Fragrance comparison

Malabar vs Gem Eau de Toilette

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 573 ratings analysed

3 wins

Malabar

Optico Profumo

4.4715 votes

Rank #32,087 VanillaYellow Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

Gem Eau de Toilette

Van Cleef & Arpels

4.32558 votes

Rank #2,027 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Malabar takes 3 of 5 categories.

Malabar
Choose it for a vanilla and yellow floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Gem Eau de Toilette
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Malabar3/5

Gem Eau de Toilette2/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MalabarOptico Profumo

Gem Eau de ToiletteVan Cleef & Arpels

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.47/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 31%Had 8%Want 60%

4.32/ 5 · 558 votes

Have 66%Had 34%Want 0%

Category winnerGem Eau de ToiletteRating 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

50%Love

40%Like

2%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

558 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage77

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityMalabar

SillageMalabar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price value39

Category winnerMalabarBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

yellow floral92%

sweet84%

woody77%

aromatic69%

warm spicy61%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

aromatic84%

fruity77%

sweet69%

white floral61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both woody, sweet and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

TangerineClovesCardamom

Heart

Ylang-YlangTonka BeanAbsintheOsmanthusHeliotropeChestnut

Base

VanillaPatchouliAmber

Top20-30 mins

PlumPeachBrazilian RosewoodCardamomCorianderCypressMyrtle

Heart3-4 hrs

Ylang-YlangCarnationJasmineTuberoseClovesRoseIrisOrris Root

Base8-10+ hrs

CivetOakmossAmberPatchouliVanillaVetiver

InformationalShared notesCloves, Cardamom, Ylang-Ylang and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Gem Eau de Toilette, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring86

Summer57

Fall100

Winter86

Day100

Night100

Spring38

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day58

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex77

Women23

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#32,087

PerfumerNicola Bianchi

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#2,027

PerfumerRoger Pellegrino

Launched—

Reviews36

Category winnerGem Eau de ToiletteHigher 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 →

Van Cleef & Arpels Gem Eau de Toilette opens with a rich wave of spiced plum, ripe peach, and crushed coriander seeds. Created in 1987 by perfumer Roger Pellegrino, this classic fruity chypre balances juicy stone fruit against a deep spine of Brazilian rosewood, carnation, and earthy oakmoss. As the fragrance settles …

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 Gem Eau de Toilette?

Malabar takes 3 of 5 categories. Malabar is rated 4.47/5 from 15 votes; Gem Eau de Toilette is rated 4.32/5 from 558 votes. Choose Malabar for a vanilla and yellow floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Gem Eau de Toilette for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Malabar or Gem Eau de Toilette?

Malabar lasts longest (Malabar 85/100, Gem Eau de Toilette 79/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Malabar or Gem Eau de Toilette?

Malabar projects furthest (Malabar 77/100, Gem Eau de Toilette 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Malabar and Gem Eau de Toilette smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, sweet and aromatic accords. Common notes include Cloves, Cardamom, Ylang-Ylang and Vanilla.

Is Malabar or Gem Eau de Toilette better for summer or winter?

Malabar suits day or night wear; Gem Eau de Toilette suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Malabar and Gem Eau de Toilette?

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. Gem Eau de Toilette has top notes of Plum, Peach, Brazilian Rosewood and Cardamom, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Carnation, Jasmine and Tuberose, a base of Civet, Oakmoss, Amber and Patchouli.