Fragrance comparison

Malum – Pure Essence vs Sal

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

Updated 23 Oct 2026 19 ratings analysed

3 wins

Malum – Pure Essence

Bruno Acampora

3.9111 votes

Rank #42,939 Warm SpicyFresh

Full profile Similar & dupes

30%scent match

Clearly different

Sal

Venezia 1600

4.008 votes

Rank #55,807 MarineAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Malum – Pure Essence takes 3 of 4 categories.

Malum – Pure Essence
Choose it for a warm spicy and fresh character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Sal
Choose it for a marine and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Malum – Pure Essence3/4

Sal1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Malum – Pure Essence
Sillage & projection: Malum – Pure Essence
Value for money: Sal
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Malum – Pure Essence

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Malum – Pure EssenceBruno Acampora

SalVenezia 1600

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.91/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 20%Had 0%Want 80%

4.00/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 37%Had 8%Want 55%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

27%Like

0%Ok

27%Dislike

0%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

38%Love

38%Like

13%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage46

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityMalum – Pure Essence

SillageMalum – Pure Essence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value63

Category winnerSalBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

fresh92%

fruity84%

aromatic77%

marine69%

cinnamon61%

marine100%

aromatic90%

musky80%

white floral70%

amber60%

salty50%

Scent match30%Clearly different · both marine and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

AppleSea NotesCardamomCinnamonFennelAniseTonka BeanGingerLily-of-the-ValleySandalwoodVanillaMusk

No top / heart / base split published

Top20-30 mins

Sea NotesFreesiaCardamom

Heart2-4 hrs

Red AlgaeLilyLily-of-the-ValleyNarcissus

Base6-8 hrs

White MuskWhite AmberAnisePatchouli

InformationalShared notesSea Notes, Cardamom, Anise and Lily-of-the-Valley. Durations are only published for Sal, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall40

Winter40

Day100

Night33

Spring75

Summer100

Fall13

Winter0

Day100

Night41

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men13

Unisex25

Women63

Casual 42%Work 31%Date 17%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,939

PerfumerMiguel Matos

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#55,807

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMalum – Pure EssenceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Malum (Pure Essence) by Bruno Acampora is a tart apple fragrance layered with warm cinnamon and ginger. The scent settles into a dry woodiness, making it a great daytime choice for spring or summer outings.

Reviews →

The opening blast of Sal by Venezia 1600 smells like stepping onto a sunlit Venetian dock at low tide. A briny wash of cold sea notes rushes forward, sharpened by a snap of green cardamom and crystalline freesia. You get immediate salt air. As the initial vapor burns away, damp red algae and crisp lily emerge to give …

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Malum – Pure Essence or Sal?

Malum – Pure Essence takes 3 of 4 categories. Malum – Pure Essence is rated 3.91/5 from 11 votes; Sal is rated 4.00/5 from 8 votes. Choose Malum – Pure Essence for a warm spicy and fresh character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Sal for a marine and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Malum – Pure Essence or Sal?

Malum – Pure Essence lasts longest (Malum – Pure Essence 74/100, Sal 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Malum – Pure Essence or Sal?

Malum – Pure Essence projects furthest (Malum – Pure Essence 73/100, Sal 46/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Malum – Pure Essence and Sal smell similar?

Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share marine and aromatic accords. Common notes include Sea Notes, Cardamom, Anise and Lily-of-the-Valley.

Is Malum – Pure Essence or Sal better for summer or winter?

Malum – Pure Essence suits daytime wear; Sal suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Malum – Pure Essence and Sal?

Malum – Pure Essence features Apple, Sea Notes, Cardamom, Cinnamon and Fennel. Sal has top notes of Sea Notes, Freesia and Cardamom, heart notes of Red Algae, Lily, Lily-of-the-Valley and Narcissus, a base of White Musk, White Amber, Anise and Patchouli.