Fragrance comparison

Macbeth vs Sex

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 117 ratings analysed

3 wins

Macbeth

Shakespeare Perfumes

3.8217 votes

Rank #20,819 LavenderCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

3%scent match

Clearly different

Sex

Desigual

3.59100 votes

Rank #18,920 White FloralFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Macbeth takes 3 of 5 categories.

Macbeth
Choose it for a lavender and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Sex
Choose it for a white floral and fruity character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Macbeth3/5

Sex2/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MacbethShakespeare Perfumes

SexDesigual

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.82/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 23%Had 4%Want 73%

3.59/ 5 · 100 votes

Have 31%Had 24%Want 44%

Category winnerMacbethRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

35%Love

35%Like

6%Ok

24%Dislike

0%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

20%Love

49%Like

1%Ok

30%Dislike

0%Hate

100 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityMacbeth

SillageMacbeth

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value64

Category winnerSexBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

lavender100%

citrus92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

fresh spicy69%

leather61%

white floral100%

fruity92%

tuberose84%

green77%

sweet69%

fresh61%

Scent match3%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LavenderLemonBergamotCuminTarragon

Heart

JasmineLily-of-the-ValleyViolet

Base

OakmossCastoreumCedarClovesGalbanumPatchouliWoodsy NotesAmbergris

Top15-30 mins

Red BerriesRhubarbSoybean

Heart2-4 hrs

Indian TuberoseJasmineGrapefruit blossom

Base4-6+ hrs

MuskVanillaWoodsy Notes

InformationalShared notesJasmine and Woodsy Notes. Durations are only published for Sex, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring43

Summer14

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night25

Spring76

Summer71

Fall100

Winter71

Day64

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex20

Women13

Men7

Unisex7

Women86

Party 33%Casual 31%Date 23%Work 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,819

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#18,920

PerfumerDaphné Bugey

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerSexHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Shakespeare Perfumes Macbeth arrives as a robust, retro-styled aromatic barbershop fougere. It leads with a sharp punch of lemon and herbal tarragon before settling into an old-school lavender, moss, and leather dry-down. This scent is built for mature men who appreciate classic masculine perfumery with serious perfor…

Reviews →

Sex by Desigual delivers an unapologetic burst of tart red berries and crisp rhubarb right off the nozzle. It is bold. The sharp fruit quickly yields to a heavy, sweet core of Indian tuberose and lush jasmine petals. You get an immediate punch of classic white florals balanced by a quirky green soybean edge. As the ho…

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, Macbeth or Sex?

Macbeth takes 3 of 5 categories. Macbeth is rated 3.82/5 from 17 votes; Sex is rated 3.59/5 from 100 votes. Choose Macbeth for a lavender and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Sex for a white floral and fruity character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Macbeth or Sex?

Macbeth lasts longest (Macbeth 82/100, Sex 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Macbeth or Sex?

Macbeth projects furthest (Macbeth 69/100, Sex 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Macbeth and Sex smell similar?

Clearly different: a 3% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Jasmine and Woodsy Notes.

Is Macbeth or Sex better for summer or winter?

Macbeth suits daytime wear; Sex suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Macbeth and Sex?

Macbeth has top notes of Lavender, Lemon, Bergamot and Cumin, heart notes of Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley and Violet, a base of Oakmoss, Castoreum, Cedar and Cloves. Sex has top notes of Red Berries, Rhubarb and Soybean, heart notes of Indian Tuberose, Jasmine and Grapefruit blossom, a base of Musk, Vanilla and Woodsy Notes.