Fragrance comparison

Masculin Unique vs No. 20

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 24 ratings analysed

Masculin Unique

Bourjois

4.2417 votes

Rank #32,086 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

62%scent match

Closely related

No. 20

The Fragrance Design Studio

3.437 votes

Rank #55,133 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Masculin Unique
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, day or night wear.
No. 20
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Masculin Unique2/4

No. 202/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: No. 20
Sillage & projection: No. 20
Value for money: Masculin Unique
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Masculin Unique

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Masculin UniqueBourjois

No. 20The Fragrance Design Studio

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.24/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 27%Had 24%Want 49%

3.43/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 16%Had 5%Want 79%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

53%Love

35%Like

0%Ok

6%Dislike

6%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

14%Love

43%Like

14%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate61

Category winners

LongevityNo. 20

SillageNo. 20

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value75

Category winnerMasculin UniqueBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

aromatic88%

citrus77%

green65%

woody53%

herbal42%

citrus100%

woody88%

fresh spicy77%

aromatic65%

powdery53%

warm spicy42%

Scent match62%Closely related · both fresh spicy, citrus and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotMintAmalfi LemonTarragon

Heart

GeraniumPepper

Base

Virginia CedarMusk

Notes

BergamotSandalwoodAmalfi LemonPepperVirginia CedarRoseAmber

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Amalfi Lemon, Pepper and Virginia Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer100

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night100

Spring25

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night40

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#32,086

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#55,133

PerfumerCecile Hua

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerMasculin UniqueHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Bourjois Masculin Unique opens with a sharp burst of bergamot, crushed mint leaves, and bright Amalfi lemon. Tarragon adds an herbal edge right away, preventing the citrus from feeling like a standard dish soap. As the top notes settle down, geranium and black pepper bring a dry, spicy warmth to the chest. The dry-dow…

Reviews →

No. 20 by The Fragrance Design Studio pairs bright citrus notes with dry woods and spice. Created by perfumer Cecile Hua in 2013, the blend opens with sharp black peppercorn, fresh bergamot, and Amalfi lemon zest. As the top notes settle, rose water softens the peppery kick before dry Virginia cedarwood and creamy san…

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 Unique or No. 20?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Masculin Unique is rated 4.24/5 from 17 votes; No. 20 is rated 3.43/5 from 7 votes. Choose Masculin Unique for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, day or night wear. Choose No. 20 for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Masculin Unique or No. 20?

No. 20 lasts longest (No. 20 73/100, Masculin Unique 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Masculin Unique or No. 20?

No. 20 projects furthest (No. 20 56/100, Masculin Unique 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Masculin Unique and No. 20 smell similar?

Closely related: a 62% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, citrus and aromatic accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Amalfi Lemon, Pepper and Virginia Cedar.

Is Masculin Unique or No. 20 better for summer or winter?

Masculin Unique suits day or night wear; No. 20 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Masculin Unique and No. 20?

Masculin Unique has top notes of Bergamot, Mint, Amalfi Lemon and Tarragon, heart notes of Geranium and Pepper, a base of Virginia Cedar and Musk. No. 20 features Bergamot, Sandalwood, Amalfi Lemon, Pepper and Virginia Cedar.