Fragrance comparison

Madrona vs Old Story

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 89 ratings analysed

Madrona

House of Matriarch

3.9345 votes

Rank #40,962 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Old Story

Alexandria Fragrances

4.2344 votes

Rank #24,606 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Old Story takes 6 of 7 categories.

Madrona
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Old Story
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Madrona1/7

Old Story6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MadronaHouse of Matriarch

Old StoryAlexandria Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 45 votes

Have 31%Had 7%Want 62%

4.23/ 5 · 44 votes

Have 45%Had 8%Want 46%

Category winnerOld StoryRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

40%Like

4%Ok

13%Dislike

4%Hate

45 votes

46%Love

36%Like

10%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

39 votes

Category winnerOld StoryMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityMadrona

SillageOld Story

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value70

Category winnerOld StoryBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody86%

lavender72%

earthy58%

fruity44%

fresh spicy30%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy90%

woody80%

white floral70%

green60%

citrus50%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Lavender

Heart2-4 hrs

CedarArbutus (Madrona, Bearberry tree)Sea Notes

Base6-8+ hrs

Vetiver

Top

NeroliLavenderPetitgrainRosemary

Heart

JasmineGeraniumGalbanumClary Sage

Base

AmberVetiverSandalwoodOakCedar

InformationalShared notesLavender, Cedar and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Madrona, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer50

Fall56

Winter33

Day100

Night45

Spring100

Summer90

Fall95

Winter35

Day100

Night70

Category winnerOld StoryMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men14

Unisex71

Women14

Casual 41%Work 32%Date 17%Party 10%

Men92

Unisex8

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#40,962

PerfumerChristi Meshell

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#24,606

PerfumerHany Hafez

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerOld StoryHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cold mist rolls off the Pacific coastline. House of Matriarch Madrona opens with an unfiltered burst of sharp herbal lavender, cutting clean through damp morning air. You will not find sweet barbershop powder here. Instead, green aromatic needle sap and saline ocean mist take hold within ten minutes. Rich Pacific madr…

Reviews →

Old Story leans aromatic, green and woody, opening with neroli, lavender, petitgrain and rosemary before moving into a sharper herbal heart. The jasmine and geranium soften it slightly, but this stays firmly fresh, structured and masculine in character. On skin, it usually reads like a crisp woody floral musk with a c…

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, Madrona or Old Story?

Old Story takes 6 of 7 categories. Madrona is rated 3.93/5 from 45 votes; Old Story is rated 4.23/5 from 44 votes. Choose Madrona for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Old Story for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Madrona or Old Story?

Madrona lasts longest (Madrona 67/100, Old Story 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Madrona or Old Story?

Old Story projects furthest (Old Story 58/100, Madrona 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Madrona and Old Story smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Lavender, Cedar and Vetiver.

Is Madrona or Old Story better for summer or winter?

For summer, Old Story is the stronger pick. For winter, Old Story is the stronger pick. Madrona suits daytime wear; Old Story suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Madrona and Old Story?

Madrona has top notes of Lavender, heart notes of Cedar, Arbutus (Madrona, Bearberry tree) and Sea Notes, a base of Vetiver. Old Story has top notes of Neroli, Lavender, Petitgrain and Rosemary, heart notes of Jasmine, Geranium, Galbanum and Clary Sage, a base of Amber, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Oak.