Fragrance comparison

Max Mara vs P.S. I Love You

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 2,081 ratings analysed

6 wins

Max Mara

3.941,898 votes

Rank #1,096 SweetCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

P.S. I Love You

Bath & Body Works

3.58183 votes

Rank #33,873 RoseFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Max Mara takes 6 of 7 categories.

Max Mara
Choose it for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
P.S. I Love You
Choose it for a rose and floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter.

Max Mara6/7

P.S. I Love You1/7

Ratings & consensus: Max Mara
Community sentiment: Max Mara
Longevity: Max Mara
Sillage & projection: Max Mara
Value for money: P.S. I Love You
Versatility: Max Mara
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Max Mara

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Max MaraMax Mara

P.S. I Love YouBath & Body Works

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.94/ 5 · 1,898 votes

Have 37%Had 63%Want 0%

3.58/ 5 · 183 votes

Have 52%Had 48%Want 0%

Category winnerMax MaraRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

36%Love

52%Like

2%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

1,819 votes

28%Love

37%Like

1%Ok

34%Dislike

0%Hate

183 votes

Category winnerMax MaraMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityMax Mara

SillageMax Mara

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value77

Category winnerP.S. I Love YouBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

citrus91%

fresh spicy83%

fresh74%

floral65%

white floral56%

rose100%

floral92%

amber84%

fresh77%

smoky69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both floral and fresh

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GingerCitruses

Heart

MagnoliaLilyMuskOrchid

Base

Sugar Cane

Top

PeonyLitchiCitruses

Heart

RoseIncenseJasmineLilyOrchid

Base

MuskPatchouliSandalwoodAmber

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Lily, Musk and Orchid. 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

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring49

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerMax MaraMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex3

Women96

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,096

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews137

Overall rank#33,873

PerfumerDavid Apel

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMax MaraHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Max Mara is a sweet white floral with a polished citrus and ginger opening, then a creamy heart of magnolia, lily, orchid and soft musk over raw sugar. It often reads elegant, cosy and quietly distinctive rather than loud. Many wearers find it most at home in cooler weather, where the sugar, florals and spice feel ric…

Reviews →

P.S. I Love You by Bath & Body Works shifts the traditional rose scent into darker territory by blending black roses with smoky incense and warm amber. It starts with a tart splash of litchi and bright peony before settling into a warm, patchouli-infused dry down that projects a cozy autumn vibe.

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, Max Mara or P.S. I Love You?

Max Mara takes 6 of 7 categories. Max Mara is rated 3.94/5 from 1,898 votes; P.S. I Love You is rated 3.58/5 from 183 votes. Choose Max Mara for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose P.S. I Love You for a rose and floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Max Mara or P.S. I Love You?

Max Mara lasts longest (Max Mara 68/100, P.S. I Love You 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Max Mara or P.S. I Love You?

Max Mara projects furthest (Max Mara 60/100, P.S. I Love You 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Max Mara and P.S. I Love You smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and fresh accords. Common notes include Citruses, Lily, Musk and Orchid.

Is Max Mara or P.S. I Love You better for summer or winter?

For summer, Max Mara is the stronger pick. For winter, Max Mara is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Max Mara and P.S. I Love You?

Max Mara has top notes of Ginger and Citruses, heart notes of Magnolia, Lily, Musk and Orchid, a base of Sugar Cane. P.S. I Love You has top notes of Peony, Litchi and Citruses, heart notes of Rose, Incense, Jasmine and Lily, a base of Musk, Patchouli, Sandalwood and Amber.