Fragrance comparison

No. 20 vs Mefisto

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 5,269 ratings analysed

No. 20

The Fragrance Design Studio

3.437 votes

Rank #55,133 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

76%scent match

Very similar

2 wins

Mefisto

Xerjoff

4.105,262 votes

Rank #539 CitrusPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Mefisto takes 2 of 4 categories.

No. 20
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Mefisto
Choose it for a citrus and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

No. 201/4

Mefisto2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: Mefisto
Value for money: No. 20
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Mefisto

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

No. 20The Fragrance Design Studio

MefistoXerjoff

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.43/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 16%Had 5%Want 79%

4.10/ 5 · 5,262 votes

Have 77%Had 23%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

14%Love

43%Like

14%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

50%Love

32%Like

10%Ok

6%Dislike

1%Hate

3,672 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate61

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageMefisto

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value50

Category winnerNo. 20Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody88%

fresh spicy77%

aromatic65%

powdery53%

warm spicy42%

citrus100%

powdery91%

aromatic83%

fresh spicy74%

woody65%

lavender56%

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

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

BergamotSandalwoodAmalfi LemonPepperVirginia CedarRoseAmber

No top / heart / base split published

Top

GrapefruitBergamotAmalfi Lemon

Heart

LavenderIrisRose

Base

MuskSandalwoodVirginia CedarAmber

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Sandalwood, Amalfi Lemon and Virginia Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring25

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night40

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter13

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men60

Unisex35

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#55,133

PerfumerCecile Hua

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#539

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews629

Category winnerMefistoHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

No. 20 by The Fragrance Design Studio pairs bright citrus notes with dry woods and spice. Created by perfumer Cecile Hua in 2013, the blend opens with sharp black peppercorn, fresh bergamot, and Amalfi lemon zest. As the top notes settle, rose water softens the peppery kick before dry Virginia cedarwood and creamy san…

Reviews →

Xerjoff Mefisto opens with a bright blast of grapefruit, Amalfi lemon, and bergamot before settling into a cool heart of lavender, iris, and green rose. Clean musk and Virginia cedar anchor the dry-down, giving this 2009 release a crisp profile suited for hot summer afternoons. Unlike sharp aquatic colognes, this 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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, No. 20 or Mefisto?

Mefisto takes 2 of 4 categories. No. 20 is rated 3.43/5 from 7 votes; Mefisto is rated 4.10/5 from 5,262 votes. Choose No. 20 for a citrus and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Mefisto for a citrus and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, No. 20 or Mefisto?

They last about the same: No. 20 73/100, Mefisto 73/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, No. 20 or Mefisto?

Mefisto projects furthest (Mefisto 64/100, No. 20 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do No. 20 and Mefisto smell similar?

Very similar: a 76% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Sandalwood, Amalfi Lemon and Virginia Cedar.

Is No. 20 or Mefisto better for summer or winter?

No. 20 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in No. 20 and Mefisto?

No. 20 features Bergamot, Sandalwood, Amalfi Lemon, Pepper and Virginia Cedar. Mefisto has top notes of Grapefruit, Bergamot and Amalfi Lemon, heart notes of Lavender, Iris and Rose, a base of Musk, Sandalwood, Virginia Cedar and Amber.