Fragrance comparison

Exotic vs MARK 5: SADNESS

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 28 ratings analysed

1 wins

Exotic

Ahmed Al Maghribi

4.1727 votes

Rank #10,009 White FloralCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

MARK 5: SADNESS

MAI OHW MAI

4.001 votes

Rank #60,548 FruityCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Exotic takes 1 of 1 categories.

Exotic
Choose it for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, day or night wear.
MARK 5: SADNESS
Choose it for a fruity and citrus character. Best in spring.

Exotic1/1

MARK 5: SADNESS0/1

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ExoticAhmed Al Maghribi

MARK 5: SADNESSMAI OHW MAI

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.17/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 42%Had 5%Want 53%

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

47%Like

7%Ok

0%Dislike

7%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value89

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

citrus83%

woody65%

musky48%

green30%

fruity100%

citrus91%

musky83%

powdery74%

soft spicy65%

animalic56%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both citrus and musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PetitgrainMandarinBlack Currant

Heart

Orange BlossomJasmineLavender

Base

CedarMuskVanillaAmber

Notes

MuskMandarinBlack Currant

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesMandarin, Black Currant and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring75

Summer100

Fall50

Winter38

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter0

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men7

Unisex36

Women57

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,009

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

Overall rank#60,548

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerExoticHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Exotic opens bright and sweet, with mandarin, petitgrain and black currant giving it a fruity citrus lift before white florals soften the centre. As it settles, amber, musk, cedar and vanilla make it smoother and warmer, with a clean sweetness that many wearers find easy to like. It reads broadly unisex, though some f…

Reviews →

MARK 5: SADNESS by MAI OHW MAI offers an unexpected blend of bright mandarin and tart black currant. This fruity floral composition settles into a clean, musky base on the skin. It suits those seeking a modern, light daily wear for spring mornings or cool summer days when a simple, refreshing scent is preferred over h…

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, Exotic or MARK 5: SADNESS?

Exotic takes 1 of 1 categories. Exotic is rated 4.17/5 from 27 votes; MARK 5: SADNESS is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Exotic for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, day or night wear. Choose MARK 5: SADNESS for a fruity and citrus character. Best in spring.

Do Exotic and MARK 5: SADNESS smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and musky accords. Common notes include Mandarin, Black Currant and Musk.

Is Exotic or MARK 5: SADNESS better for summer or winter?

Exotic suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Exotic and MARK 5: SADNESS?

Exotic has top notes of Petitgrain, Mandarin and Black Currant, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Jasmine and Lavender, a base of Cedar, Musk, Vanilla and Amber. MARK 5: SADNESS features Musk, Mandarin and Black Currant.