Fragrance comparison

Istanbul IST vs True Heart

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 34 ratings analysed

Istanbul IST

The Scent of Departure

3.5424 votes

Rank #58,218 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

True Heart

mark.

4.4010 votes

Rank #33,282 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

True Heart takes 3 of 5 categories.

Istanbul IST
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.
True Heart
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Istanbul IST2/5

True Heart3/5

Ratings & consensus: True Heart
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Istanbul IST
Sillage & projection: Istanbul IST
Value for money: True Heart
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: True Heart

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Istanbul ISTThe Scent of Departure

True Heartmark.

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.54/ 5 · 24 votes

Have 9%Had 16%Want 75%

4.40/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 39%Had 27%Want 33%

Category winnerTrue HeartRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

13%Love

58%Like

0%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

40%Love

60%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityIstanbul IST

SillageIstanbul IST

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value92

Category winnerTrue HeartBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

fruity77%

sweet69%

rose61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

fresh84%

floral77%

woody69%

powdery61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SpiceselemiBergamotRed BerriesGrapefruit

Heart

LitchiRosePepperSweet NotesLotusRaspberryViolet

Base

Woodsy NotesSandalwoodCinnamonMusk

Notes

AmberLitchiPeonySandalwoodCinnamonBergamotPepperMusk

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Litchi, Pepper and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for True Heart, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring86

Summer100

Fall71

Winter43

Day100

Night75

Spring100

Summer100

Fall67

Winter67

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#58,218

PerfumerGerald Ghislain

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#33,282

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerTrue HeartHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Istanbul IST by The Scent of Departure opens with a sharp burst of bergamot and grapefruit, layered over a warm, peppery core. It settles into a soft cedarwood base, capturing the breezy vibe of the Bosporus. It works well for casual daytime wear during warm spring months.

Reviews →

True Heart by mark. is a warm spicy and amber fragrance that balances sweet floral tones with gentle woodiness. It opens with an uplifting brightness from bergamot alongside tangy litchi and a lively kick of pepper. As the scent settles, lush peony softens the spices, leading into a cozy foundation built on smooth amb…

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, Istanbul IST or True Heart?

True Heart takes 3 of 5 categories. Istanbul IST is rated 3.54/5 from 24 votes; True Heart is rated 4.40/5 from 10 votes. Choose Istanbul IST for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose True Heart for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Istanbul IST or True Heart?

Istanbul IST lasts longest (Istanbul IST 65/100, True Heart 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Istanbul IST or True Heart?

Istanbul IST projects furthest (Istanbul IST 58/100, True Heart 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Istanbul IST and True Heart smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Litchi, Pepper and Sandalwood.

Is Istanbul IST or True Heart better for summer or winter?

Istanbul IST suits daytime wear; True Heart suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Istanbul IST and True Heart?

Istanbul IST has top notes of Spices, elemi, Bergamot and Red Berries, heart notes of Litchi, Rose, Pepper and Sweet Notes, a base of Woodsy Notes, Sandalwood, Cinnamon and Musk. True Heart features Amber, Litchi, Peony, Sandalwood and Cinnamon.