Fragrance comparison

Farnesiana vs Cleo

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

Updated 13 Oct 2026 378 ratings analysed

4 wins

Farnesiana

Caron · 1947

4.25374 votes

Rank #23,133 PowderyYellow Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

Cleo

Maar

3.754 votes

Rank #57,313 PowderyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Farnesiana takes 4 of 4 categories.

Farnesiana
Choose it for a powdery and yellow floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Cleo
Choose it for a powdery and white floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Farnesiana4/4

Cleo0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FarnesianaCaron

CleoMaar

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.25/ 5 · 374 votes

Have 38%Had 7%Want 55%

3.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 38%Had 15%Want 46%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

49%Like

12%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

41 votes

0%Love

75%Like

25%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage38

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityFarnesiana

SillageFarnesiana

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value33

Category winnerFarnesianaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

yellow floral84%

sweet77%

floral69%

woody61%

vanilla53%

powdery100%

white floral92%

fruity84%

musky77%

woody69%

violet61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both powdery and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

MimosaHayBlack CurrantBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

VioletJasmineLily-of-the-Valley

Base6-10 hrs

VanillaSandalwoodOpoponaxMusk

Top

PlumBlack CurrantBergamot

Heart

VioletLily-of-the-ValleyRose GeraniumJasmine

Base

MuskVanillaSandalwoodWhite Cedar Extract

InformationalShared notesBlack Currant, Bergamot, Violet and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Farnesiana, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer75

Fall88

Winter50

Day100

Night41

Spring100

Summer25

Fall25

Winter0

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex14

Women86

Casual 38%Work 32%Date 22%Party 7%

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,133

PerfumerMichel Morsetti

Launched1947

Reviews2

Overall rank#57,313

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerFarnesianaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Caron Farnesiana is an unusual yellow floral perfume dominated by fluffy mimosa blossoms, sun-cured hay, and sweet almond paste. The first spritz unleashes a sharp herbal snap of green bergamot and tart black currant. Give the formula ten minutes on skin. Once the initial solvent sting lifts, the fragrance softens int…

Reviews →

Cleo by Maar opens with dark plum and tangy black currant, lifted by crisp bergamot. The scent quickly settles into a powdery heart of violet and rose geranium, anchored by Egyptian Nile Delta inspiration. Soft white cedar extract and clean musk linger close to the skin as it dries down. It wears best during breezy sp…

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, Farnesiana or Cleo?

Farnesiana takes 4 of 4 categories. Farnesiana is rated 4.25/5 from 374 votes; Cleo is rated 3.75/5 from 4 votes. Choose Farnesiana for a powdery and yellow floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Cleo for a powdery and white floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Farnesiana or Cleo?

Farnesiana lasts longest (Farnesiana 71/100, Cleo 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Farnesiana or Cleo?

Farnesiana projects furthest (Farnesiana 64/100, Cleo 38/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Farnesiana and Cleo smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery and woody accords. Common notes include Black Currant, Bergamot, Violet and Jasmine.

Is Farnesiana or Cleo better for summer or winter?

Farnesiana suits daytime wear; Cleo suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Farnesiana and Cleo?

Farnesiana has top notes of Mimosa, Hay, Black Currant and Bergamot, heart notes of Violet, Jasmine and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Vanilla, Sandalwood, Opoponax and Musk. Cleo has top notes of Plum, Black Currant and Bergamot, heart notes of Violet, Lily-of-the-Valley, Rose Geranium and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Vanilla, Sandalwood and White Cedar Extract.