Fragrance comparison

Life is Gold vs Illicit Flower

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

Updated 14 Oct 2026 657 ratings analysed

Life is Gold

The Body Shop

3.6213 votes

Rank #22,178 AmberVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Illicit Flower

Jimmy Choo

3.74644 votes

Rank #7,674 CitrusWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Illicit Flower takes 3 of 5 categories.

Life is Gold
Choose it for a amber and vanilla character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Illicit Flower
Choose it for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Life is Gold1/5

Illicit Flower3/5

Ratings & consensus: Illicit Flower
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Illicit Flower
Sillage & projection: Life is Gold
Value for money: Tie
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Illicit Flower

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Life is GoldThe Body Shop

Illicit FlowerJimmy Choo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.62/ 5 · 13 votes

Have 29%Had 14%Want 57%

3.74/ 5 · 644 votes

Have 74%Had 26%Want 0%

Category winnerIllicit FlowerRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

15%Love

54%Like

8%Ok

23%Dislike

0%Hate

13 votes · too few to score

20%Love

52%Like

13%Ok

14%Dislike

2%Hate

644 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity45

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityIllicit Flower

SillageLife is Gold

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

vanilla91%

floral83%

warm spicy74%

white floral65%

sweet56%

citrus100%

white floral92%

floral84%

fruity77%

woody69%

rose61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both floral and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Mandarin Orange

Heart

FreesiaJasmine

Base

Tonka BeanBenzoin

Top

Mandarin OrangeApricot

Heart

Grapefruit blossomRoseFreesiaPearJasmine

Base

MuskCashmere WoodSandalwoodVanillaBenzoin

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Freesia, Jasmine and Benzoin. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer38

Fall75

Winter100

Day75

Night100

Spring100

Summer75

Fall0

Winter16

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex60

Women40

Men1

Unisex3

Women96

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#22,178

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#7,674

PerfumerAlienor Massenet, Nicolas Beaulieu

Launched—

Reviews61

Category winnerIllicit FlowerHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Life is Gold is a warm floral amber with a soft mandarin opening, jasmine and freesia in the heart, and a smooth tonka benzoin base that leans lightly vanilla-like. It comes across as elegant rather than loud. Reviews suggest a light, classy style with a polished dry-down, though wear can feel close to the skin and no…

Reviews →

Jimmy Choo Illicit Flower offers an airy, bright spin on modern floral fragrances. The scent starts with a fizzy burst of juicy apricot and sweet mandarin orange, giving the opening a sparkling, refreshing quality. As it settles, tender freesia, grapefruit blossom, and pink rose petals emerge alongside a crisp slice o…

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, Life is Gold or Illicit Flower?

Illicit Flower takes 3 of 5 categories. Life is Gold is rated 3.62/5 from 13 votes; Illicit Flower is rated 3.74/5 from 644 votes. Choose Life is Gold for a amber and vanilla character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Illicit Flower for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Life is Gold or Illicit Flower?

Illicit Flower lasts longest (Illicit Flower 56/100, Life is Gold 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Life is Gold or Illicit Flower?

Life is Gold projects furthest (Life is Gold 60/100, Illicit Flower 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Life is Gold and Illicit Flower smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and white floral accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Freesia, Jasmine and Benzoin.

Is Life is Gold or Illicit Flower better for summer or winter?

Life is Gold suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Life is Gold and Illicit Flower?

Life is Gold has top notes of Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Freesia and Jasmine, a base of Tonka Bean and Benzoin. Illicit Flower has top notes of Mandarin Orange and Apricot, heart notes of Grapefruit blossom, Rose, Freesia and Pear, a base of Musk, Cashmere Wood, Sandalwood and Vanilla.