Fragrance comparison

Iris 39 vs Courtesan's Intrigues

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 1,373 ratings analysed

3 wins

Iris 39

Le Labo

3.861,333 votes

Rank #1,627 PowderyViolet

Full profile Similar & dupes

52%scent match

Some overlap

Courtesan's Intrigues

Nimere Parfums

3.5940 votes

Rank #16,242 PowderyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Iris 39 takes 3 of 5 categories.

Iris 39
Choose it for a powdery and violet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Courtesan's Intrigues
Choose it for a powdery and amber character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Iris 393/5

Courtesan's Intrigues2/5

Ratings & consensus: Iris 39
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Courtesan's Intrigues
Sillage & projection: Iris 39
Value for money: Courtesan's Intrigues
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Iris 39

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Iris 39Le Labo

Courtesan's IntriguesNimere Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 1,333 votes

Have 38%Had 18%Want 44%

3.59/ 5 · 40 votes

Have 12%Had 24%Want 64%

Category winnerIris 39Rating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

34%Like

8%Ok

19%Dislike

2%Hate

1,333 votes

25%Love

42%Like

0%Ok

33%Dislike

0%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityCourtesan's Intrigues

SillageIris 39

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value100

Category winnerCourtesan's IntriguesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

violet92%

iris84%

woody77%

musky69%

patchouli61%

powdery100%

amber92%

musky84%

woody77%

animalic69%

violet61%

Scent match52%Some overlap · both powdery, woody and violet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

IrisPatchouliVioletMuskCivetYlang-YlangGingerLimeCardamomRose

No top / heart / base split published

Top

AldehydesCitruses

Heart

IrisVioletRoseJasmineNarcissusLily-of-the-ValleyYlang-YlangNeroli

Base

MuskCivetCastoreumMyrrhAmbergrisTolu BalsamLabdanumOakmoss

InformationalShared notesIris, Violet, Musk and Civet. Durations are only published for Iris 39, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer52

Fall80

Winter48

Day100

Night46

Spring75

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day75

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men6

Unisex49

Women45

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,627

PerfumerFrank Voelkl

Launched—

Reviews176

Overall rank#16,242

PerfumerNikolay Eremin

Launched—

Reviews17

Category winnerIris 39Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Iris 39 by Le Labo strips away the sweet cosmetic powder often found in floral scents, focusing instead on the raw, vegetal root of the flower. Created by perfumer Frank Voelkl in 2006, the fragrance opens with an unexpected bite of fresh lime and pungent ginger. That brisk citrus quickly gives way to a heart of rooty…

Reviews →

Courtesan's Intrigues by Nimere Parfums is a bold floral aldehyde that bridges 1970s hippy sensibilities with 1980s powerhouse animalics. This unisex scent features a complex structure of iris, violet, and narcissus resting on a deep base of civet and castoreum. It provides a powdery, resinous experience ideal for for…

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, Iris 39 or Courtesan's Intrigues?

Iris 39 takes 3 of 5 categories. Iris 39 is rated 3.86/5 from 1,333 votes; Courtesan's Intrigues is rated 3.59/5 from 40 votes. Choose Iris 39 for a powdery and violet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Courtesan's Intrigues for a powdery and amber character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Iris 39 or Courtesan's Intrigues?

They last about the same: Courtesan's Intrigues 76/100, Iris 39 75/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Iris 39 or Courtesan's Intrigues?

Iris 39 projects furthest (Iris 39 67/100, Courtesan's Intrigues 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Iris 39 and Courtesan's Intrigues smell similar?

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, woody and violet accords. Common notes include Iris, Violet, Musk and Civet.

Is Iris 39 or Courtesan's Intrigues better for summer or winter?

Iris 39 suits daytime wear; Courtesan's Intrigues suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Iris 39 and Courtesan's Intrigues?

Iris 39 features Iris, Patchouli, Violet, Musk and Civet. Courtesan's Intrigues has top notes of Aldehydes and Citruses, heart notes of Iris, Violet, Rose and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Civet, Castoreum and Myrrh.