Fragrance comparison

Malabar vs Malmaison Encore

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 27 ratings analysed

5 wins

Malabar

Optico Profumo

4.4715 votes

Rank #32,080 VanillaYellow Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Malmaison Encore

Floris

3.9212 votes

Rank #43,230 AmberVanilla

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.
Malmaison Encore
Choose it for a amber and vanilla character. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Malabar5/5

Malmaison Encore0/5

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

Malmaison EncoreFloris

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.47/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 31%Had 8%Want 60%

3.92/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 15%Had 1%Want 84%

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

42%Love

25%Like

17%Ok

17%Dislike

0%Hate

12 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage77

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityMalabar

SillageMalabar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price value40

Category winnerMalabarBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

yellow floral92%

sweet84%

woody77%

aromatic69%

warm spicy61%

amber100%

vanilla92%

fresh spicy84%

warm spicy77%

powdery69%

woody61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both vanilla, woody and warm spicy

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

BergamotBlack PepperCardamom

Heart

ClovesNutmegRoseYlang-Ylang

Base

AmberCedarOlibanumHeliotropeTonka BeanVanila

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

Spring40

Summer60

Fall100

Winter60

Day100

Night67

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex77

Women23

Men20

Unisex60

Women20

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#32,080

PerfumerNicola Bianchi

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#43,230

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

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 →

Floris Malmaison Encore opens with sharp bergamot, black pepper, and cardamom before settling into a warm clove and nutmeg core. Base notes of amber, cedar, and heliotrope add a powdery woodiness that sits close to the skin. It works best on cool autumn afternoons when wearing a wool coat.

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 Malmaison Encore?

Malabar takes 5 of 5 categories. Malabar is rated 4.47/5 from 15 votes; Malmaison Encore is rated 3.92/5 from 12 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 Malmaison Encore for a amber and vanilla character. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Malabar or Malmaison Encore?

Malabar lasts longest (Malabar 85/100, Malmaison Encore 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Malabar or Malmaison Encore?

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

Do Malabar and Malmaison Encore smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla, woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cloves, Cardamom, Ylang-Ylang and Tonka Bean.

Is Malabar or Malmaison Encore better for summer or winter?

Malabar suits day or night wear; Malmaison Encore suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Malabar and Malmaison Encore?

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. Malmaison Encore has top notes of Bergamot, Black Pepper and Cardamom, heart notes of Cloves, Nutmeg, Rose and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Amber, Cedar, Olibanum and Heliotrope.