Fragrance comparison

Gem Eau de Toilette vs Malabar

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 573 ratings analysed

Gem Eau de Toilette

Van Cleef & Arpels

4.32558 votes

Rank #2,027 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Malabar

Optico Profumo

4.4715 votes

Rank #32,087 VanillaYellow Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Malabar takes 3 of 5 categories.

Gem Eau de Toilette
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Malabar
Choose it for a vanilla and yellow floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Gem Eau de Toilette2/5

Malabar3/5

Ratings & consensus: Gem Eau de Toilette
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Malabar
Sillage & projection: Malabar
Value for money: Malabar
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Gem Eau de Toilette

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Gem Eau de ToiletteVan Cleef & Arpels

MalabarOptico Profumo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.32/ 5 · 558 votes

Have 66%Had 34%Want 0%

4.47/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 31%Had 8%Want 60%

Category winnerGem Eau de ToiletteRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

40%Like

2%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

558 votes

80%Love

0%Like

7%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage77

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityMalabar

SillageMalabar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value39

¤ Price value80

Category winnerMalabarBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

aromatic84%

fruity77%

sweet69%

white floral61%

vanilla100%

yellow floral92%

sweet84%

woody77%

aromatic69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

PlumPeachBrazilian RosewoodCardamomCorianderCypressMyrtle

Heart3-4 hrs

Ylang-YlangCarnationJasmineTuberoseClovesRoseIrisOrris Root

Base8-10+ hrs

CivetOakmossAmberPatchouliVanillaVetiver

Top

TangerineClovesCardamom

Heart

Ylang-YlangTonka BeanAbsintheOsmanthusHeliotropeChestnut

Base

VanillaPatchouliAmber

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Ylang-Ylang, Cloves and Amber. Durations are only published for Gem Eau de Toilette, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring38

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day58

Night100

Spring86

Summer57

Fall100

Winter86

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

Men0

Unisex77

Women23

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,027

PerfumerRoger Pellegrino

Launched—

Reviews36

Overall rank#32,087

PerfumerNicola Bianchi

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerGem Eau de ToiletteHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Van Cleef & Arpels Gem Eau de Toilette opens with a rich wave of spiced plum, ripe peach, and crushed coriander seeds. Created in 1987 by perfumer Roger Pellegrino, this classic fruity chypre balances juicy stone fruit against a deep spine of Brazilian rosewood, carnation, and earthy oakmoss. As the fragrance settles …

Reviews →

Malabar by Optico Profumo is a warm, spicy Oriental scent built on a heavy base of vanilla and earthy patchouli. Spiced tangerine and cloves open the fragrance, which slowly shifts into a dense, sweet heart of chestnut and heliotrope. It fits someone looking for a comforting, resinous layer that lingers in cold autumn…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

BohemeSegreti di LuccaRUNNER-UP vs

Soir de LuneSisleyWINNER

1 person compared this today

Orange FlowerOscar de la RentaRUNNER-UP vs

Ti AmoRoja DoveWINNER

1 person compared this today

Eau de BruxellesLibertin Louison Technique IndiscreteRUNNER-UP vs

Private ClubJeanne ArthesWINNER

1 person compared this today

PatchouliJouriRUNNER-UP vs

al03biehl parfumkunstwerkeWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Gem Eau de Toilette or Malabar?

Malabar takes 3 of 5 categories. Gem Eau de Toilette is rated 4.32/5 from 558 votes; Malabar is rated 4.47/5 from 15 votes. Choose Gem Eau de Toilette for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Malabar for a vanilla and yellow floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Gem Eau de Toilette or Malabar?

Malabar lasts longest (Malabar 85/100, Gem Eau de Toilette 79/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Gem Eau de Toilette or Malabar?

Malabar projects furthest (Malabar 77/100, Gem Eau de Toilette 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Gem Eau de Toilette and Malabar smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Ylang-Ylang, Cloves and Amber.

Is Gem Eau de Toilette or Malabar better for summer or winter?

Gem Eau de Toilette suits evening wear; Malabar suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Gem Eau de Toilette and Malabar?

Gem Eau de Toilette has top notes of Plum, Peach, Brazilian Rosewood and Cardamom, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Carnation, Jasmine and Tuberose, a base of Civet, Oakmoss, Amber and Patchouli. Malabar has top notes of Tangerine, Cloves and Cardamom, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Tonka Bean, Absinthe and Osmanthus, a base of Vanilla, Patchouli and Amber.