Fragrance comparison

Masculin Barbare vs Retrospection

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 35 ratings analysed

Masculin Barbare

Bourjois

5.001 votes

Rank #44,562 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Retrospection

JMP Artisan Perfumes

3.5934 votes

Rank #17,909 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Retrospection takes 3 of 4 categories.

Masculin Barbare
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Retrospection
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Masculin Barbare1/4

Retrospection3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Retrospection
Sillage & projection: Masculin Barbare
Value for money: Retrospection
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Retrospection

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Masculin BarbareBourjois

RetrospectionJMP Artisan Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 11%Had 0%Want 89%

3.59/ 5 · 34 votes

Have 30%Had 12%Want 57%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

24%Love

35%Like

24%Ok

12%Dislike

6%Hate

34 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityRetrospection

SillageMasculin Barbare

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value0

¤ Price value61

Category winnerRetrospectionBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fresh spicy92%

aromatic84%

warm spicy77%

citrus69%

lavender61%

aromatic100%

woody92%

animalic84%

fresh spicy77%

white floral69%

green61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotLavender

Heart

GeraniumLily-of-the-Valley

Base

SpicesCedarSandalwood

Top15-30 mins

GalbanumAldehydesBergamotWormwoodLavenderRosemaryPetitgrain

Heart2-4 hrs

Orange BlossomLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineGeraniumCorianderRoseClary SageCloves

Base8-10+ hrs

OakmossCivetLeatherBeeswaxMuskOrris RootVetiverSandalwood

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Lavender, Geranium and Lily-of-the-Valley. Durations are only published for Retrospection, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Spring86

Summer21

Fall100

Winter71

Day73

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men65

Unisex23

Women12

Date 31%Work 28%Casual 23%Party 18%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#44,562

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#17,909

PerfumerJakub Pietrynka

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerRetrospectionHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Bourjois Masculin Barbare opens with an invigorating burst of sharp bergamot paired with clean lavender. As the bright top notes settle on skin, geranium and lily of the valley introduce a crisp floral contrast that prevents the citrus from feeling overly sour. The base anchors the overall composition in dry cedar, wa…

Reviews →

Retrospection by JMP Artisan Perfumes resurrects the bold, unapologetic swagger of traditional masculine perfumery from the late twentieth century. Created by Polish independent perfumer Jakub Pietrynka, this composition opens with a sharp burst of bitter galbanum, soapy aldehydes, and zesty bergamot. Within minutes, …

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, Masculin Barbare or Retrospection?

Retrospection takes 3 of 4 categories. Masculin Barbare is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes; Retrospection is rated 3.59/5 from 34 votes. Choose Masculin Barbare for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Retrospection for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Masculin Barbare or Retrospection?

Retrospection lasts longest (Retrospection 80/100, Masculin Barbare 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Masculin Barbare or Retrospection?

Masculin Barbare projects furthest (Masculin Barbare 80/100, Retrospection 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Masculin Barbare and Retrospection smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Lavender, Geranium and Lily-of-the-Valley.

Is Masculin Barbare or Retrospection better for summer or winter?

Masculin Barbare suits evening wear; Retrospection suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Masculin Barbare and Retrospection?

Masculin Barbare has top notes of Bergamot and Lavender, heart notes of Geranium and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Spices, Cedar and Sandalwood. Retrospection has top notes of Galbanum, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Wormwood, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine and Geranium, a base of Oakmoss, Civet, Leather and Beeswax.