Fragrance comparison

Fou d’Opium vs Message in a Bottle

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 82 ratings analysed

4 wins

Fou d’Opium

DSH Perfumes

4.3520 votes

Rank #21,707 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

Message in a Bottle

Mark Buxton

3.9462 votes

Rank #16,999 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Fou d’Opium takes 4 of 6 categories.

Fou d’Opium
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Message in a Bottle
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Fou d’Opium4/6

Message in a Bottle2/6

Ratings & consensus: Fou d’Opium
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Fou d’Opium
Sillage & projection: Message in a Bottle
Value for money: Fou d’Opium
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Fou d’Opium
Fragranxe ranking: Message in a Bottle

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Fou d’OpiumDSH Perfumes

Message in a BottleMark Buxton

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.35/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 32%Had 7%Want 62%

3.94/ 5 · 62 votes

Have 28%Had 21%Want 51%

Category winnerFou d’OpiumRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

55%Love

30%Like

10%Ok

5%Dislike

0%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

37%Love

39%Like

8%Ok

13%Dislike

3%Hate

62 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityFou d’Opium

SillageMessage in a Bottle

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value58

Category winnerFou d’OpiumBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber92%

woody84%

powdery77%

floral69%

white floral61%

white floral100%

floral92%

amber84%

yellow floral77%

animalic69%

citrus61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both amber, floral and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

SpicesCarnationTolu BalsamLabdanumCivetCinnamonNeroliIncenseVanilaAldehydesAmbergrisAustralian Sandalwood

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

Jasmine SambacYlang-YlangNeroliMagnoliaAmbergrisCivetSandalwoodLabdanum

No top / heart / base split published

Category winnerFou d’OpiumLongest dry-down: 8-10+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer82

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night91

Spring100

Summer71

Fall33

Winter10

Day100

Night42

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex78

Women22

Men0

Unisex40

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,707

PerfumerDawn Spencer Hurwitz

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#16,999

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerMessage in a BottleHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Fou d'Opium by DSH Perfumes is a fiery, resinous spicy oriental that revives the opulent spirit of vintage 1970s perfumery. The scent opens with a sharp flash of aldehydes, bergamot, and ripe plum before unleashing a dense swirl of clove bud, cinnamon bark, and powdery carnation. Warm tolu balsam, golden labdanum, and…

Reviews →

Message in a Bottle by Mark Buxton is a bold floral blend anchored by deep animalic warmth. The scent opens with a bright burst of neroli paired with powdery magnolia and sweet ylang-ylang, creating an immediate yellow floral and white floral presence. Beneath the sunny blossoms lies an earthy foundation of ambergris,…

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, Fou d’Opium or Message in a Bottle?

Fou d’Opium takes 4 of 6 categories. Fou d’Opium is rated 4.35/5 from 20 votes; Message in a Bottle is rated 3.94/5 from 62 votes. Choose Fou d’Opium for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Message in a Bottle for a white floral and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Fou d’Opium or Message in a Bottle?

Fou d’Opium lasts longest (Fou d’Opium 87/100, Message in a Bottle 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Fou d’Opium or Message in a Bottle?

Message in a Bottle projects furthest (Message in a Bottle 62/100, Fou d’Opium 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Fou d’Opium and Message in a Bottle smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, floral and white floral accords. Common notes include Labdanum, Civet, Neroli and Ambergris.

Is Fou d’Opium or Message in a Bottle better for summer or winter?

Fou d’Opium suits daytime wear; Message in a Bottle suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Fou d’Opium and Message in a Bottle?

Fou d’Opium features Spices, Carnation, Tolu Balsam, Labdanum and Civet. Message in a Bottle features Jasmine Sambac, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli, Magnolia and Ambergris.