Fragrance comparison

Lady Marmalade vs Illicit

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 2,723 ratings analysed

Lady Marmalade

The Saltworks Company

4.006 votes

Rank #55,356 CaramelCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Illicit

Jimmy Choo

4.052,717 votes

Rank #1,742 HoneySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Illicit takes 3 of 4 categories.

Lady Marmalade
Choose it for a caramel and citrus character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Illicit
Choose it for a honey and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Lady Marmalade1/4

Illicit3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Lady Marmalade
Sillage & projection: Illicit
Value for money: Illicit
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Illicit

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Lady MarmaladeThe Saltworks Company

IllicitJimmy Choo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 45%Had 9%Want 45%

4.05/ 5 · 2,717 votes

Have 74%Had 26%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

33%Like

33%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

35%Love

46%Like

10%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

2,717 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage42

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityLady Marmalade

SillageIllicit

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value56

¤ Price value64

Category winnerIllicitBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

caramel100%

citrus91%

patchouli83%

woody74%

warm spicy65%

balsamic56%

honey100%

sweet92%

citrus84%

white floral77%

amber69%

woody61%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both citrus and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Bitter Orange

Heart

Caramel

Base

Patchouli

Top

GingerBitter Orange

Heart

Jasmine SambacOrange BlossomRose

Base

HoneyAmberCaramelVanillaSandalwoodCashmere Wood

InformationalShared notesBitter Orange and Caramel. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night100

Spring71

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men1

Unisex6

Women94

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#55,356

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,742

PerfumerAnne Flipo

Launched—

Reviews209

Category winnerIllicitHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Lady Marmalade by The Saltworks Company is a rich citrus gourmand that opens with a tart burst of bitter orange. As the fragrance settles on the skin, it reveals a sweet caramel core anchored by an earthy patchouli base. This scent is ideal for cool autumn evenings when you want a cozy yet playful aroma that cuts thro…

Reviews →

Jimmy Choo Illicit opens with a zesty sparkle of fresh ginger and tangy bitter orange that immediately grabs your attention without feeling sharp. Within minutes, the citrus settles into a warm heart of creamy orange blossom and soft jasmine sambac, draped in a rich layer of golden honey and sweet caramel. A smooth ba…

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, Lady Marmalade or Illicit?

Illicit takes 3 of 4 categories. Lady Marmalade is rated 4.00/5 from 6 votes; Illicit is rated 4.05/5 from 2,717 votes. Choose Lady Marmalade for a caramel and citrus character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Illicit for a honey and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Lady Marmalade or Illicit?

Lady Marmalade lasts longest (Lady Marmalade 67/100, Illicit 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Lady Marmalade or Illicit?

Illicit projects furthest (Illicit 52/100, Lady Marmalade 42/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Lady Marmalade and Illicit smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and woody accords. Common notes include Bitter Orange and Caramel.

Is Lady Marmalade or Illicit better for summer or winter?

Lady Marmalade suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Lady Marmalade and Illicit?

Lady Marmalade has top notes of Bitter Orange, heart notes of Caramel, a base of Patchouli. Illicit has top notes of Ginger and Bitter Orange, heart notes of Jasmine Sambac, Orange Blossom and Rose, a base of Honey, Amber, Caramel and Vanilla.