Fragrance comparison

La Belle Dame Sans Merci vs Legato

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 36 ratings analysed

3 wins

La Belle Dame Sans Merci

Ikiryō

4.229 votes

Rank #43,150 VanillaSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Legato

Miller Harris

4.2227 votes

Rank #46,050 AmberVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

La Belle Dame Sans Merci takes 3 of 4 categories.

La Belle Dame Sans Merci
Choose it for a vanilla and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Legato
Choose it for a amber and vanilla character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

La Belle Dame Sans Merci3/4

Legato1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Legato
Sillage & projection: La Belle Dame Sans Merci
Value for money: La Belle Dame Sans Merci
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: La Belle Dame Sans Merci

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

La Belle Dame Sans MerciIkiryō

LegatoMiller Harris

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.22/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 16%Had 6%Want 79%

4.22/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 23%Had 2%Want 75%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

11%Like

0%Ok

22%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

41%Love

44%Like

11%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

27 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityLegato

SillageLa Belle Dame Sans Merci

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value43

Category winnerLa Belle Dame Sans MerciBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

sweet92%

amber84%

honey77%

floral69%

cherry61%

amber100%

vanilla92%

musky84%

sweet77%

rum69%

cherry61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both vanilla, amber and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

HoneyCherryBourbon VanillaCoffeeMagnoliaBenzoinAmbroxan

No top / heart / base split published

Top

RumCherryPlum

Heart

AmberSandalwoodBenzoin

Base

Bourbon VanillaAmbrettolideOrcanox™Musk

InformationalShared notesCherry, Bourbon Vanilla and Benzoin. Durations are only published for La Belle Dame Sans Merci, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer25

Fall75

Winter100

Day75

Night100

Spring19

Summer19

Fall100

Winter100

Day38

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men0

Unisex60

Women40

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#43,150

PerfumerVincent of Dreamhouse

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#46,050

PerfumerMathieu Nardin

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerLa Belle Dame Sans MerciHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

La Belle Dame Sans Merci by Ikiryō is an independent gourmand fragrance built around sweet honey, tart cherry, and dark coffee. Formulated by perfumer Vincent of Dreamhouse, the scent develops into a floral heart of creamy magnolia before resting on a warm base of smoky bourbon vanilla, resinous benzoin, and warm ambr…

Reviews →

Legato by Miller Harris immediately strikes with a sweet, boozy warmth on skin. It is built around a heavy amber backbone, starting with a bright pop of cherry and plum notes that keep the initial spray from feeling too thick. As the fragrance settles, a dry sandalwood and benzoin resin combination emerges to counter …

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, La Belle Dame Sans Merci or Legato?

La Belle Dame Sans Merci takes 3 of 4 categories. La Belle Dame Sans Merci is rated 4.22/5 from 9 votes; Legato is rated 4.22/5 from 27 votes. Choose La Belle Dame Sans Merci for a vanilla and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Legato for a amber and vanilla character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, La Belle Dame Sans Merci or Legato?

Legato lasts longest (Legato 70/100, La Belle Dame Sans Merci 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, La Belle Dame Sans Merci or Legato?

La Belle Dame Sans Merci projects furthest (La Belle Dame Sans Merci 58/100, Legato 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do La Belle Dame Sans Merci and Legato smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla, amber and sweet accords. Common notes include Cherry, Bourbon Vanilla and Benzoin.

Is La Belle Dame Sans Merci or Legato better for summer or winter?

La Belle Dame Sans Merci suits evening wear; Legato suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in La Belle Dame Sans Merci and Legato?

La Belle Dame Sans Merci features Honey, Cherry, Bourbon Vanilla, Coffee and Magnolia. Legato has top notes of Rum, Cherry and Plum, heart notes of Amber, Sandalwood and Benzoin, a base of Bourbon Vanilla, Ambrettolide, Orcanox™ and Musk.