Fragrance comparison

Ilhabela vs Musk Al-Shams

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 79 ratings analysed

Ilhabela

Le Couvent Maison de Parfum

3.9730 votes

Rank #20,004 VanillaAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

52%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Musk Al-Shams

Ibraheem AlQurashi

4.1049 votes

Rank #15,843 VanillaMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Musk Al-Shams takes 6 of 8 categories.

Ilhabela
Choose it for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Musk Al-Shams
Choose it for a vanilla and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Ilhabela2/8

Musk Al-Shams6/8

Ratings & consensus: Musk Al-Shams
Community sentiment: Musk Al-Shams
Longevity: Ilhabela
Sillage & projection: Ilhabela
Value for money: Musk Al-Shams
Versatility: Musk Al-Shams
Note pyramid (duration): Musk Al-Shams
Fragranxe ranking: Musk Al-Shams

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

IlhabelaLe Couvent Maison de Parfum

Musk Al-ShamsIbraheem AlQurashi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.97/ 5 · 30 votes

Have 29%Had 9%Want 62%

4.10/ 5 · 49 votes

Have 68%Had 6%Want 26%

Category winnerMusk Al-ShamsRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

27%Like

10%Ok

10%Dislike

7%Hate

30 votes

37%Love

39%Like

22%Ok

2%Dislike

0%Hate

49 votes

Category winnerMusk Al-ShamsMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityIlhabela

SillageIlhabela

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value60

¤ Price value67

Category winnerMusk Al-ShamsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

amber91%

sweet83%

almond74%

musky65%

powdery56%

vanilla100%

musky92%

powdery84%

warm spicy77%

cinnamon69%

sweet61%

Scent match52%Some overlap · both vanilla, musky and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

Sweet AlmondMandoraCinnamon

Heart3 to 4 hours

VanillaHeliotrope

Base4 to 6 hours

AmbroxanSugar

Top15-30 mins

CinnamonBergamotCardamomOrange Blossom

Heart2-4 hrs

Vanillaelemi

Base6-8+ hrs

MuskSweet AlmondGuaiac WoodAmbroxan

Category winnerMusk Al-ShamsLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring26

Summer26

Fall100

Winter100

Day75

Night100

Spring46

Summer42

Fall81

Winter100

Day71

Night100

Category winnerMusk Al-ShamsMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex44

Women44

Men14

Unisex65

Women22

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,004

PerfumerJean-Claude Ellena

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#15,843

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerMusk Al-ShamsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ilhabela by Le Couvent Maison de Parfum is a warm oriental vanilla fragrance centered around sweet almond, mandora citrus, and dark spice. Formulated by perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, it blends confectionary sweetness with airy amber tones. The opening delivers a splash of candied mandora paired with spicy cinnamon and …

Reviews →

Musk Al-Shams by Ibraheem AlQurashi opens with a bright burst of bergamot and crisp orange blossom before diving straight into warm, spicy cinnamon and green cardamom. The initial kick is dry and vibrant rather than syrupy. Within twenty minutes, the citrus flash fades, making room for a pillowy heart of rich vanilla …

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, Ilhabela or Musk Al-Shams?

Musk Al-Shams takes 6 of 8 categories. Ilhabela is rated 3.97/5 from 30 votes; Musk Al-Shams is rated 4.10/5 from 49 votes. Choose Ilhabela for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Musk Al-Shams for a vanilla and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Ilhabela or Musk Al-Shams?

Ilhabela lasts longest (Ilhabela 74/100, Musk Al-Shams 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ilhabela or Musk Al-Shams?

Ilhabela projects furthest (Ilhabela 59/100, Musk Al-Shams 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ilhabela and Musk Al-Shams smell similar?

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla, musky and sweet accords. Common notes include Sweet Almond, Cinnamon, Vanilla and Ambroxan.

Is Ilhabela or Musk Al-Shams better for summer or winter?

For summer, Musk Al-Shams is the stronger pick. For winter, Ilhabela is the stronger pick. Ilhabela suits evening wear; Musk Al-Shams suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ilhabela and Musk Al-Shams?

Ilhabela has top notes of Sweet Almond, Mandora and Cinnamon, heart notes of Vanilla and Heliotrope, a base of Ambroxan and Sugar. Musk Al-Shams has top notes of Cinnamon, Bergamot, Cardamom and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Vanilla and elemi, a base of Musk, Sweet Almond, Guaiac Wood and Ambroxan.