Fragrance comparison

Imbue vs Sama

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 123 ratings analysed

5 wins

Imbue

Parfums Vintage

4.4792 votes

Rank #9,409 Warm SpicyCinnamon

Full profile Similar & dupes

16%scent match

Clearly different

Sama

Mawwal Arabia

4.2631 votes

Rank #43,718 AromaticFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Imbue takes 5 of 7 categories.

Imbue
Choose it for a warm spicy and cinnamon character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Sama
Choose it for a aromatic and fruity character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Imbue5/7

Sama2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ImbueParfums Vintage

SamaMawwal Arabia

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.47/ 5 · 92 votes

Have 31%Had 5%Want 64%

4.26/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 32%Had 3%Want 65%

Category winnerImbueRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

71%Love

17%Like

2%Ok

8%Dislike

2%Hate

92 votes

55%Love

29%Like

6%Ok

6%Dislike

3%Hate

31 votes

Category winnerImbueMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevitySama

SillageImbue

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value53

¤ Price value76

Category winnerSamaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

cinnamon92%

green84%

ozonic77%

tobacco69%

sweet61%

aromatic100%

fruity92%

woody84%

citrus77%

fresh spicy69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match16%Clearly different · both warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

Violet LeavesBergamot

Heart2 to 4 hours

Black TeaCinnamonMyrhhPimento

Base4 to 6 hours

Tobacco LeafMuskOlive Tree

Top

Violet LeavesGrapefruitPearBlack CurrantBergamotBasil

Heart

CardamomGingerPeachLily of the ValleyCinnamon

Base

VetiverMuskCedarwoodPatchouliVanillaAmberSandalwood

InformationalShared notesViolet Leaves, Bergamot, Cinnamon and Musk. Durations are only published for Imbue, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer75

Fall90

Winter51

Day100

Night63

Spring100

Summer88

Fall50

Winter33

Day100

Night74

Category winnerImbueMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men68

Unisex29

Women2

Men84

Unisex16

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#9,409

PerfumerDamien Stammers

Launched—

Reviews17

Overall rank#43,718

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerImbueHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Imbue by Parfums Vintage presents a tranquil, woody spicy profile built around brisk tea and dry aromatic greenery. It opens with an airy splash of bergamot paired with the crisp, dewy snap of violet leaves. As the top settles, a calming core of black tea unfolds alongside warm cinnamon, pimento, and resinous myrhh. T…

Reviews →

Sama opens bright and aromatic, with grapefruit, bergamot, pear and black currant over green violet leaf and basil. As it settles, cardamom, ginger and a touch of peach soften the freshness before a woody musky base of vetiver, cedar, sandalwood and amber takes over. It reads as a fresh woody aromatic with fruity lift…

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, Imbue or Sama?

Imbue takes 5 of 7 categories. Imbue is rated 4.47/5 from 92 votes; Sama is rated 4.26/5 from 31 votes. Choose Imbue for a warm spicy and cinnamon character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Sama for a aromatic and fruity character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Imbue or Sama?

Sama lasts longest (Sama 75/100, Imbue 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Imbue or Sama?

Imbue projects furthest (Imbue 62/100, Sama 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Imbue and Sama smell similar?

Clearly different: a 16% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy accords. Common notes include Violet Leaves, Bergamot, Cinnamon and Musk.

Is Imbue or Sama better for summer or winter?

For summer, Sama is the stronger pick. For winter, Imbue is the stronger pick. Imbue suits daytime wear; Sama suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Imbue and Sama?

Imbue has top notes of Violet Leaves and Bergamot, heart notes of Black Tea, Cinnamon, Myrhh and Pimento, a base of Tobacco Leaf, Musk and Olive Tree. Sama has top notes of Violet Leaves, Grapefruit, Pear and Black Currant, heart notes of Cardamom, Ginger, Peach and Lily of the Valley, a base of Vetiver, Musk, Cedarwood and Patchouli.