Fragrance comparison

Genesis vs Mala

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 63 ratings analysed

2 wins

Genesis

House of Brandt

3.9760 votes

Rank #32,037 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

Mala

Tanaïs

4.673 votes

Rank #37,360 AromaticWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Genesis takes 2 of 2 categories.

Genesis
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Mala
Choose it for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Genesis2/2

Mala0/2

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

GenesisHouse of Brandt

MalaTanaïs

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.97/ 5 · 60 votes

Have 22%Had 4%Want 74%

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 14%Had 0%Want 86%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

27%Like

23%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

60 votes

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value50

Category winnerGenesisBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody90%

tobacco80%

metallic70%

rose60%

leather50%

aromatic100%

warm spicy92%

rose84%

floral77%

tobacco69%

sweet61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both warm spicy, tobacco and rose

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

SaffronCassis

Heart2-4 hrs

RoseJavanol

Base6-9 hrs

SandalwoodTobaccoCashmere Wood

Top

SaffronRoseClary Sage

Heart

CorianderCarnationCardamomMarigold

Base

SandalwoodTobaccoRumenian TagetesChoya NakhNag Champa

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Rose, Sandalwood and Tobacco. Durations are only published for Genesis, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring29

Summer21

Fall100

Winter89

Day42

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter75

Day100

Night75

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men15

Unisex63

Women22

Date 43%Party 30%Casual 16%Work 11%

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#32,037

PerfumerKamila Lelakova

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#37,360

PerfumerTanaïs

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerGenesisHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

House of Brandt Genesis delivers a dark, spicy warmth built for brisk weather. The scent opens with a sharp burst of bittersweet saffron and tart cassis. It catches your attention immediately. Within twenty minutes, a rich jammy rose steps forward, bolstered by the synthetic radiance of Javanol. That molecular pulse k…

Reviews →

Mala by Tanaïs opens with a sharp flash of saffron, aromatic clary sage, and damp rose essence. As the top notes recede, the composition shifts toward a dense heart of marigold attar, spicy carnation, and cracked cardamom. The base anchors the smoky floral core with nag champa temple incense, rich tobacco absolute, an…

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, Genesis or Mala?

Genesis takes 2 of 2 categories. Genesis is rated 3.97/5 from 60 votes; Mala is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Genesis for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Mala for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Do Genesis and Mala smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, tobacco and rose accords. Common notes include Saffron, Rose, Sandalwood and Tobacco.

Is Genesis or Mala better for summer or winter?

Genesis suits evening wear; Mala suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Genesis and Mala?

Genesis has top notes of Saffron and Cassis, heart notes of Rose and Javanol, a base of Sandalwood, Tobacco and Cashmere Wood. Mala has top notes of Saffron, Rose and Clary Sage, heart notes of Coriander, Carnation, Cardamom and Marigold, a base of Sandalwood, Tobacco, Rumenian Tagetes and Choya Nakh.