yellow Velvet projects furthest (Yellow Velvet 54/100, Encounter 42/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Encounter and Yellow Velvet smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, powdery and floral accords. Common notes include Peach, Orchid and Vanilla.

Is Encounter or Yellow Velvet better for summer or winter?

Encounter suits evening wear; Yellow Velvet suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Encounter and Yellow Velvet?

Encounter has top notes of Peach and Mimosa, heart notes of Violet, Powdery Notes, Rose and Orchid, a base of Musk, Amber, Sandalwood and Vanilla. Yellow Velvet has top notes of Peach, heart notes of Orchid, a base of Vanilla.