Fragrance comparison

Explorer vs Instictive Marine

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 56 ratings analysed

Explorer

Phytoderm

3.5511 votes

Rank #54,909 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Instictive Marine

Angel Schlesser

3.5845 votes

Rank #36,232 MarineAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Instictive Marine takes 4 of 5 categories.

Explorer
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Instictive Marine
Choose it for a marine and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer.

Explorer1/5

Instictive Marine4/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ExplorerPhytoderm

Instictive MarineAngel Schlesser

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.55/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 31%Had 38%Want 31%

3.58/ 5 · 45 votes

Have 43%Had 9%Want 49%

Category winnerInstictive MarineRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

18%Love

27%Like

45%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

29%Love

29%Like

22%Ok

11%Dislike

9%Hate

45 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity51

〰 Sillage38

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity52

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityInstictive Marine

SillageInstictive Marine

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value93

¤ Price value70

Category winnerExplorerBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

amber84%

marine77%

citrus69%

animalic61%

marine100%

aromatic88%

lavender77%

salty65%

aquatic53%

vanilla42%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both aromatic and marine

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Sea NotesBergamotOrangeBlack Pepper

Heart

ArtemisiaLavenderGeraniumRosemaryViolet Leaves

Base

AmbergrisPatchouliVetiverTonka BeanMusk

Top

Sea Notes

Heart

Lavender

Base

Tonka Bean

InformationalShared notesSea Notes, Lavender and Tonka Bean. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer57

Fall57

Winter14

Day100

Night25

Spring63

Summer100

Fall41

Winter22

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men86

Unisex14

Women0

Men58

Unisex42

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#54,909

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#36,232

PerfumerAmandine Clerc-Marie

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerInstictive MarineHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Explorer by Phytoderm is an aromatic men's fragrance featuring a sharp opening of sea notes and black pepper. It balances refreshing citrus with a herbaceous heart of lavender and rosemary, finally settling into an earthy, musky base. Perfect for casual daytime wear during the spring season when you want a crisp, clea…

Reviews →

Angel Schlesser Instictive Marine opens with a sharp burst of salty sea notes that immediately creates a coastal ocean breeze feel. As the watery top softens, clean lavender takes center stage, balancing the aquatic blast with a crisp herb garden sharpness. The dry-down relies on tonka bean, adding a subtle warm sweet…

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, Explorer or Instictive Marine?

Instictive Marine takes 4 of 5 categories. Explorer is rated 3.55/5 from 11 votes; Instictive Marine is rated 3.58/5 from 45 votes. Choose Explorer for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Instictive Marine for a marine and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer.

Which lasts longer, Explorer or Instictive Marine?

They last about the same: Instictive Marine 52/100, Explorer 51/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Explorer or Instictive Marine?

Instictive Marine projects furthest (Instictive Marine 47/100, Explorer 38/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Explorer and Instictive Marine smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and marine accords. Common notes include Sea Notes, Lavender and Tonka Bean.

Is Explorer or Instictive Marine better for summer or winter?

Explorer suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Explorer and Instictive Marine?

Explorer has top notes of Sea Notes, Bergamot, Orange and Black Pepper, heart notes of Artemisia, Lavender, Geranium and Rosemary, a base of Ambergris, Patchouli, Vetiver and Tonka Bean. Instictive Marine has top notes of Sea Notes, heart notes of Lavender, a base of Tonka Bean.