Fragrance comparison

Marc Jacobs vs Design

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 1,885 ratings analysed

Marc Jacobs

4.131,288 votes

Rank #1,538 White FloralTuberose

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Design

Paul Sebastian

3.76597 votes

Rank #25,683 White FloralAnimalic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Design takes 4 of 7 categories.

Marc Jacobs
Choose it for a white floral and tuberose character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Design
Choose it for a white floral and animalic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Marc Jacobs3/7

Design4/7

Ratings & consensus: Marc Jacobs
Community sentiment: Marc Jacobs
Longevity: Design
Sillage & projection: Design
Value for money: Design
Versatility: Design
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Marc Jacobs

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Marc JacobsMarc Jacobs

DesignPaul Sebastian

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 1,288 votes

Have 55%Had 45%Want 0%

3.76/ 5 · 597 votes

Have 66%Had 34%Want 0%

Category winnerMarc JacobsRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

41%Love

44%Like

3%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

1,288 votes

32%Love

39%Like

6%Ok

22%Dislike

3%Hate

597 votes

Category winnerMarc JacobsMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityDesign

SillageDesign

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value54

¤ Price value82

Category winnerDesignBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

tuberose83%

fresh spicy65%

animalic48%

lactonic30%

white floral100%

animalic88%

musky77%

tuberose65%

floral53%

fruity42%

Scent match53%Some overlap · both white floral, tuberose and animalic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

GardeniaBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

TuberoseJasmineHoneysuckleWhite Pepper

Base6-8 hrs

GingerCedarMusk

Top

TuberoseJasmineOrange BlossomPeach

Heart

GardeniaHoneysuckleCarnationLilacYlang-YlangRose

Base

MuskCivetSandalwoodBlack Currant

InformationalShared notesGardenia, Tuberose, Jasmine and Honeysuckle. Durations are only published for Marc Jacobs, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter37

Day100

Night33

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter76

Day–

Night–

Category winnerDesignMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex11

Women88

Work 37%Casual 32%Date 24%Party 8%

Men0

Unisex7

Women93

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,538

PerfumerLoc Dong, Steve DeMercado

Launched—

Reviews191

Overall rank#25,683

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMarc JacobsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Jacobs Eau de Parfum captures the scent of fresh gardenias floating in cold water. Created in 2001 by perfumers Steve DeMercado and Loc Dong, this scent avoids the heavy, cloying butteriness often associated with vintage white florals. Instead, it opens with a clean burst of bergamot and dewy gardenia petals that…

Reviews →

Design by Paul Sebastian opens with a blast of tuberose, peach, and jasmine that immediately fills a room. As it warms on skin, gardenia and honeysuckle join a thick base of musk and civet. This 1985 composition belongs in cold weather, shining brightest on crisp autumn evenings when its heavy white floral sillage can…

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, Marc Jacobs or Design?

Design takes 4 of 7 categories. Marc Jacobs is rated 4.13/5 from 1,288 votes; Design is rated 3.76/5 from 597 votes. Choose Marc Jacobs for a white floral and tuberose character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Design for a white floral and animalic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Marc Jacobs or Design?

Design lasts longest (Design 69/100, Marc Jacobs 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Marc Jacobs or Design?

Design projects furthest (Design 63/100, Marc Jacobs 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Marc Jacobs and Design smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, tuberose and animalic accords. Common notes include Gardenia, Tuberose, Jasmine and Honeysuckle.

Is Marc Jacobs or Design better for summer or winter?

For summer, Marc Jacobs is the stronger pick. For winter, Design is the stronger pick. Marc Jacobs suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Marc Jacobs and Design?

Marc Jacobs has top notes of Gardenia and Bergamot, heart notes of Tuberose, Jasmine, Honeysuckle and White Pepper, a base of Ginger, Cedar and Musk. Design has top notes of Tuberose, Jasmine, Orange Blossom and Peach, heart notes of Gardenia, Honeysuckle, Carnation and Lilac, a base of Musk, Civet, Sandalwood and Black Currant.