Fragrance comparison

Murmure vs Zanzibar

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 660 ratings analysed

Murmure

Van Cleef & Arpels

3.65486 votes

Rank #9,963 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Zanzibar

Mahogany

3.90174 votes

Rank #11,972 AromaticWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zanzibar takes 5 of 7 categories.

Murmure
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Zanzibar
Choose it for a aromatic and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Murmure1/7

Zanzibar5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MurmureVan Cleef & Arpels

ZanzibarMahogany

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.65/ 5 · 486 votes

Have 50%Had 50%Want 0%

3.90/ 5 · 174 votes

Have 65%Had 35%Want 0%

Category winnerZanzibarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

26%Love

43%Like

2%Ok

28%Dislike

1%Hate

486 votes

37%Love

36%Like

7%Ok

19%Dislike

1%Hate

174 votes

Category winnerZanzibarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityZanzibar

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value67

Category winnerZanzibarBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

floral83%

woody65%

citrus48%

animalic30%

aromatic100%

white floral92%

floral84%

aldehydic77%

citrus69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both white floral, floral and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

FreesiaMandarin OrangeWhite Rose

Heart2-4 hrs

JasmineLilyOrange BlossomTuberoseCinnamon

Base6-8 hrs

Brazilian RosewoodCedarVanilla

Top

AldehydesPetitgrainMandarin OrangeFreesiaBasil

Heart

CarnationMarigoldRoseOrange BlossomJasmineCorianderLily

Base

SandalwoodMuskTonka BeanVanilla

InformationalShared notesFreesia, Mandarin Orange, Jasmine and Lily. Durations are only published for Murmure, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter29

Day100

Night29

Spring64

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerZanzibarMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex9

Women91

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#9,963

PerfumerAlberto Morillas, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud

Launched—

Reviews32

Overall rank#11,972

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

Category winnerMurmureHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Murmure by Van Cleef & Arpels delivers an unapologetic bouquet of dewy white petals anchored by dry cedar wood. Created in 2002 by master perfumers Jacques Cavallier and Alberto Morillas, the scent opens with crisp freesia, bright mandarin orange, and pale white rose. The fragrance quickly blooms into an intense heart…

Reviews →

Zanzibar by Mahogany is a vintage-style floral fragrance for women that relies heavily on aldehydes and a classic white floral blend. It opens with sharp, green citrus notes before settling into a powdery, carnation-heavy heart on a base of warm sandalwood and vanilla. It is a nostalgic scent best worn in crisp autumn…

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, Murmure or Zanzibar?

Zanzibar takes 5 of 7 categories. Murmure is rated 3.65/5 from 486 votes; Zanzibar is rated 3.90/5 from 174 votes. Choose Murmure for a white floral and floral character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Zanzibar for a aromatic and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Murmure or Zanzibar?

Zanzibar lasts longest (Zanzibar 69/100, Murmure 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Murmure or Zanzibar?

Projection is very close: Murmure 63/100, Zanzibar 63/100 for sillage.

Do Murmure and Zanzibar smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, floral and citrus accords. Common notes include Freesia, Mandarin Orange, Jasmine and Lily.

Is Murmure or Zanzibar better for summer or winter?

For summer, Murmure is the stronger pick. For winter, Zanzibar is the stronger pick. Murmure suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Murmure and Zanzibar?

Murmure has top notes of Freesia, Mandarin Orange and White Rose, heart notes of Jasmine, Lily, Orange Blossom and Tuberose, a base of Brazilian Rosewood, Cedar and Vanilla. Zanzibar has top notes of Aldehydes, Petitgrain, Mandarin Orange and Freesia, heart notes of Carnation, Marigold, Rose and Orange Blossom, a base of Sandalwood, Musk, Tonka Bean and Vanilla.