Fragrance comparison

Grand Musk vs Papier Carbone

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 368 ratings analysed

6 wins

Grand Musk

Pana Dora

3.81153 votes

Rank #10,412 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Papier Carbone

Ormaie

3.61215 votes

Rank #11,628 Soft SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Grand Musk takes 6 of 7 categories.

Grand Musk
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Papier Carbone
Choose it for a soft spicy and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment. Best in spring.

Grand Musk6/7

Papier Carbone1/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Grand MuskPana Dora

Papier CarboneOrmaie

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.81/ 5 · 153 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

3.61/ 5 · 215 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

Category winnerGrand MuskRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

21%Like

15%Ok

16%Dislike

5%Hate

153 votes

29%Love

34%Like

21%Ok

10%Dislike

6%Hate

163 votes

Category winnerPapier CarboneMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityGrand Musk

SillageGrand Musk

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value40

Category winnerGrand MuskBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

rose84%

musky77%

amber69%

aromatic61%

soft spicy100%

aromatic92%

woody84%

anis77%

floral69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Bulgarian RoseCardamomGeraniumCorianderLavender

Heart

MuskBlueberryClovesCinnamonNutmegVanillaYlang-YlangWhite Magnolia

Base

LeatherPatchouliGuaiac WoodIncenseAmberCedar

Top

Star AniseCoffeeBergamotCardamom

Heart

Clary SageNutmegCorianderLavender

Base

Ambrette (Musk Mallow)PatchouliGuaiac WoodHaitian Vetiver

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Coriander, Lavender and Nutmeg. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring37

Summer20

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter40

Day–

Night–

Category winnerGrand MuskMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men48

Unisex45

Women8

Men12

Unisex73

Women15

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,412

PerfumerIbrahim Al Zoabi

Launched—

Reviews20

Overall rank#11,628

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews35

Category winnerGrand MuskHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Grand Musk opens with a prickly punch of cardamom and coriander before settling into a dense, animalic musk heart layered with dark Bulgarian rose and tart blueberry. The base locks down with heavy guaiac wood, incense, and leather. Built for freezing winter nights, it offers projection that easily cuts through cold a…

Reviews →

Papier Carbone is a soft spicy, aromatic woody fragrance built around star anise, cardamom, paper-like woods and a musky ambrette base. On skin it often reads as nostalgic and unusual, with impressions of pencil shavings, licorice sweets, old paper, ink, warm spices and dry woods. It suits wearers who enjoy conceptual…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Grand Musk or Papier Carbone?

Grand Musk takes 6 of 7 categories. Grand Musk is rated 3.81/5 from 153 votes; Papier Carbone is rated 3.61/5 from 215 votes. Choose Grand Musk for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Papier Carbone for a soft spicy and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Grand Musk or Papier Carbone?

Grand Musk lasts longest (Grand Musk 79/100, Papier Carbone 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Grand Musk or Papier Carbone?

Grand Musk projects furthest (Grand Musk 69/100, Papier Carbone 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Grand Musk and Papier Carbone smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Coriander, Lavender and Nutmeg.

Is Grand Musk or Papier Carbone better for summer or winter?

For summer, Grand Musk is the stronger pick. For winter, Grand Musk is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Grand Musk and Papier Carbone?

Grand Musk has top notes of Bulgarian Rose, Cardamom, Geranium and Coriander, heart notes of Musk, Blueberry, Cloves and Cinnamon, a base of Leather, Patchouli, Guaiac Wood and Incense. Papier Carbone has top notes of Star Anise, Coffee, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of Clary Sage, Nutmeg, Coriander and Lavender, a base of Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Patchouli, Guaiac Wood and Haitian Vetiver.