Fragrance comparison

Gold Issime vs Karenina

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 508 ratings analysed

Gold Issime

Ulric de Varens

3.77284 votes

Rank #12,044 PowderyAldehydic

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Karenina

Roja Dove

3.98224 votes

Rank #3,412 FloralWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Karenina takes 6 of 7 categories.

Gold Issime
Choose it for a powdery and aldehydic character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Karenina
Choose it for a floral and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Gold Issime1/7

Karenina6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Gold IssimeUlric de Varens

KareninaRoja Dove

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.77/ 5 · 284 votes

Have 41%Had 33%Want 26%

3.98/ 5 · 224 votes

Have 37%Had 17%Want 46%

Category winnerKareninaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

23%Love

53%Like

4%Ok

20%Dislike

1%Hate

284 votes

44%Love

36%Like

4%Ok

14%Dislike

2%Hate

131 votes

Category winnerKareninaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityKarenina

SillageKarenina

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price value42

Category winnerGold IssimeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

aldehydic92%

fresh84%

white floral77%

yellow floral69%

sweet61%

floral100%

white floral92%

warm spicy84%

powdery77%

aldehydic69%

citrus61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both powdery, white floral and aldehydic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

AldehydesPowdery NotesYlang-YlangRiceVioletJasmineAfrican Orange FlowerRose

No top / heart / base split published

Top

AldehydesBergamot

Heart

CarnationGardeniaFrangipaniYlang-YlangVioletJasmineOrange BlossomRose

Base

ClovesVanillaGreen NotesMuskCedar

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Violet and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Gold Issime, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter51

Day100

Night39

Spring84

Summer44

Fall100

Winter96

Day96

Night100

Category winnerKareninaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex1

Women97

Casual 40%Work 36%Date 15%Party 9%

Men5

Unisex10

Women86

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,044

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews33

Overall rank#3,412

PerfumerRoja Dove

Launched—

Reviews45

Category winnerKareninaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Gold Issime by Ulric de Varens is an unapologetic nod to classic French soap perfumery. It opens with an icy pop of aldehydes and sweet African orange flower. The first few minutes are sharp and brisk. Soon, creamy ylang-ylang and delicate jasmine soften the blast into a pillowy floral core. A distinctive rice accord …

Reviews →

Karenina is a carnation-led floral with a polished, old-world feel. Aldehydes and bergamot give it a bright, slightly metallic lift at first, then the heart turns creamy and powdery with ylang-ylang, gardenia, jasmine and violet. On skin, the clove nuance in the carnation stands out, softened by vanilla, musk and ceda…

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, Gold Issime or Karenina?

Karenina takes 6 of 7 categories. Gold Issime is rated 3.77/5 from 284 votes; Karenina is rated 3.98/5 from 224 votes. Choose Gold Issime for a powdery and aldehydic character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Karenina for a floral and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Gold Issime or Karenina?

Karenina lasts longest (Karenina 83/100, Gold Issime 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Gold Issime or Karenina?

Karenina projects furthest (Karenina 73/100, Gold Issime 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Gold Issime and Karenina smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, white floral and aldehydic accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Violet and Jasmine.

Is Gold Issime or Karenina better for summer or winter?

For summer, Karenina is the stronger pick. For winter, Karenina is the stronger pick. Gold Issime suits daytime wear; Karenina suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Gold Issime and Karenina?

Gold Issime features Aldehydes, Powdery Notes, Ylang-Ylang, Rice and Violet. Karenina has top notes of Aldehydes and Bergamot, heart notes of Carnation, Gardenia, Frangipani and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Cloves, Vanilla, Green Notes and Musk.