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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Istanbul vs Gin Musk

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

Updated 43 ratings analysed
Clearly different
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Istanbul takes 3 of 4 categories.

  • Istanbul

    Choose it for a warm spicy and coffee character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

  • Gin Musk

    Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Istanbul3/4
Gin Musk1/4
Ratings & consensus
Not scored
Community sentiment
Not scored
Longevity
Istanbul
Sillage & projection
Istanbul
Value for money
Istanbul
Versatility
Not scored
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Gin Musk

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
IstanbulProad
Gin MuskAlex Perfume
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
4.00/ 5 · 8 votes
Have 11%Had 2%Want 88%
3.51/ 5 · 35 votes
Have 45%Had 3%Want 52%
Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
50%Love
25%Like
0%Ok
25%Dislike
0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

40%Love
23%Like
11%Ok
0%Dislike
26%Hate

35 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity75
〰 Sillage63
♥ Love / hate75
⏱ Longevity56
〰 Sillage53
♥ Love / hate63
Category winners

LongevityIstanbul

SillageIstanbul

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value50
¤ Price value30
Category winnerIstanbulBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
warm spicy100%
coffee92%
amber84%
sweet77%
balsamic69%
musky61%
aromatic100%
fresh spicy90%
musky80%
citrus70%
woody60%
powdery50%
Scent match19%Clearly different · both musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

No top / heart / base split published

Top
LimePink PepperBergamotMandarin Orangeelemi
Heart
JuniperGeraniumBulgarian RoseCinnamonOsmanthusTobaccoGinger
Base
MuskOakmossCedarSandalwoodLabdanumBenzoinVetiverStyrax
InformationalShared notesStyrax, Labdanum, Ginger and Musk. Durations are only published for Istanbul, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring0
Summer25
Fall100
Winter100
Day33
Night100
Spring100
Summer59
Fall88
Winter82
Day94
Night100
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men25
Unisex75
Women0
Men52
Unisex28
Women21
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#47,435

PerfumerTristan Badard

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#40,580

PerfumerMaria Celeste Lombardo

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerGin MuskHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Istanbul by Proad delivers a rich blend of roasted coffee, warm resins, and dark spices. Created by perfumer Tristan Badard, this oriental floral fragrance opens with a sharp flash of ginger paired with tart raspberry and dark coffee beans. As the initial brightness settles, the heart reveals a smooth rose note surrou…

Reviews →

Gin Musk is a bright, juniper-led aromatic that really does lean into a gin and citrus impression up top, with lime, bergamot and pink pepper giving it a crisp, fizzy edge. As it settles, florals and spice peek through (rose, geranium, ginger, cinnamon), then it dries down into clean musk with mossy woods, soft resins…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Istanbul or Gin Musk?

Istanbul takes 3 of 4 categories. Istanbul is rated 4.00/5 from 8 votes; Gin Musk is rated 3.51/5 from 35 votes. Choose Istanbul for a warm spicy and coffee character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Gin Musk for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Istanbul or Gin Musk?

Istanbul lasts longest (Istanbul 75/100, Gin Musk 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Istanbul or Gin Musk?

Istanbul projects furthest (Istanbul 63/100, Gin Musk 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Istanbul and Gin Musk smell similar?

Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share musky accords. Common notes include Styrax, Labdanum, Ginger and Musk.

Is Istanbul or Gin Musk better for summer or winter?

Istanbul suits evening wear; Gin Musk suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Istanbul and Gin Musk?

Istanbul features Coffee, Styrax, Labdanum, Elemi resin and Incense. Gin Musk has top notes of Lime, Pink Pepper, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Juniper, Geranium, Bulgarian Rose and Cinnamon, a base of Musk, Oakmoss, Cedar and Sandalwood.

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