Fragrance comparison

Malabar vs The King

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 70 ratings analysed

3 wins

Malabar

Optico Profumo

4.4715 votes

Rank #32,080 VanillaYellow Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

The King

Boadicea the Victorious

4.5155 votes

Rank #7,879 Warm SpicySweet

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.
The King
Choose it for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Malabar3/5

The King2/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MalabarOptico Profumo

The KingBoadicea the Victorious

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.47/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 31%Had 8%Want 60%

4.51/ 5 · 55 votes

Have 33%Had 10%Want 57%

Category winnerThe KingRating 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

64%Love

24%Like

13%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

55 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage77

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityMalabar

SillageMalabar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price value36

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%

sweet91%

leather83%

tobacco74%

amber65%

smoky56%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both sweet 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

PlumSaffronRumCinnamonCardamomCloves

Heart

ImmortelleRoseGeraniumHeliotrope

Base

TobaccoIncenseLeatherVanillaLabdanumCastoreumOakmossPatchouli

InformationalShared notesCloves, Cardamom, Heliotrope and Vanilla. 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

Spring67

Summer12

Fall97

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex77

Women23

Men67

Unisex28

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#32,080

PerfumerNicola Bianchi

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#7,879

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews15

Category winnerThe KingHigher 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 →

The King by Boadicea the Victorious hits skin with an intense surge of dark plum, saffron, and spiced rum. Cinnamon and cardamom sharpen the rich fruit, giving the opening a sharp bite of dry spice that cuts through crisp winter air. The plum feels stewed and dark rather than fresh or sugary. As the scent settles, de…

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 The King?

Malabar takes 3 of 5 categories. Malabar is rated 4.47/5 from 15 votes; The King is rated 4.51/5 from 55 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 The King for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Malabar or The King?

Malabar lasts longest (Malabar 85/100, The King 81/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Malabar or The King?

Malabar projects furthest (Malabar 77/100, The King 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Malabar and The King smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cloves, Cardamom, Heliotrope and Vanilla.

Is Malabar or The King better for summer or winter?

Malabar suits day or night wear; The King suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Malabar and The King?

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. The King has top notes of Plum, Saffron, Rum and Cinnamon, heart notes of Immortelle, Rose, Geranium and Heliotrope, a base of Tobacco, Incense, Leather and Vanilla.