Fragrance comparison

Malbec Duo vs Mousse Arashiyama

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 218 ratings analysed

5 wins

Malbec Duo

O Boticário

3.7765 votes

Rank #34,108 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

Mousse Arashiyama

Le Jardin Retrouve

3.64153 votes

Rank #14,019 WoodyFresh

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Malbec Duo takes 5 of 7 categories.

Malbec Duo
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Mousse Arashiyama
Choose it for a woody and fresh character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Malbec Duo5/7

Mousse Arashiyama2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Malbec DuoO Boticário

Mousse ArashiyamaLe Jardin Retrouve

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.77/ 5 · 65 votes

Have 29%Had 54%Want 17%

3.64/ 5 · 153 votes

Have 26%Had 7%Want 67%

Category winnerMalbec DuoRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

34%Love

38%Like

2%Ok

23%Dislike

3%Hate

65 votes

33%Love

30%Like

13%Ok

17%Dislike

7%Hate

153 votes

Category winnerMalbec DuoMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate66

Category winners

LongevityMalbec Duo

SillageMalbec Duo

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value62

¤ Price value49

Category winnerMalbec DuoBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

aromatic84%

fruity77%

earthy69%

sweet61%

woody100%

fresh92%

green84%

aquatic77%

amber69%

mossy61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

FigCarambola (Star Fruit)CardamomPink PepperViolet LeafSaffronLemonBergamot

Heart

ChocolateOakRoseIris FlowerCassisGeranium

Base

CedarAmberVetiverPatchouliMossMusk

Top30 to 45 minutes

IncenseMastic or LentisqueBergamot

Heart2 to 4 hours

Fig LeafWater NotesFig

Base4 to 7 hours

MossVetiverCedar

InformationalShared notesFig, Bergamot, Cedar and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Mousse Arashiyama, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring71

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer70

Fall59

Winter15

Day100

Night30

Category winnerMousse ArashiyamaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men12

Unisex75

Women12

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#34,108

PerfumerNapoleão Bastos

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#14,019

PerfumerMaxence Moutte

Launched—

Reviews22

Category winnerMousse ArashiyamaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Malbec Duo by O Boticário takes the deep, wine-barrel woodiness of the original Malbec DNA and blends it with rich dark chocolate, ripe fig, and crushed pink pepper. It opens with an unexpected splash of tart star fruit, crisp bergamot, and herbal violet leaf before settling into a warm core of bitter cocoa, earthy oa…

Reviews →

Mousse Arashiyama by Le Jardin Retrouve presents an unusual aromatic green profile that contrasts cool dampness with dry smoke. The opening delivers bright bergamot paired with resinous mastic and a distinct hit of incense. As the initial freshness settles, crisp fig leaf and watery notes emerge alongside the soft swe…

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

First Love GoldMashaerWINNER vs

Sundus AttarAsgharaliRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

SpiritBoadicea the VictoriousWINNER vs

Number One IntenseNicolai Parfumeur CreateurRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

FloralFolli FollieRUNNER-UP vs

Russian Present RedSergio NeroWINNER

1 person compared this today

Flowerbomb La Vie En Rose 2016Viktor&RolfRUNNER-UP vs

Gourmand White FlowersDossierWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Malbec Duo or Mousse Arashiyama?

Malbec Duo takes 5 of 7 categories. Malbec Duo is rated 3.77/5 from 65 votes; Mousse Arashiyama is rated 3.64/5 from 153 votes. Choose Malbec Duo for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Mousse Arashiyama for a woody and fresh character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Malbec Duo or Mousse Arashiyama?

Malbec Duo lasts longest (Malbec Duo 68/100, Mousse Arashiyama 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Malbec Duo or Mousse Arashiyama?

Malbec Duo projects furthest (Malbec Duo 66/100, Mousse Arashiyama 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Malbec Duo and Mousse Arashiyama smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Fig, Bergamot, Cedar and Vetiver.

Is Malbec Duo or Mousse Arashiyama better for summer or winter?

For summer, Mousse Arashiyama is the stronger pick. For winter, Malbec Duo is the stronger pick. Mousse Arashiyama suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Malbec Duo and Mousse Arashiyama?

Malbec Duo has top notes of Fig, Carambola (Star Fruit), Cardamom and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Chocolate, Oak, Rose and Iris Flower, a base of Cedar, Amber, Vetiver and Patchouli. Mousse Arashiyama has top notes of Incense, Mastic or Lentisque and Bergamot, heart notes of Fig Leaf, Water Notes and Fig, a base of Moss, Vetiver and Cedar.