Fragrance comparison

I'll Never Learn vs Retrospect

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 618 ratings analysed

4 wins

I'll Never Learn

Pearfat Parfum

3.6399 votes

Rank #8,300 PowderyViolet

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

Retrospect

Merit

3.93519 votes

Rank #3,945 MuskyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

I'll Never Learn takes 4 of 7 categories.

I'll Never Learn
Choose it for a powdery and violet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Retrospect
Choose it for a musky and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

I'll Never Learn4/7

Retrospect3/7

Ratings & consensus: Retrospect
Community sentiment: Retrospect
Longevity: I'll Never Learn
Sillage & projection: I'll Never Learn
Value for money: I'll Never Learn
Versatility: I'll Never Learn
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Retrospect

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

I'll Never LearnPearfat Parfum

RetrospectMerit

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.63/ 5 · 99 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

3.93/ 5 · 519 votes

Have 41%Had 6%Want 54%

Category winnerRetrospectRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

19%Like

18%Ok

13%Dislike

6%Hate

83 votes

41%Love

30%Like

14%Ok

11%Dislike

4%Hate

519 votes

Category winnerRetrospectMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage43

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityI'll Never Learn

SillageI'll Never Learn

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value69

¤ Price value50

Category winnerI'll Never LearnBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

violet92%

iris84%

leather77%

earthy69%

lavender61%

musky100%

powdery92%

floral84%

iris77%

fresh69%

fruity61%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both powdery and iris

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

SuedeVioletOrrisLavenderSugarMossBergamot

No top / heart / base split published

Top

PearAmbretteAldehydesBergamot

Heart

OrrisJasmineVioletRoseRosemary

Base

MuskMossVanilla

InformationalShared notesViolet, Orris, Moss and Bergamot. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer58

Fall96

Winter79

Day100

Night96

Spring100

Summer51

Fall0

Winter74

Day–

Night–

Category winnerI'll Never LearnMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex59

Women38

Men1

Unisex18

Women81

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#8,300

PerfumerAlie Kiral, Michael Nordstrand

Launched—

Reviews48

Overall rank#3,945

PerfumerFanny Bal

Launched—

Reviews158

Category winnerRetrospectHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

I'll Never Learn wears like a powdery violet suede scent with a strange, nostalgic edge. It opens cool and slightly synthetic for some, then settles into chalky iris, soft suede, moss, and a sugary violet effect that many find cozy, atmospheric, and memorable. This is a distinctly artistic unisex perfume. Sample first…

Reviews →

Retrospect opens with a sharp burst of crisp pear and airy aldehydes before settling into a soft, powdery heart of orris and violet. As it sits on skin, clean musk and warm vanilla create an intimate second-skin feel. It works best during cool spring mornings and quiet office workdays where subtle elegance matters.

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, I'll Never Learn or Retrospect?

I'll Never Learn takes 4 of 7 categories. I'll Never Learn is rated 3.63/5 from 99 votes; Retrospect is rated 3.93/5 from 519 votes. Choose I'll Never Learn for a powdery and violet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Retrospect for a musky and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, I'll Never Learn or Retrospect?

I'll Never Learn lasts longest (I'll Never Learn 71/100, Retrospect 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, I'll Never Learn or Retrospect?

I'll Never Learn projects furthest (I'll Never Learn 51/100, Retrospect 43/100), based on community performance votes.

Do I'll Never Learn and Retrospect smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery and iris accords. Common notes include Violet, Orris, Moss and Bergamot.

Is I'll Never Learn or Retrospect better for summer or winter?

For summer, I'll Never Learn is the stronger pick. For winter, I'll Never Learn is the stronger pick. I'll Never Learn suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in I'll Never Learn and Retrospect?

I'll Never Learn features Suede, Violet, Orris, Lavender and Sugar. Retrospect has top notes of Pear, Ambrette, Aldehydes and Bergamot, heart notes of Orris, Jasmine, Violet and Rose, a base of Musk, Moss and Vanilla.