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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Mystery & Excellence vs Strenesse

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

Updated 418 ratings analysed
Clearly different
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Strenesse takes 5 of 7 categories.

  • Mystery & Excellence

    Choose it for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring.

  • Strenesse

    Choose it for a powdery and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Mystery & Excellence2/7
Strenesse5/7
Ratings & consensus
Strenesse
Community sentiment
Strenesse
Longevity
Strenesse
Sillage & projection
Strenesse
Value for money
Mystery & Excellence
Versatility
Mystery & Excellence
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Strenesse

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
Mystery & ExcellenceLinn Young
StrenesseStrenesse
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
3.89/ 5 · 76 votes
Have 24%Had 22%Want 55%
3.89/ 5 · 342 votes
Have 31%Had 36%Want 33%
Category winnerStrenesseRating 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
56%Like
1%Ok
17%Dislike
0%Hate

342 votes

Category winnerStrenesseMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity60
〰 Sillage56
♥ Love / hate72
⏱ Longevity68
〰 Sillage60
♥ Love / hate72
Category winners

LongevityStrenesse

SillageStrenesse

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value82
¤ Price value66
Category winnerMystery & ExcellenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
sweet100%
powdery92%
soft spicy84%
anis77%
vanilla69%
violet61%
powdery100%
vanilla92%
almond84%
floral77%
white floral69%
nutty61%
Scent match32%Clearly different · both powdery and vanilla

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
Top
Almond
Heart
HeliotropeJasmineLily-of-the-Valley
Base
VanilleIrisSandalwoodAmber
InformationalShared notesIris, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley and Almond. 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–
Spring74
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerMystery & ExcellenceMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men0
Unisex13
Women88
Men0
Unisex12
Women88
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,749

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#9,627

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched—

Reviews24

Category winnerStrenesseHigher 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 →

Strenesse opens with a dry green almond note before melting into soft heliotrope and powdery iris. Formulated by Maurice Roucel in 2001, this floral composition settles into a warm base of vanilla, sandalwood, and amber. Many wearers detect a distinct cold milk accord alongside faint jasmine, creating a quiet skin sce…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Mystery & Excellence or Strenesse?

Strenesse takes 5 of 7 categories. Mystery & Excellence is rated 3.89/5 from 76 votes; Strenesse is rated 3.89/5 from 342 votes. Choose Mystery & Excellence for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring. Choose Strenesse for a powdery and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Mystery & Excellence or Strenesse?

Strenesse lasts longest (Strenesse 68/100, Mystery & Excellence 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Mystery & Excellence or Strenesse?

Strenesse projects furthest (Strenesse 60/100, Mystery & Excellence 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Mystery & Excellence and Strenesse smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery and vanilla accords. Common notes include Iris, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley and Almond.

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

For summer, Mystery & Excellence is the stronger pick. For winter, Mystery & Excellence is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Mystery & Excellence and Strenesse?

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. Strenesse has top notes of Almond, heart notes of Heliotrope, Jasmine and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Vanille, Iris, Sandalwood and Amber.

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