Fragrance comparison

L'Elegant vs Russian Gold

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 198 ratings analysed

L'Elegant

MDCI Parfums

3.92185 votes

Rank #5,474 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

57%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Russian Gold

Pure Gold Perfumes

4.6213 votes

Rank #28,267 Fresh SpicyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Russian Gold takes 4 of 5 categories.

L'Elegant
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Russian Gold
Choose it for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

L'Elegant1/5

Russian Gold4/5

Ratings & consensus: Russian Gold
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Russian Gold
Sillage & projection: Russian Gold
Value for money: Russian Gold
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: L'Elegant

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

L'ElegantMDCI Parfums

Russian GoldPure Gold Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.92/ 5 · 185 votes

Have 29%Had 9%Want 62%

4.62/ 5 · 13 votes

Have 15%Had 3%Want 83%

Category winnerRussian GoldRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

41%Love

30%Like

17%Ok

8%Dislike

5%Hate

118 votes

77%Love

15%Like

0%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

13 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity98

〰 Sillage88

♥ Love / hate90

Category winners

LongevityRussian Gold

SillageRussian Gold

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value49

¤ Price value100

Category winnerRussian GoldBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber92%

woody84%

fresh spicy77%

powdery69%

balsamic61%

fresh spicy100%

warm spicy92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

amber69%

leather61%

Scent match57%Closely related · both warm spicy, fresh spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

IncenseCardamomSaffronBlack Pepper

Heart

SandalwoodOrrisNutmegDavanaHoneyCinnamonCumin

Base

Agarwood (Oud)MyrrhCashmeranLabdanumTonka BeanMusk

Top20-30 mins

MaceMyrtleCardamomCuminNutmegSaffronPink Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

GeraniumOlibanumMyrrh

Base8-12+ hrs

Agarwood (Oud)LeatherPatchouliCedarSandalwoodMusk

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Saffron, Sandalwood and Nutmeg. Durations are only published for Russian Gold, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring69

Summer33

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring77

Summer54

Fall92

Winter100

Day35

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men51

Unisex40

Women9

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Date 38%Party 32%Casual 16%Work 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,474

PerfumerIrene Farmachidi

Launched—

Reviews40

Overall rank#28,267

PerfumerMaurus Bachmann

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerL'ElegantHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

L'Elegant is a warm spicy, incense-led MDCI with cardamom, sandalwood, dusty woods and a restrained honeyed sweetness. Reviewers often notice the incense and oud more than the orris, with the spices fading fairly quickly for some skin types. It suits people who enjoy refined spicy woods with a polished niche feel, esp…

Reviews →

Russian Gold by Pure Gold Perfumes is a dense, unapologetic blast of exotic spices, dark resins, and heavy leather. Perfumer Maurus Bachmann built this 2016 release around a thick wall of nutmeg, cardamom, and pungent cumin that hits the room the second you press the atomizer. Within minutes, the fiery opening settles…

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, L'Elegant or Russian Gold?

Russian Gold takes 4 of 5 categories. L'Elegant is rated 3.92/5 from 185 votes; Russian Gold is rated 4.62/5 from 13 votes. Choose L'Elegant for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Russian Gold for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, L'Elegant or Russian Gold?

Russian Gold lasts longest (Russian Gold 98/100, L'Elegant 76/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, L'Elegant or Russian Gold?

Russian Gold projects furthest (Russian Gold 88/100, L'Elegant 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do L'Elegant and Russian Gold smell similar?

Closely related: a 57% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, fresh spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Saffron, Sandalwood and Nutmeg.

Is L'Elegant or Russian Gold better for summer or winter?

Russian Gold suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in L'Elegant and Russian Gold?

L'Elegant has top notes of Incense, Cardamom, Saffron and Black Pepper, heart notes of Sandalwood, Orris, Nutmeg and Davana, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Myrrh, Cashmeran and Labdanum. Russian Gold has top notes of Mace, Myrtle, Cardamom and Cumin, heart notes of Geranium, Olibanum and Myrrh, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Leather, Patchouli and Cedar.