Fragrance comparison

Malabar vs Caritas

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 39 ratings analysed

5 wins

Malabar

Optico Profumo

4.4715 votes

Rank #32,080 VanillaYellow Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

Caritas

Memoize London

3.9624 votes

Rank #37,335 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Malabar takes 5 of 5 categories.

Malabar
Choose it for a vanilla and yellow floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Caritas
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Malabar5/5

Caritas0/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MalabarOptico Profumo

CaritasMemoize London

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.47/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 31%Had 8%Want 60%

3.96/ 5 · 24 votes

Have 27%Had 9%Want 64%

Category winnerMalabarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

80%Love

0%Like

7%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

29%Love

50%Like

13%Ok

4%Dislike

4%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage77

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityMalabar

SillageMalabar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price value44

Category winnerMalabarBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

yellow floral92%

sweet84%

woody77%

aromatic69%

warm spicy61%

warm spicy100%

amber88%

leather77%

woody65%

vanilla53%

sweet42%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both warm spicy, vanilla and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

TangerineClovesCardamom

Heart

Ylang-YlangTonka BeanAbsintheOsmanthusHeliotropeChestnut

Base

VanillaPatchouliAmber

Top

CardamomRed FruitsLabdanumLemon

Heart

SaffronLeatherClovesCinnamonMilkRoseYlang-YlangLily-of-the-Valley

Base

AmberSandalwoodTonka BeanVanillaBenzoinMuskPatchouliAgarwood (Oud)

InformationalShared notesCloves, Cardamom, Ylang-Ylang and Tonka Bean. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring86

Summer57

Fall100

Winter86

Day100

Night100

Spring60

Summer20

Fall80

Winter100

Day78

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex77

Women23

Men7

Unisex36

Women57

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#32,080

PerfumerNicola Bianchi

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#37,335

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerMalabarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Malabar by Optico Profumo is a warm, spicy Oriental scent built on a heavy base of vanilla and earthy patchouli. Spiced tangerine and cloves open the fragrance, which slowly shifts into a dense, sweet heart of chestnut and heliotrope. It fits someone looking for a comforting, resinous layer that lingers in cold autumn…

Reviews →

Caritas opens with a brisk pop of cardamom and tart red fruits before settling into a dense base of leather, amber, and vanilla. Warm cloves and cinnamon give the heart a cozy spice, while a milky rose note smooths out the edges. It sits on skin like a soothing, sweet cloud, ideal for chilly autumn mornings.

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, Malabar or Caritas?

Malabar takes 5 of 5 categories. Malabar is rated 4.47/5 from 15 votes; Caritas is rated 3.96/5 from 24 votes. Choose Malabar for a vanilla and yellow floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Caritas for a warm spicy and amber character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Malabar or Caritas?

Malabar lasts longest (Malabar 85/100, Caritas 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Malabar or Caritas?

Malabar projects furthest (Malabar 77/100, Caritas 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Malabar and Caritas smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, vanilla and woody accords. Common notes include Cloves, Cardamom, Ylang-Ylang and Tonka Bean.

Is Malabar or Caritas better for summer or winter?

Malabar suits day or night wear; Caritas suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Malabar and Caritas?

Malabar has top notes of Tangerine, Cloves and Cardamom, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Tonka Bean, Absinthe and Osmanthus, a base of Vanilla, Patchouli and Amber. Caritas has top notes of Cardamom, Red Fruits, Labdanum and Lemon, heart notes of Saffron, Leather, Cloves and Cinnamon, a base of Amber, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean and Vanilla.