Fragrance comparison

Memoire vs Monk

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 73 ratings analysed

Memoire

Shiseido

3.9048 votes

Rank #23,023 PowderyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

31%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Monk

Michael Storer

4.1325 votes

Rank #22,631 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Monk takes 4 of 5 categories.

Memoire
Choose it for a powdery and musky character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Monk
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Memoire1/5

Monk4/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MemoireShiseido

MonkMichael Storer

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.90/ 5 · 48 votes

Have 38%Had 15%Want 48%

4.13/ 5 · 25 votes

Have 25%Had 5%Want 71%

Category winnerMonkRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

29%Love

52%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

4%Hate

48 votes

50%Love

30%Like

5%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityMonk

SillageMonk

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value88

¤ Price value67

Category winnerMemoireBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

musky92%

white floral84%

amber77%

floral69%

rose61%

amber100%

woody92%

citrus84%

smoky77%

warm spicy69%

musky61%

Scent match31%Clearly different · both amber and musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AldehydesNeroliGardeniaBergamotAmalfi Lemon

Heart

RoseHeliotropeJasmineCarnationYlang-YlangAfrican Orange FlowerOrchid

Base

MuskCivettaSandalwoodStyraxAmberBenzoinVanille

Top

BergamotGalbanumAfrican Orange FlowerBitter Orange

Heart

IncenseRoseBeeswaxCitrusesAmbrette (Musk Mallow)CacaoLime (Linden) Blossom

Base

CivettaBirchSandalwoodBenzoinJasmineVirginia CedarTonka BeanVanille

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Rose, Jasmine and African Orange Flower. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer69

Fall69

Winter69

Day100

Night53

Spring67

Summer67

Fall83

Winter100

Day75

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex13

Women88

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,023

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#22,631

PerfumerMichael Storer

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerMonkHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Shiseido Memoire opens with a punch of bright bergamot and dry aldehydes that immediately recalls classic mid-century perfumery. As the initial fizz of citrus settles on the skin, a powdery floral heart of rose, carnation, and sweet heliotrope emerges, shifting the character from clean to softly romantic. It wears lig…

Reviews →

Monk is a warm, smoky amber built around bright bitter citrus, green galbanum, incense, beeswax, rose and a darker animalic woody base. It reads more textured than easy-clean, with orange blossom and bergamot giving lift before the resin, smoke, woods, vanilla and civet settle in. Best for shoppers who enjoy classic a…

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, Memoire or Monk?

Monk takes 4 of 5 categories. Memoire is rated 3.90/5 from 48 votes; Monk is rated 4.13/5 from 25 votes. Choose Memoire for a powdery and musky character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Monk for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Memoire or Monk?

Monk lasts longest (Monk 78/100, Memoire 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Memoire or Monk?

Monk projects furthest (Monk 67/100, Memoire 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Memoire and Monk smell similar?

Clearly different: a 31% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and musky accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Rose, Jasmine and African Orange Flower.

Is Memoire or Monk better for summer or winter?

Memoire suits daytime wear; Monk suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Memoire and Monk?

Memoire has top notes of Aldehydes, Neroli, Gardenia and Bergamot, heart notes of Rose, Heliotrope, Jasmine and Carnation, a base of Musk, Civetta, Sandalwood and Styrax. Monk has top notes of Bergamot, Galbanum, African Orange Flower and Bitter Orange, heart notes of Incense, Rose, Beeswax and Citruses, a base of Civetta, Birch, Sandalwood and Benzoin.