Fragrance comparison

Max Mara vs Pur Magnolia

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 1,972 ratings analysed

6 wins

Max Mara

3.941,898 votes

Rank #1,126 SweetCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

57%scent match

Closely related

Pur Magnolia

Cartier

3.6974 votes

Rank #16,124 CitrusFloral

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.
Pur Magnolia
Choose it for a citrus and floral character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Max Mara6/7

Pur Magnolia1/7

Ratings & consensus: Max Mara
Community sentiment: Max Mara
Longevity: Max Mara
Sillage & projection: Max Mara
Value for money: Max Mara
Versatility: Pur Magnolia
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

Pur MagnoliaCartier

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.94/ 5 · 1,898 votes

Have 37%Had 63%Want 0%

3.69/ 5 · 74 votes

Have 82%Had 18%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

24%Love

45%Like

12%Ok

14%Dislike

5%Hate

74 votes

Category winnerMax MaraMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityMax Mara

SillageMax Mara

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value27

Category winnerMax MaraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

citrus91%

fresh spicy83%

fresh74%

floral65%

white floral56%

citrus100%

floral83%

fresh65%

fresh spicy48%

aquatic30%

Scent match57%Closely related · both citrus, 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

Notes

MagnoliaCitruses

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCitruses and Magnolia. 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–

Spring100

Summer100

Fall23

Winter9

Day100

Night35

Category winnerPur MagnoliaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex3

Women96

Men7

Unisex21

Women72

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,126

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews137

Overall rank#16,124

PerfumerMathilde Laurent

Launched—

Reviews14

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 →

Cartier Pur Magnolia opens with sharp citrus and green floral notes that quickly give way to crisp magnolia petals. Perfumer Mathilde Laurent keeps the composition light and watery, skipping heavy amber or vanilla bases. It suits warm spring mornings, outdoor lunches, and quiet office settings where you want a clean s…

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 Pur Magnolia?

Max Mara takes 6 of 7 categories. Max Mara is rated 3.94/5 from 1,898 votes; Pur Magnolia is rated 3.69/5 from 74 votes. Choose Max Mara for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Pur Magnolia for a citrus and floral character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Max Mara or Pur Magnolia?

Max Mara lasts longest (Max Mara 68/100, Pur Magnolia 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Max Mara or Pur Magnolia?

Max Mara projects furthest (Max Mara 60/100, Pur Magnolia 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Max Mara and Pur Magnolia smell similar?

Closely related: a 57% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, floral and fresh accords. Common notes include Citruses and Magnolia.

Is Max Mara or Pur Magnolia better for summer or winter?

For summer, Pur Magnolia is the stronger pick. For winter, Max Mara is the stronger pick. Pur Magnolia suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Max Mara and Pur Magnolia?

Max Mara has top notes of Ginger and Citruses, heart notes of Magnolia, Lily, Musk and Orchid, a base of Sugar Cane. Pur Magnolia features Magnolia and Citruses.