Fragrance comparison

Mystery & Excellence vs Psycho

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 80 ratings analysed

Mystery & Excellence

Linn Young

3.8976 votes

Rank #27,585 SweetPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Psycho

Macabre Parfums

4.254 votes

Rank #56,356 Soft SpicyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Psycho takes 3 of 4 categories.

Mystery & Excellence
Choose it for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Psycho
Choose it for a soft spicy and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Mystery & Excellence1/4

Psycho3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Mystery & ExcellenceLinn Young

PsychoMacabre Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.89/ 5 · 76 votes

Have 24%Had 22%Want 55%

4.25/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 24%Had 6%Want 71%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

45%Like

4%Ok

16%Dislike

3%Hate

76 votes

25%Love

75%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityPsycho

SillagePsycho

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price value83

Category winnerPsychoBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

powdery92%

soft spicy84%

anis77%

vanilla69%

violet61%

soft spicy100%

fruity92%

sweet84%

anis77%

almond69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both sweet, soft spicy and anis

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AniseVioletIvyLemonPineappleMahogany

Heart

LicoriceIrisJasmineVetiverAmaryllisLily-of-the-ValleyOrris Root

Base

VanillaTonka BeanAlmondWhite MuskChocolateHeliotropeTobacco

Notes

LicoriceLycheeAlmondAniseBenzoinCoffeeYlang YlangTobaccoClovesAmber

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesAnise, Licorice, Almond and Tobacco. 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

Summer46

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring25

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night67

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex13

Women88

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,585

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#56,356

PerfumerSabrina Macabre

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMystery & ExcellenceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Linn Young Mystery & Excellence opens with an immediate blast of star anise and powdery violet, settled over dark ivy. As it dries down on skin during cold autumn evenings, a syrupy licorice heart mixes with vanilla, tonka bean, and almond. The dark gourmand trail stays sweet, cozy, and distinctly warm for casual wint…

Reviews →

Psycho by Macabre Parfums opens with a sharp burst of licorice and star anise before settling into a warm core of dark coffee and bitter almond. A soft sweetness from lychee cuts through the spicy cloves and resinous benzoin base. Designed for chilly autumn evenings, this unisex scent pairs best with leather jackets o…

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, Mystery & Excellence or Psycho?

Psycho takes 3 of 4 categories. Mystery & Excellence is rated 3.89/5 from 76 votes; Psycho is rated 4.25/5 from 4 votes. Choose Mystery & Excellence for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Psycho for a soft spicy and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Mystery & Excellence or Psycho?

Psycho lasts longest (Psycho 70/100, Mystery & Excellence 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Mystery & Excellence or Psycho?

Projection is very close: Psycho 58/100, Mystery & Excellence 56/100 for sillage.

Do Mystery & Excellence and Psycho smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, soft spicy and anis accords. Common notes include Anise, Licorice, Almond and Tobacco.

Is Mystery & Excellence or Psycho better for summer or winter?

Psycho suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Mystery & Excellence and Psycho?

Mystery & Excellence has top notes of Anise, Violet, Ivy and Lemon, heart notes of Licorice, Iris, Jasmine and Vetiver, a base of Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Almond and White Musk. Psycho features Licorice, Lychee, Almond, Anise and Benzoin.