Fragrance comparison

Illicit vs Lady Marmalade

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 2,723 ratings analysed

3 wins

Illicit

Jimmy Choo

4.052,717 votes

Rank #1,736 HoneySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

Lady Marmalade

The Saltworks Company

4.006 votes

Rank #55,356 CaramelCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Illicit takes 3 of 4 categories.

Illicit
Choose it for a honey and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Lady Marmalade
Choose it for a caramel and citrus character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Illicit3/4

Lady Marmalade1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Lady Marmalade
Sillage & projection: Illicit
Value for money: Illicit
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Illicit

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

IllicitJimmy Choo

Lady MarmaladeThe Saltworks Company

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.05/ 5 · 2,717 votes

Have 74%Had 26%Want 0%

4.00/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 45%Had 9%Want 45%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

35%Love

46%Like

10%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

2,717 votes

33%Love

33%Like

33%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage42

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityLady Marmalade

SillageIllicit

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value56

Category winnerIllicitBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

honey100%

sweet92%

citrus84%

white floral77%

amber69%

woody61%

caramel100%

citrus91%

patchouli83%

woody74%

warm spicy65%

balsamic56%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both citrus and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GingerBitter Orange

Heart

Jasmine SambacOrange BlossomRose

Base

HoneyAmberCaramelVanillaSandalwoodCashmere Wood

Top

Bitter Orange

Heart

Caramel

Base

Patchouli

InformationalShared notesBitter Orange and Caramel. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring71

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex6

Women94

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,736

PerfumerAnne Flipo

Launched—

Reviews209

Overall rank#55,356

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIllicitHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Jimmy Choo Illicit opens with a zesty sparkle of fresh ginger and tangy bitter orange that immediately grabs your attention without feeling sharp. Within minutes, the citrus settles into a warm heart of creamy orange blossom and soft jasmine sambac, draped in a rich layer of golden honey and sweet caramel. A smooth ba…

Reviews →

Lady Marmalade by The Saltworks Company is a rich citrus gourmand that opens with a tart burst of bitter orange. As the fragrance settles on the skin, it reveals a sweet caramel core anchored by an earthy patchouli base. This scent is ideal for cool autumn evenings when you want a cozy yet playful aroma that cuts thro…

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, Illicit or Lady Marmalade?

Illicit takes 3 of 4 categories. Illicit is rated 4.05/5 from 2,717 votes; Lady Marmalade is rated 4.00/5 from 6 votes. Choose Illicit for a honey and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Lady Marmalade for a caramel and citrus character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Illicit or Lady Marmalade?

Lady Marmalade lasts longest (Lady Marmalade 67/100, Illicit 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Illicit or Lady Marmalade?

Illicit projects furthest (Illicit 52/100, Lady Marmalade 42/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Illicit and Lady Marmalade smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and woody accords. Common notes include Bitter Orange and Caramel.

Is Illicit or Lady Marmalade better for summer or winter?

Lady Marmalade suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Illicit and Lady Marmalade?

Illicit has top notes of Ginger and Bitter Orange, heart notes of Jasmine Sambac, Orange Blossom and Rose, a base of Honey, Amber, Caramel and Vanilla. Lady Marmalade has top notes of Bitter Orange, heart notes of Caramel, a base of Patchouli.