Fragrance comparison

Message in a Bottle vs Love Is Nearer Death

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 93 ratings analysed

Message in a Bottle

Mark Buxton

3.9462 votes

Rank #16,999 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

57%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Love Is Nearer Death

Alkemia Perfumes

3.9731 votes

Rank #22,002 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Love Is Nearer Death takes 4 of 7 categories.

Message in a Bottle
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Love Is Nearer Death
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and value for money. Best in summer, evening wear.

Message in a Bottle3/7

Love Is Nearer Death4/7

Ratings & consensus: Message in a Bottle
Community sentiment: Love Is Nearer Death
Longevity: Love Is Nearer Death
Sillage & projection: Message in a Bottle
Value for money: Love Is Nearer Death
Versatility: Love Is Nearer Death
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Message in a Bottle

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Message in a BottleMark Buxton

Love Is Nearer DeathAlkemia Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.94/ 5 · 62 votes

Have 28%Had 21%Want 51%

3.97/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 26%Had 18%Want 56%

Category winnerMessage in a BottleRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

39%Like

8%Ok

13%Dislike

3%Hate

62 votes

35%Love

42%Like

6%Ok

16%Dislike

0%Hate

31 votes

Category winnerLove Is Nearer DeathMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityLove Is Nearer Death

SillageMessage in a Bottle

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value75

Category winnerLove Is Nearer DeathBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

floral92%

amber84%

yellow floral77%

animalic69%

citrus61%

white floral100%

floral92%

amber84%

tuberose77%

yellow floral69%

sweet61%

Scent match57%Closely related · both white floral, floral and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Jasmine SambacYlang-YlangNeroliMagnoliaAmbergrisCivetSandalwoodLabdanum

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

TuberoseYlang-YlangAmberBlack OrchidVanilla OrchidCarnationLabdanumJasmine SambacCacaoNeroliLotus Petals

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesJasmine Sambac, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli and Labdanum. Durations are only published for Message in a Bottle, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer71

Fall33

Winter10

Day100

Night42

Spring80

Summer100

Fall40

Winter40

Day33

Night100

Category winnerLove Is Nearer DeathMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex40

Women60

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,999

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#22,002

PerfumerSharra Lamoureaux

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerMessage in a BottleHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Message in a Bottle by Mark Buxton is a bold floral blend anchored by deep animalic warmth. The scent opens with a bright burst of neroli paired with powdery magnolia and sweet ylang-ylang, creating an immediate yellow floral and white floral presence. Beneath the sunny blossoms lies an earthy foundation of ambergris,…

Reviews →

Love Is Nearer Death by Alkemia Perfumes is a fragrance for women. The nose behind this fragrance is Sharra Lamoureaux.

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, Message in a Bottle or Love Is Nearer Death?

Love Is Nearer Death takes 4 of 7 categories. Message in a Bottle is rated 3.94/5 from 62 votes; Love Is Nearer Death is rated 3.97/5 from 31 votes. Choose Message in a Bottle for a white floral and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Love Is Nearer Death for a white floral and floral character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and value for money. Best in summer, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Message in a Bottle or Love Is Nearer Death?

Love Is Nearer Death lasts longest (Love Is Nearer Death 78/100, Message in a Bottle 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Message in a Bottle or Love Is Nearer Death?

Message in a Bottle projects furthest (Message in a Bottle 62/100, Love Is Nearer Death 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Message in a Bottle and Love Is Nearer Death smell similar?

Closely related: a 57% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, floral and amber accords. Common notes include Jasmine Sambac, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli and Labdanum.

Is Message in a Bottle or Love Is Nearer Death better for summer or winter?

For summer, Love Is Nearer Death is the stronger pick. For winter, Love Is Nearer Death is the stronger pick. Message in a Bottle suits daytime wear; Love Is Nearer Death suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Message in a Bottle and Love Is Nearer Death?

Message in a Bottle features Jasmine Sambac, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli, Magnolia and Ambergris. Love Is Nearer Death features Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Amber, Black Orchid and Vanilla Orchid.