Fragrance comparison

Illuminea vs Noire De Mai

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 250 ratings analysed

6 wins

Illuminea

Mary Kay

4.05104 votes

Rank #15,924 White FloralVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

22%scent match

Clearly different

Noire De Mai

Veronique Gabai

4.16146 votes

Rank #30,245 RoseWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Illuminea takes 6 of 8 categories.

Illuminea
Choose it for a white floral and vanilla character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Noire De Mai
Choose it for a rose and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Illuminea6/8

Noire De Mai2/8

Ratings & consensus: Noire De Mai
Community sentiment: Illuminea
Longevity: Illuminea
Sillage & projection: Illuminea
Value for money: Illuminea
Versatility: Noire De Mai
Note pyramid (duration): Illuminea
Fragranxe ranking: Illuminea

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

IllumineaMary Kay

Noire De MaiVeronique Gabai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.05/ 5 · 104 votes

Have 56%Had 15%Want 29%

4.16/ 5 · 146 votes

Have 44%Had 11%Want 44%

Category winnerNoire De MaiRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

48%Like

13%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

104 votes

50%Love

27%Like

16%Ok

5%Dislike

3%Hate

146 votes

Category winnerIllumineaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityIlluminea

SillageIlluminea

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value34

Category winnerIllumineaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

vanilla92%

floral84%

fresh77%

fruity69%

woody61%

rose100%

woody90%

amber80%

mossy70%

aquatic60%

floral50%

Scent match22%Clearly different · both woody and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Dew DropPink PepperMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

HoneysuckleRed Peony

Base6-8+ hrs

VanillaCashmere WoodOakmoss

Top15-30 mins

Dew Drop

Heart2-4 hrs

Rose de MaiSea Notes

Base5-8 hrs

AmberWoody NotesOakmoss

Category winnerIllumineaLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring64

Summer27

Fall100

Winter82

Day100

Night59

Spring78

Summer51

Fall100

Winter76

Day100

Night53

Category winnerNoire De MaiMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex1

Women97

Work 33%Casual 29%Date 26%Party 12%

Men5

Unisex20

Women75

Casual 34%Work 31%Date 24%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#15,924

PerfumerGino Percontino

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#30,245

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIllumineaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mary Kay Illuminea opens with bright mandarin orange, dewy water droplets, and a prickle of pink pepper. It sparkles briefly. Within fifteen minutes, the citrus evaporates and yields to a lush heart of golden honeysuckle and soft red peony. The texture turns velvety fast. A dense base of sweet vanilla, cashmere wood, …

Reviews →

Morning dew hits first. Veronique Gabai Noire De Mai sets fresh Rose de Mai petals against salty sea notes and damp earth, avoiding the powdery sweetness common to traditional rose perfumes. It feels brisk. Within twenty minutes, the bright floral sheen gives way to dark oakmoss, amber, and dry cedar wood, grounding t…

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, Illuminea or Noire De Mai?

Illuminea takes 6 of 8 categories. Illuminea is rated 4.05/5 from 104 votes; Noire De Mai is rated 4.16/5 from 146 votes. Choose Illuminea for a white floral and vanilla character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Noire De Mai for a rose and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Illuminea or Noire De Mai?

Illuminea lasts longest (Illuminea 69/100, Noire De Mai 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Illuminea or Noire De Mai?

Illuminea projects furthest (Illuminea 59/100, Noire De Mai 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Illuminea and Noire De Mai smell similar?

Clearly different: a 22% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and floral accords. Common notes include Dew Drop and Oakmoss.

Is Illuminea or Noire De Mai better for summer or winter?

For summer, Noire De Mai is the stronger pick. For winter, Illuminea is the stronger pick. Illuminea suits daytime wear; Noire De Mai suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Illuminea and Noire De Mai?

Illuminea has top notes of Dew Drop, Pink Pepper and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Honeysuckle and Red Peony, a base of Vanilla, Cashmere Wood and Oakmoss. Noire De Mai has top notes of Dew Drop, heart notes of Rose de Mai and Sea Notes, a base of Amber, Woody Notes and Oakmoss.