Fragrance comparison

Handsome vs Jolie Madame

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 1,047 ratings analysed

5 wins

Handsome

Paris Elysees

3.93105 votes

Rank #14,723 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

Jolie Madame

Pierre Balmain

4.23942 votes

Rank #26,391 AromaticWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Handsome takes 5 of 7 categories.

Handsome
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Jolie Madame
Choose it for a aromatic and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring.

Handsome5/7

Jolie Madame2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

HandsomeParis Elysees

Jolie MadamePierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 105 votes

Have 37%Had 24%Want 39%

4.23/ 5 · 942 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

Category winnerJolie MadameRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

39%Love

36%Like

9%Ok

11%Dislike

5%Hate

105 votes

47%Love

40%Like

2%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

942 votes

Category winnerJolie MadameMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityHandsome

SillageHandsome

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value93

¤ Price value58

Category winnerHandsomeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic86%

earthy72%

tobacco58%

mossy44%

leather30%

aromatic100%

white floral92%

earthy84%

animalic77%

woody69%

leather61%

Scent match53%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

PineEucalyptusLavenderCoriander

Heart2 to 3 hours

CedarVetiverArtemisiaPepper

Base5 to 8 hours

TobaccoOakmossLeatherPatchouli

Top

ArtemisiaCorianderGardeniaBergamotNeroliPetitgrainCloves

Heart

Violet LeafNarcissusOrris RootRoseTuberoseJasmineLilacOrange Blossom

Base

LeatherOakmossVetiverTobaccoCivetPatchouliMuskCedar

InformationalShared notesCoriander, Cedar, Vetiver and Artemisia. Durations are only published for Handsome, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring62

Summer20

Fall94

Winter100

Day49

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter76

Day–

Night–

Category winnerHandsomeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men99

Unisex0

Women1

Men3

Unisex51

Women47

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,723

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#26,391

PerfumerGermaine Cellier

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerHandsomeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Handsome by Paris Elysees is an unapologetic chypre fragrance for men built around brisk forest greenery, rough woods, and dry tobacco. The opening delivers a potent burst of sharp pine needles, camphoraceous eucalyptus, clean lavender, and spicy coriander seeds. As the aromatic blast settles, a sturdy heart of dry ce…

Reviews →

Jolie Madame is a challenging leather fragrance from 1953, marked by Germaine Cellier's signature boldness. It opens with sharp artemisia and coriander before giving way to a heart of violet leaf and tuberose. The dry-down reveals a deep, animalic base of leather, civet, and oakmoss. It suits those who appreciate vint…

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, Handsome or Jolie Madame?

Handsome takes 5 of 7 categories. Handsome is rated 3.93/5 from 105 votes; Jolie Madame is rated 4.23/5 from 942 votes. Choose Handsome for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Jolie Madame for a aromatic and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Handsome or Jolie Madame?

Handsome lasts longest (Handsome 74/100, Jolie Madame 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Handsome or Jolie Madame?

Handsome projects furthest (Handsome 67/100, Jolie Madame 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Handsome and Jolie Madame smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and earthy accords. Common notes include Coriander, Cedar, Vetiver and Artemisia.

Is Handsome or Jolie Madame better for summer or winter?

For summer, Handsome is the stronger pick. For winter, Handsome is the stronger pick. Handsome suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Handsome and Jolie Madame?

Handsome has top notes of Pine, Eucalyptus, Lavender and Coriander, heart notes of Cedar, Vetiver, Artemisia and Pepper, a base of Tobacco, Oakmoss, Leather and Patchouli. Jolie Madame has top notes of Artemisia, Coriander, Gardenia and Bergamot, heart notes of Violet Leaf, Narcissus, Orris Root and Rose, a base of Leather, Oakmoss, Vetiver and Tobacco.