Fragrance comparison

Memoir Man vs Cleopatra

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 3,828 ratings analysed

3 wins

Memoir Man

Amouage

4.283,826 votes

Rank #25,768 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

Cleopatra

Kesma

4.502 votes

Rank #57,501 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Memoir Man takes 3 of 4 categories.

Memoir Man
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Cleopatra
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Memoir Man3/4

Cleopatra1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Memoir Man
Sillage & projection: Memoir Man
Value for money: Cleopatra
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Memoir Man

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Memoir ManAmouage

CleopatraKesma

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.28/ 5 · 3,826 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 36%Had 9%Want 55%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

54%Love

32%Like

5%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

3,826 votes

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityMemoir Man

SillageMemoir Man

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value38

¤ Price value50

Category winnerCleopatraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

green77%

amber69%

smoky61%

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both woody, amber and green

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

WormwoodMintBasil

Heart

IncenseLavenderRose

Base

TobaccoLeatherSandalwoodGuaiac WoodVetiveroak mossAmberVanille

Top

BergamotCinnamonGalbanumPepperCloves

Heart

Orange BlossomYlang-YlangHeliotropeNarcissusTuberoseJasmineHoneyClove

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliLabdanumWormwoodOakmossLeatherVetiverIncense

InformationalShared notesWormwood, Incense, Leather and Sandalwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring68

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring0

Summer0

Fall50

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men81

Unisex17

Women2

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,768

PerfumerKarine Vinchon Spehner

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#57,501

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMemoir ManHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Amouage Memoir Man presents a dark, dry green opening that transitions into a cold, smoky incense. It suits individuals looking for an unconventional, dramatic signature scent for cold autumn nights and formal winter settings where standard sweet fragrances fail to make a statement.

Reviews →

Cleopatra by Kesma is a dense, unapologetic oriental floral from 1983. It opens with a punch of cloves and cinnamon before settling into a rich, resinous heart of tuberose, ylang-ylang, and honey. This is a cold-weather classic that leans heavily on its base of incense, leather, and oakmoss for a deep, vintage footpri…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Memoir Man or Cleopatra?

Memoir Man takes 3 of 4 categories. Memoir Man is rated 4.28/5 from 3,826 votes; Cleopatra is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose Memoir Man for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Cleopatra for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Memoir Man or Cleopatra?

Memoir Man lasts longest (Memoir Man 76/100, Cleopatra 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Memoir Man or Cleopatra?

Memoir Man projects furthest (Memoir Man 61/100, Cleopatra 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Memoir Man and Cleopatra smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and green accords. Common notes include Wormwood, Incense, Leather and Sandalwood.

Is Memoir Man or Cleopatra better for summer or winter?

Cleopatra suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Memoir Man and Cleopatra?

Memoir Man has top notes of Wormwood, Mint and Basil, heart notes of Incense, Lavender and Rose, a base of Tobacco, Leather, Sandalwood and Guaiac Wood. Cleopatra has top notes of Bergamot, Cinnamon, Galbanum and Pepper, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Ylang-Ylang, Heliotrope and Narcissus, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli, Labdanum and Wormwood.