Fragrance comparison

Japanese Garden vs Sweet Dream

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 150 ratings analysed

Japanese Garden

Dermacol

3.899 votes

Rank #48,661 FruityMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Sweet Dream

Shakira

4.02141 votes

Rank #12,791 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sweet Dream takes 3 of 4 categories.

Japanese Garden
Choose it for a fruity and musky character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Sweet Dream
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Japanese Garden1/4

Sweet Dream3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Japanese Garden
Sillage & projection: Sweet Dream
Value for money: Sweet Dream
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Sweet Dream

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Japanese GardenDermacol

Sweet DreamShakira

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.89/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 53%Had 15%Want 32%

4.02/ 5 · 141 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

11%Love

67%Like

22%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

31%Love

50%Like

9%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

141 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage42

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityJapanese Garden

SillageSweet Dream

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value71

Category winnerSweet DreamBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

musky92%

white floral84%

sweet77%

citrus69%

powdery61%

fruity100%

sweet86%

caramel72%

rose58%

woody44%

floral30%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both fruity and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Black CurrantTangerine

Heart2-4 hrs

JasmineRoseRaspberry

Base4-6 hrs

MuskCaramelAmbergris

Top

RaspberryBlack CurrantBergamot

Heart

CaramelRoseNight Blooming Jasmine

Base

PatchouliMuskBenzoinCedar

InformationalShared notesBlack Currant, Rose, Raspberry and Musk. Durations are only published for Japanese Garden, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer43

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night35

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter64

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

Casual 39%Work 31%Date 20%Party 10%

Men1

Unisex7

Women91

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#48,661

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#12,791

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerSweet DreamHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dermacol Japanese Garden delivers an upbeat, dewy burst of sweet black currant and tangy tangerine right out of the nozzle. The opening sharp alcohol burns off within two minutes. What follows is a lush bouquet of clean jasmine and fresh pink rose, dusted with ripe raspberry sweetness. It feels light, cheerful, and ap…

Reviews →

Sweet Dream by Shakira offers a playful gourmand experience for daily wear. It opens with bright raspberry and black currant, which quickly soften under a heavy wave of warm caramel. A clean patchouli base grounds the sweetness, making it a comfortable, budget-friendly option for casual autumn afternoons.

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, Japanese Garden or Sweet Dream?

Sweet Dream takes 3 of 4 categories. Japanese Garden is rated 3.89/5 from 9 votes; Sweet Dream is rated 4.02/5 from 141 votes. Choose Japanese Garden for a fruity and musky character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Sweet Dream for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Japanese Garden or Sweet Dream?

Japanese Garden lasts longest (Japanese Garden 63/100, Sweet Dream 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Japanese Garden or Sweet Dream?

Sweet Dream projects furthest (Sweet Dream 55/100, Japanese Garden 42/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Japanese Garden and Sweet Dream smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity and sweet accords. Common notes include Black Currant, Rose, Raspberry and Musk.

Is Japanese Garden or Sweet Dream better for summer or winter?

Japanese Garden suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Japanese Garden and Sweet Dream?

Japanese Garden has top notes of Black Currant and Tangerine, heart notes of Jasmine, Rose and Raspberry, a base of Musk, Caramel and Ambergris. Sweet Dream has top notes of Raspberry, Black Currant and Bergamot, heart notes of Caramel, Rose and Night Blooming Jasmine, a base of Patchouli, Musk, Benzoin and Cedar.