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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Jolie Madame vs Ruben

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

Updated 977 ratings analysed
Clearly different
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Jolie Madame takes 4 of 7 categories.

  • Jolie Madame

    Choose it for a aromatic and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

  • Ruben

    Choose it for a mossy and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Jolie Madame4/7
Ruben3/7
Ratings & consensus
Jolie Madame
Community sentiment
Jolie Madame
Longevity
Ruben
Sillage & projection
Ruben
Value for money
Jolie Madame
Versatility
Ruben
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Jolie Madame

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
Jolie MadamePierre Balmain
RubenCriminal Elements
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
4.23/ 5 · 942 votes
Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%
4.03/ 5 · 35 votes
Have 30%Had 7%Want 62%
Category winnerJolie MadameRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
47%Love
40%Like
2%Ok
11%Dislike
0%Hate

942 votes

40%Love
40%Like
6%Ok
11%Dislike
3%Hate

35 votes

Category winnerJolie MadameMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity64
〰 Sillage60
♥ Love / hate81
⏱ Longevity74
〰 Sillage61
♥ Love / hate76
Category winners

LongevityRuben

SillageRuben

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value58
¤ Price value56
Category winnerJolie MadameBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
aromatic100%
white floral92%
earthy84%
animalic77%
woody69%
leather61%
mossy100%
citrus92%
earthy84%
lavender77%
aromatic69%
fresh spicy61%
Scent match28%Clearly different · both aromatic and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top
ArtemisiaCorianderGardeniaBergamotNeroliPetitgrainCloves
Heart
Violet LeafNarcissusOrris RootRoseTuberoseJasmineLilacOrange Blossom
Base
LeatherOakmossVetiverTobaccoCivetPatchouliMuskCedar
Notes
OakmossLavenderBergamotPetitgrainOrange Blossom

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Petitgrain, Orange Blossom and Oakmoss. Durations are only published for Ruben, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring100
Summer0
Fall0
Winter76
Day–
Night–
Spring100
Summer24
Fall94
Winter76
Day100
Night67
Category winnerRubenMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men3
Unisex51
Women47
Men57
Unisex43
Women0
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,391

PerfumerGermaine Cellier

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#38,044

PerfumerCorey Newcombe

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerJolie MadameHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Jolie Madame is a challenging leather fragrance from 1953, marked by Germaine Cellier's signature boldness. It opens with sharp artemisia and coriander before giving way to a heart of violet leaf and tuberose. The dry-down reveals a deep, animalic base of leather, civet, and oakmoss. It suits those who appreciate vint…

Reviews →

Ruben by Criminal Elements opens with a bright splash of tart bergamot and herbal lavender, giving you the crisp, invigorating feeling of walking outside right after a cool rain. As the sharp citrus calms down, bitter petitgrain and clean orange blossom step forward, smoothing the edges with a dry, slightly floral gre…

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, Jolie Madame or Ruben?

Jolie Madame takes 4 of 7 categories. Jolie Madame is rated 4.23/5 from 942 votes; Ruben is rated 4.03/5 from 35 votes. Choose Jolie Madame for a aromatic and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring. Choose Ruben for a mossy and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Jolie Madame or Ruben?

Ruben lasts longest (Ruben 74/100, Jolie Madame 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Jolie Madame or Ruben?

Projection is very close: Ruben 61/100, Jolie Madame 60/100 for sillage.

Do Jolie Madame and Ruben smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and earthy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Petitgrain, Orange Blossom and Oakmoss.

Is Jolie Madame or Ruben better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ruben is the stronger pick. For winter, Jolie Madame is the stronger pick. Ruben suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Jolie Madame and Ruben?

Jolie Madame has top notes of Artemisia, Coriander, Gardenia and Bergamot, heart notes of Violet Leaf, Narcissus, Orris Root and Rose, a base of Leather, Oakmoss, Vetiver and Tobacco. Ruben features Oakmoss, Lavender, Bergamot, Petitgrain and Orange Blossom.

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