Fragrance comparison

Five Squared vs Retrospection

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 61 ratings analysed

Five Squared

FZOTIC

3.8927 votes

Rank #22,164 CitrusAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

14%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Retrospection

JMP Artisan Perfumes

3.5934 votes

Rank #18,000 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Retrospection takes 4 of 8 categories.

Five Squared
Choose it for a citrus and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Retrospection
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Five Squared3/8

Retrospection4/8

Ratings & consensus: Five Squared
Community sentiment: Five Squared
Longevity: Retrospection
Sillage & projection: Retrospection
Value for money: Retrospection
Versatility: Five Squared
Note pyramid (duration): Tie
Fragranxe ranking: Retrospection

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Five SquaredFZOTIC

RetrospectionJMP Artisan Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.89/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 35%Had 10%Want 55%

3.59/ 5 · 34 votes

Have 30%Had 12%Want 57%

Category winnerFive SquaredRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

26%Like

30%Ok

4%Dislike

4%Hate

27 votes

24%Love

35%Like

24%Ok

12%Dislike

6%Hate

34 votes

Category winnerFive SquaredMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityRetrospection

SillageRetrospection

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value61

Category winnerRetrospectionBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

amber88%

mossy77%

warm spicy65%

aromatic53%

earthy42%

aromatic100%

woody92%

animalic84%

fresh spicy77%

white floral69%

green61%

Scent match14%Clearly different · both aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Blood MandarinGrapefruitOakmossSpicesIncenseOrange BlossomRosemaryPetitgrainAmberTonka BeanNeroli

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

GalbanumAldehydesBergamotWormwoodLavenderRosemaryPetitgrain

Heart2-4 hrs

Orange BlossomLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineGeraniumCorianderRoseClary SageCloves

Base8-10+ hrs

OakmossCivetLeatherBeeswaxMuskOrris RootVetiverSandalwood

Category winnerTieSame dry-down length

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall70

Winter10

Day100

Night41

Spring86

Summer21

Fall100

Winter71

Day73

Night100

Category winnerFive SquaredMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex47

Women20

Casual 37%Work 31%Date 20%Party 12%

Men65

Unisex23

Women12

Date 31%Work 28%Casual 23%Party 18%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#22,164

PerfumerBruno Fazzolari

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#18,000

PerfumerJakub Pietrynka

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerRetrospectionHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Five Squared by FZOTIC completely flips the script on traditional citrus colognes. Most citrus perfume releases evaporate within an hour. This one refuses to leave. Perfumer Bruno Fazzolari built this composition around a dense, golden core of orange blossom, sharp blood mandarin, and earthy oakmoss. The opening deliv…

Reviews →

Retrospection by JMP Artisan Perfumes resurrects the bold, unapologetic swagger of traditional masculine perfumery from the late twentieth century. Created by Polish independent perfumer Jakub Pietrynka, this composition opens with a sharp burst of bitter galbanum, soapy aldehydes, and zesty bergamot. Within minutes, …

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, Five Squared or Retrospection?

Retrospection takes 4 of 8 categories. Five Squared is rated 3.89/5 from 27 votes; Retrospection is rated 3.59/5 from 34 votes. Choose Five Squared for a citrus and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Retrospection for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Five Squared or Retrospection?

Retrospection lasts longest (Retrospection 80/100, Five Squared 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Five Squared or Retrospection?

Retrospection projects furthest (Retrospection 71/100, Five Squared 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Five Squared and Retrospection smell similar?

Clearly different: a 14% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic accords. Common notes include Oakmoss, Orange Blossom, Rosemary and Petitgrain.

Is Five Squared or Retrospection better for summer or winter?

For summer, Five Squared is the stronger pick. For winter, Retrospection is the stronger pick. Five Squared suits daytime wear; Retrospection suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Five Squared and Retrospection?

Five Squared features Blood Mandarin, Grapefruit, Oakmoss, Spices and Incense. Retrospection has top notes of Galbanum, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Wormwood, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine and Geranium, a base of Oakmoss, Civet, Leather and Beeswax.