Fragrance comparison

Mandarine Mandarin vs Clever Man

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 484 ratings analysed

Mandarine Mandarin

Serge Lutens

3.57446 votes

Rank #6,152 CitrusAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Clever Man

ALREHAB PERFUMES

4.2138 votes

Rank #14,411 CitrusMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Clever Man takes 4 of 7 categories.

Mandarine Mandarin
Choose it for a citrus and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Clever Man
Choose it for a citrus and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Mandarine Mandarin3/7

Clever Man4/7

Ratings & consensus: Clever Man
Community sentiment: Clever Man
Longevity: Mandarine Mandarin
Sillage & projection: Mandarine Mandarin
Value for money: Clever Man
Versatility: Clever Man
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Mandarine Mandarin

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Mandarine MandarinSerge Lutens

Clever ManALREHAB PERFUMES

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.57/ 5 · 446 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

4.21/ 5 · 38 votes

Have 57%Had 7%Want 36%

Category winnerClever ManRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

29%Love

46%Like

4%Ok

20%Dislike

1%Hate

377 votes

39%Love

45%Like

13%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

38 votes

Category winnerClever ManMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityMandarine Mandarin

SillageMandarine Mandarin

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value38

¤ Price value91

Category winnerClever ManBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

amber83%

fresh spicy65%

sweet48%

green30%

citrus100%

musky83%

powdery65%

woody48%

sweet30%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both citrus and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Chinese OrangeNutmeg

Heart

Orange PeelMandarin OrangeTea

Base

AmberLabdanumTonka BeanRose Hip

Top

LimeBergamotPomeloMandarin OrangeGalbanumRosemaryPepperNutmeg

Heart

CyclamenSageMarigoldJasmineFreesia

Base

MuskPatchouliCedarLabdanumAmber

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Mandarin Orange, Amber and Labdanum. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring45

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring81

Summer100

Fall30

Winter15

Day100

Night26

Category winnerClever ManMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men6

Unisex79

Women15

Men76

Unisex21

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,152

PerfumerChristopher Sheldrake

Launched—

Reviews52

Overall rank#14,411

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerMandarine MandarinHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mandarine Mandarin by Serge Lutens is a complex oriental spicy scent built around photorealistic orange peel. Launched in 2006, it blends bright citrus with darker, resinous base notes like amber and labdanum. This unisex composition offers a warm, mature character that suits crisp autumn days and cold winter weather …

Reviews →

Clever Man is a bright, sporty citrus scent that opens zesty and green (lime, bergamot, pomelo, galbanum), with a peppery, nutmeg kick. On skin it can read sweeter than you expect at first, then settles into a clean musky, slightly powdery woody dry-down. Some wearers compare the vibe to Lacoste L.12.12 White, with a …

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, Mandarine Mandarin or Clever Man?

Clever Man takes 4 of 7 categories. Mandarine Mandarin is rated 3.57/5 from 446 votes; Clever Man is rated 4.21/5 from 38 votes. Choose Mandarine Mandarin for a citrus and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Clever Man for a citrus and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Mandarine Mandarin or Clever Man?

They last about the same: Mandarine Mandarin 70/100, Clever Man 68/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Mandarine Mandarin or Clever Man?

Mandarine Mandarin projects furthest (Mandarine Mandarin 63/100, Clever Man 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Mandarine Mandarin and Clever Man smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and sweet accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Mandarin Orange, Amber and Labdanum.

Is Mandarine Mandarin or Clever Man better for summer or winter?

For summer, Clever Man is the stronger pick. For winter, Mandarine Mandarin is the stronger pick. Clever Man suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Mandarine Mandarin and Clever Man?

Mandarine Mandarin has top notes of Chinese Orange and Nutmeg, heart notes of Orange Peel, Mandarin Orange and Tea, a base of Amber, Labdanum, Tonka Bean and Rose Hip. Clever Man has top notes of Lime, Bergamot, Pomelo and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Cyclamen, Sage, Marigold and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Patchouli, Cedar and Labdanum.