Fragrance comparison

L'Élu vs Cleopatra

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 16 ratings analysed

3 wins

L'Élu

Marquay

4.7114 votes

Rank #26,598 Yellow FloralWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

Cleopatra

Kesma

4.502 votes

Rank #50,669 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

L'Élu takes 3 of 4 categories.

L'Élu
Choose it for a yellow floral and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Cleopatra
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

L'Élu3/4

Cleopatra1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

L'ÉluMarquay

CleopatraKesma

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.71/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 39%Had 6%Want 55%

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 36%Had 9%Want 55%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

71%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate93

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityL'Élu

SillageL'Élu

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value42

¤ Price value50

Category winnerCleopatraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

yellow floral100%

woody92%

amber84%

earthy77%

mossy69%

rose61%

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

NarcissusBergamotLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

Ylang YlangRoseOrange BlossomOrris RootJasmine

Base6-10 hrs

OakmossAmberVanillaLabdanumVetiverPatchouliMuskSandal

Top

BergamotCinnamonGalbanumPepperCloves

Heart

Orange BlossomYlang-YlangHeliotropeNarcissusTuberoseJasmineHoneyClove

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliLabdanumWormwoodOakmossLeatherVetiverIncense

InformationalShared notesNarcissus, Bergamot, Orange Blossom and Jasmine. Durations are only published for L'Élu, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring83

Summer67

Fall100

Winter83

Day35

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall50

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

Date 41%Casual 22%Work 21%Party 16%

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,598

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#50,669

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerL'ÉluHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

L'Élu by Marquay opens with a vivid rush of bitter bergamot, crisp lemon, and green narcissus. The citrus flashes off fast. Within minutes, the fragrance shifts into a dense bouquet of ylang-ylang, powdery orris root, and lush jasmine. This is an authentic 1946 vintage chypre floral. It carries genuine weight. The dry…

Reviews →

Cleopatra by Kesma is a dense, unapologetic oriental floral from 1983. It opens with a punch of cloves and cinnamon before settling into a rich, resinous heart of tuberose, ylang-ylang, and honey. This is a cold-weather classic that leans heavily on its base of incense, leather, and oakmoss for a deep, vintage footpri…

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'Élu or Cleopatra?

L'Élu takes 3 of 4 categories. L'Élu is rated 4.71/5 from 14 votes; Cleopatra is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose L'Élu for a yellow floral and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Cleopatra for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, L'Élu or Cleopatra?

L'Élu lasts longest (L'Élu 73/100, Cleopatra 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, L'Élu or Cleopatra?

L'Élu projects furthest (L'Élu 54/100, Cleopatra 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do L'Élu and Cleopatra smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Narcissus, Bergamot, Orange Blossom and Jasmine.

Is L'Élu or Cleopatra better for summer or winter?

L'Élu suits evening wear; Cleopatra suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in L'Élu and Cleopatra?

L'Élu has top notes of Narcissus, Bergamot and Lemon, heart notes of Ylang Ylang, Rose, Orange Blossom and Orris Root, a base of Oakmoss, Amber, Vanilla and Labdanum. Cleopatra has top notes of Bergamot, Cinnamon, Galbanum and Pepper, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Ylang-Ylang, Heliotrope and Narcissus, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli, Labdanum and Wormwood.