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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Malai vs Arpège

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

Updated 4,595 ratings analysed
Some overlap
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

  • Malai

    Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

  • Arpège

    Choose it for a white floral and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Malai2/4
Arpège2/4
Ratings & consensus
Not scored
Community sentiment
Not scored
Longevity
Malai
Sillage & projection
Arpège
Value for money
Malai
Versatility
Not scored
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Arpège

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
MalaiRoccobarocco
ArpègeLanvin
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
4.33/ 5 · 3 votes
Have 25%Had 8%Want 67%
3.81/ 5 · 4,592 votes
Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%
Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
67%Love
0%Like
33%Ok
0%Dislike
0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

40%Love
38%Like
4%Ok
17%Dislike
2%Hate

4,581 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity80
〰 Sillage42
♥ Love / hate83
⏱ Longevity73
〰 Sillage65
♥ Love / hate74
Category winners

LongevityMalai

SillageArpège

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value75
¤ Price value73
Category winnerMalaiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
amber100%
powdery92%
musky84%
yellow floral77%
woody69%
aromatic61%
white floral100%
woody92%
aldehydic84%
fresh77%
powdery69%
aromatic61%
Scent match35%Some overlap · both powdery, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top
AngelicaOrangeCoriander
Heart
Ylang-YlangIrisGeraniumJasmine Sambac
Base
AmberMyrrhBenzoinPeru BalsamVetiverOakmoss
Top
AldehydesLily-of-the-ValleyPeachHoneysuckleNeroliBergamot
Heart
JasmineYlang-YlangIrisCorianderRoseLilyGeraniumCamellia
Base
SandalwoodAmberVetiverMuskBenzoinVanillaPatchouli
InformationalShared notesCoriander, Ylang-Ylang, Iris and Geranium. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring100
Summer50
Fall100
Winter100
Day50
Night100
Spring59
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men0
Unisex100
Women0
Men1
Unisex20
Women79
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#44,214

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#1,099

PerfumerAndre Fraysse, Paul Vacher

Launched—

Reviews208

Category winnerArpègeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Malai by Roccobarocco presents a resinous experience centered on amber and incense. Opening with crisp angelica and orange, the scent settles into a powdery iris heart before grounding itself in myrrh and benzoin. It offers a distinct, smoky profile suitable for those who appreciate liturgical or earthy incense scents…

Reviews →

Arpège is a classic floral aldehyde fragrance that balances a sharp, powdery opening with a deep, resinous dry-down. It suits those who appreciate vintage perfumery. The scent reveals layers of jasmine, iris, and sandalwood, making it a sophisticated choice for formal evening events or crisp autumn days when you want …

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Malai or Arpège?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Malai is rated 4.33/5 from 3 votes; Arpège is rated 3.81/5 from 4,592 votes. Choose Malai for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Arpège for a white floral and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Malai or Arpège?

Malai lasts longest (Malai 80/100, Arpège 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Malai or Arpège?

Arpège projects furthest (Arpège 65/100, Malai 42/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Malai and Arpège smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Coriander, Ylang-Ylang, Iris and Geranium.

Is Malai or Arpège better for summer or winter?

Malai suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Malai and Arpège?

Malai has top notes of Angelica, Orange and Coriander, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Iris, Geranium and Jasmine Sambac, a base of Amber, Myrrh, Benzoin and Peru Balsam. Arpège has top notes of Aldehydes, Lily-of-the-Valley, Peach and Honeysuckle, heart notes of Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Iris and Coriander, a base of Sandalwood, Amber, Vetiver and Musk.

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