Fragrance comparison

Makawi vs Vanilla

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 39 ratings analysed

Makawi

Paolo Gigli

3.6520 votes

Rank #43,925 SweetCherry

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Vanilla

Areej

4.4719 votes

Rank #30,235 VanillaFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Vanilla takes 5 of 5 categories.

Makawi
Choose it for a sweet and cherry character. Best in winter, day or night wear.
Vanilla
Choose it for a vanilla and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall.

Makawi0/5

Vanilla5/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MakawiPaolo Gigli

VanillaAreej

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.65/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 24%Had 10%Want 66%

4.47/ 5 · 19 votes

Have 58%Had 0%Want 42%

Category winnerVanillaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

30%Love

45%Like

5%Ok

0%Dislike

20%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

79%Love

11%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

11%Hate

19 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityVanilla

SillageVanilla

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value60

¤ Price value94

Category winnerVanillaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

cherry90%

almond80%

fruity70%

nutty60%

alcohol50%

vanilla100%

floral92%

almond84%

woody77%

sweet69%

powdery61%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both sweet and almond

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Sour CherryBitter AlmondLiquor

Heart2-4 hrs

PlumRoseJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodTonka BeanVanilla

Top

Bitter Almond

Heart

Floral NotesVanilla

Base

Vanilla AbsoluteSandalwoodTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesBitter Almond, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Makawi, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer67

Fall67

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring0

Summer50

Fall100

Winter0

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex14

Women86

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#43,925

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#30,235

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerVanillaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Makawi by Paolo Gigli centers on a bold burst of boozy sour cherry, bitter marzipan almond, and warm liquor. It opens with an unmistakable solvent kick that softens within five minutes into spiced cherry compote. As the heart unfolds, hints of dark plum blend into sweet vanilla and smooth tonka bean. The declared rose…

Reviews →

Areej Vanilla opens with a sharp flash of bitter almond that feels almost cherry-tinged before settling into a warm core of vanilla and soft floral notes. As the scent matures on skin, rich vanilla absolute takes over alongside creamy sandalwood and roasted tonka bean. The texture stays powdery and nutty rather than s…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Makawi or Vanilla?

Vanilla takes 5 of 5 categories. Makawi is rated 3.65/5 from 20 votes; Vanilla is rated 4.47/5 from 19 votes. Choose Makawi for a sweet and cherry character. Best in winter, day or night wear. Choose Vanilla for a vanilla and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall.

Which lasts longer, Makawi or Vanilla?

Vanilla lasts longest (Vanilla 100/100, Makawi 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Makawi or Vanilla?

Vanilla projects furthest (Vanilla 100/100, Makawi 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Makawi and Vanilla smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and almond accords. Common notes include Bitter Almond, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean and Vanilla.

Is Makawi or Vanilla better for summer or winter?

Makawi suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Makawi and Vanilla?

Makawi has top notes of Sour Cherry, Bitter Almond and Liquor, heart notes of Plum, Rose and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Tonka Bean and Vanilla. Vanilla has top notes of Bitter Almond, heart notes of Floral Notes and Vanilla, a base of Vanilla Absolute, Sandalwood and Tonka Bean.