Fragrance comparison

MTV Sound Check vs Unexpected

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 11 ratings analysed

4 wins

MTV Sound Check

MTV Perfumes

3.6010 votes

Rank #62,549 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

76%scent match

Very similar

Unexpected

Perfume and Skin

1.001 votes

Rank #67,335 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

MTV Sound Check takes 4 of 4 categories.

MTV Sound Check
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Unexpected
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Best in spring, evening wear.

MTV Sound Check4/4

Unexpected0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MTV Sound CheckMTV Perfumes

UnexpectedPerfume and Skin

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.60/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 32%Had 36%Want 32%

1.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 20%Had 40%Want 40%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

20%Love

40%Like

20%Ok

20%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

0%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

100%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity49

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity30

〰 Sillage25

♥ Love / hate0

Category winners

LongevityMTV Sound Check

SillageMTV Sound Check

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value92

¤ Price value50

Category winnerMTV Sound CheckBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

amber77%

balsamic69%

powdery61%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

citrus84%

fresh spicy77%

amber69%

aromatic61%

Scent match76%Very similar · both woody, warm spicy and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

SandalwoodNutmegPatchouliGingerLabdanum

Heart2-3 hrs

MintGrapefruitJasmine

Base4-6 hrs

IncenseCedarPink Pepper

Notes

LabdanumNutmegGingerSandalwoodPatchouliMintJasmineGrapefruitCitrusesVetiverIncenseCedar

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesSandalwood, Nutmeg, Patchouli and Ginger. Durations are only published for MTV Sound Check, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer33

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night50

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men83

Unisex17

Women0

Casual 39%Work 32%Date 16%Party 13%

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#62,549

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#67,335

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerMTV Sound CheckHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

MTV Sound Check hits the skin with an upfront rush of sharp ginger, grated nutmeg, and dry Australian-style sandalwood. You get an immediate flash of perfumer alcohol during the first sixty seconds before the spices settle down. As the initial sharpness cools, a clean burst of grapefruit and cooling spearmint cuts thr…

Reviews →

Unexpected by Perfume and Skin is a woody, spicy citrus fougere with a modern designer-style profile. The opening suggests grapefruit, citrus, mint, ginger and pink pepper, then moves into warmer woods, patchouli, labdanum, incense and sandalwood. The only supplied review frames it as very close to Bleu de Chanel, so …

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, MTV Sound Check or Unexpected?

MTV Sound Check takes 4 of 4 categories. MTV Sound Check is rated 3.60/5 from 10 votes; Unexpected is rated 1.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose MTV Sound Check for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Unexpected for a woody and warm spicy character. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, MTV Sound Check or Unexpected?

MTV Sound Check lasts longest (MTV Sound Check 49/100, Unexpected 30/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, MTV Sound Check or Unexpected?

MTV Sound Check projects furthest (MTV Sound Check 52/100, Unexpected 25/100), based on community performance votes.

Do MTV Sound Check and Unexpected smell similar?

Very similar: a 76% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Sandalwood, Nutmeg, Patchouli and Ginger.

Is MTV Sound Check or Unexpected better for summer or winter?

MTV Sound Check suits daytime wear; Unexpected suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in MTV Sound Check and Unexpected?

MTV Sound Check has top notes of Sandalwood, Nutmeg, Patchouli and Ginger, heart notes of Mint, Grapefruit and Jasmine, a base of Incense, Cedar and Pink Pepper. Unexpected features Labdanum, Nutmeg, Ginger, Sandalwood and Patchouli.