Fragrance comparison

French Cancan vs Mata Hari

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

Updated 13 Oct 2026 226 ratings analysed

French Cancan

Caron · 1936

4.54182 votes

Rank #22,787 White FloralPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Mata Hari

DSH Perfumes

4.4144 votes

Rank #18,101 FloralAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Mata Hari takes 3 of 6 categories.

French Cancan
Choose it for a white floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Mata Hari
Choose it for a floral and amber character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

French Cancan2/6

Mata Hari3/6

Ratings & consensus: French Cancan
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Mata Hari
Sillage & projection: French Cancan
Value for money: Mata Hari
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Tie
Fragranxe ranking: Mata Hari

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

French CancanCaron

Mata HariDSH Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.54/ 5 · 182 votes

Have 41%Had 11%Want 49%

4.41/ 5 · 44 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

Category winnerFrench CancanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

63%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

57%Love

36%Like

0%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

44 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate89

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityMata Hari

SillageFrench Cancan

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value75

Category winnerMata HariBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

powdery92%

woody84%

floral77%

violet46%

rose30%

floral100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

sweet77%

woody69%

aromatic61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both floral and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

JasmineLilacViolet

Heart2-4 hrs

RoseAfrican Orange FlowerIrisPatchouliLily-of-the-Valley

Base6-10+ hrs

oak mossSandalwoodAmberOrris Root

Top15-30 mins

Fruity NotesOrangeNeroliBlood OrangeCorianderBergamotMandarin OrangeTarragon

Heart2-4 hrs

CloveCinnamonWhite HoneyChampacaJasmineTuberoseOrris RootLilac

Base6-8+ hrs

MyrhhLeatherMuskoak mossBenzoinTobaccoFrench labdanumPeru Balsam

Category winnerTieSame dry-down length

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring88

Summer38

Fall88

Winter100

Day35

Night100

Spring50

Summer29

Fall100

Winter100

Day41

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

Date 41%Party 26%Work 21%Casual 12%

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 42%Party 32%Casual 16%Work 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#22,787

PerfumerErnest Daltroff

Launched1936

Reviews2

Overall rank#18,101

PerfumerDawn Spencer Hurwitz

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerMata HariHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

French Cancan by Caron opens with an assertive burst of sweet jasmine, dewy lilac, and cool violet. The top notes deliver a crisp punch that softens quickly into something much deeper. Within twenty minutes, the initial floral brightness plunges into a dense, velvety heart of powdery iris, earthy patchouli, and orange…

Reviews →

Mata Hari by DSH Perfumes is a fierce, vintage-styled fruity chypre built on uncompromising botanical contrasts. The scent hits the skin with a tart blast of blood orange, bitter coriander, and sweet candied fruit notes. It does not apologize. Within twenty minutes, the bright citrus flash fades into a thick, sultry b…

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, French Cancan or Mata Hari?

Mata Hari takes 3 of 6 categories. French Cancan is rated 4.54/5 from 182 votes; Mata Hari is rated 4.41/5 from 44 votes. Choose French Cancan for a white floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Mata Hari for a floral and amber character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, French Cancan or Mata Hari?

Mata Hari lasts longest (Mata Hari 77/100, French Cancan 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, French Cancan or Mata Hari?

French Cancan projects furthest (French Cancan 67/100, Mata Hari 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do French Cancan and Mata Hari smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and woody accords. Common notes include Jasmine, Lilac, oak moss and Orris Root.

Is French Cancan or Mata Hari better for summer or winter?

French Cancan suits evening wear; Mata Hari suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in French Cancan and Mata Hari?

French Cancan has top notes of Jasmine, Lilac and Violet, heart notes of Rose, African Orange Flower, Iris and Patchouli, a base of oak moss, Sandalwood, Amber and Orris Root. Mata Hari has top notes of Fruity Notes, Orange, Neroli and Blood Orange, heart notes of Clove, Cinnamon, White Honey and Champaca, a base of Myrhh, Leather, Musk and oak moss.