Fragrance comparison

Magistral vs L'Air du Temps by Starck

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 87 ratings analysed

Magistral

Legendary Fragrances

3.502 votes

Rank #64,730 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

L'Air du Temps by Starck

Nina Ricci

3.7185 votes

Rank #16,922 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Magistral
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.
L'Air du Temps by Starck
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Magistral2/4

L'Air du Temps by Starck2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Magistral
Sillage & projection: Magistral
Value for money: L'Air du Temps by Starck
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: L'Air du Temps by Starck

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MagistralLegendary Fragrances

L'Air du Temps by StarckNina Ricci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 33%Had 0%Want 67%

3.71/ 5 · 85 votes

Have 37%Had 20%Want 43%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

50%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

26%Love

46%Like

1%Ok

27%Dislike

0%Hate

85 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate63

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityMagistral

SillageMagistral

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price value59

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by StarckBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

woody88%

warm spicy77%

violet65%

iris53%

earthy42%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

floral84%

powdery77%

white floral69%

earthy61%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both woody, powdery and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

ClovesVioletIrisSandalwoodLilySaffronBenzoinVetiverCedarVanillaMusk

No top / heart / base split published

Top

CarnationRoseBrazilian RosewoodNeroliPeachBergamot

Heart

ClovesYlang-YlangOrris RootGardeniaJasmineVioletOrchidRosemary

Base

OakmossVetiverAmberMuskSpicesIrisSandalwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesCloves, Violet, Iris and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Magistral, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Spring92

Summer62

Fall100

Winter38

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 37%Casual 25%Work 22%Party 17%

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#64,730

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#16,922

PerfumerFrancis Fabron

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by StarckHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Magistral by Legendary Fragrances combines dry spice with dense, cosmetic powder and smooth woods. The first spray releases a pungent kick of cloves and saffron before settling into cool violet petals and earthy iris root. Within thirty minutes, creamy sandalwood and dry cedar take over the midstage, backed by a gentl…

Reviews →

L'Air du Temps by Starck blends classic mid-century perfumery with a striking modern flacon redesign from 2010. The fragrance opens with a sharp burst of spicy carnation, rose, and bright bergamot that immediately sets a vintage floral tone. As the opening settles, dry cloves and creamy ylang-ylang join rich jasmine t…

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, Magistral or L'Air du Temps by Starck?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Magistral is rated 3.50/5 from 2 votes; L'Air du Temps by Starck is rated 3.71/5 from 85 votes. Choose Magistral for a powdery and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose L'Air du Temps by Starck for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Magistral or L'Air du Temps by Starck?

Magistral lasts longest (Magistral 80/100, L'Air du Temps by Starck 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Magistral or L'Air du Temps by Starck?

Magistral projects furthest (Magistral 75/100, L'Air du Temps by Starck 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Magistral and L'Air du Temps by Starck smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, powdery and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cloves, Violet, Iris and Sandalwood.

Is Magistral or L'Air du Temps by Starck better for summer or winter?

Magistral suits evening wear; L'Air du Temps by Starck suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Magistral and L'Air du Temps by Starck?

Magistral features Cloves, Violet, Iris, Sandalwood and Lily. L'Air du Temps by Starck has top notes of Carnation, Rose, Brazilian Rosewood and Neroli, heart notes of Cloves, Ylang-Ylang, Orris Root and Gardenia, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Amber and Musk.