Fragrance comparison

No. III Swim vs Istanbul

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 50 ratings analysed

No. III Swim

Gabar

4.3349 votes

Rank #12,790 GreenFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

2 wins

Istanbul

Memûzîn Perfume

5.001 votes

Rank #48,843 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Istanbul takes 2 of 3 categories.

No. III Swim
Choose it for a green and fruity character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Istanbul
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection.

No. III Swim1/3

Istanbul2/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

No. III SwimGabar

IstanbulMemûzîn Perfume

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 49 votes

Have 10%Had 2%Want 87%

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

41%Like

10%Ok

2%Dislike

0%Hate

49 votes

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityIstanbul

SillageIstanbul

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value54

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

green100%

fruity90%

woody80%

aromatic70%

fresh60%

soft spicy50%

aromatic100%

woody92%

fruity84%

citrus77%

fresh spicy69%

green61%

Scent match56%Closely related · both fruity, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Currant budsGalbanum

Heart2-4 hrs

FigGreen TeaOrrisJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

CedarPatchouliMuskAmberTonka Bean

Top

BergamotGalbanumMandarinFig

Heart

BlackcurrantGeraniumJasmine

Base

SandalwoodVetiverAmberMusk

InformationalShared notesGalbanum, Fig, Jasmine and Musk. Durations are only published for No. III Swim, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring90

Summer100

Fall21

Winter7

Day100

Night35

No season votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex62

Women33

Casual 42%Work 31%Date 19%Party 8%

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,790

PerfumerRuth Mastenbroek

Launched—

Reviews19

Overall rank#48,843

PerfumerHüseyin Erdoğmuş

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerNo. III SwimHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Gabar No. III Swim captures the crisp sensation of jumping into cold river water on a warm afternoon. It opens with a piercing snap of crushed galbanum resin and tart currant buds. The greenness bites hard. Within fifteen minutes, the sharpness yields to a lush, unsweetened wild fig note wrapped in earthy green tea le…

Reviews →

Istanbul by Memûzîn Perfume opens with a sharp burst of bitter galbanum and sweet fig, immediately set against bright bergamot. As the initial citrus crispness settles, blackcurrant and minty geranium create a green floral heart. The dry-down relies on dry vetiver and creamy sandalwood, making it a versatile option fo…

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. III Swim or Istanbul?

Istanbul takes 2 of 3 categories. No. III Swim is rated 4.33/5 from 49 votes; Istanbul is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose No. III Swim for a green and fruity character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Istanbul for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection.

Which lasts longer, No. III Swim or Istanbul?

Istanbul lasts longest (Istanbul 100/100, No. III Swim 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, No. III Swim or Istanbul?

Istanbul projects furthest (Istanbul 75/100, No. III Swim 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do No. III Swim and Istanbul smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Galbanum, Fig, Jasmine and Musk.

Is No. III Swim or Istanbul better for summer or winter?

No. III Swim suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in No. III Swim and Istanbul?

No. III Swim has top notes of Currant buds and Galbanum, heart notes of Fig, Green Tea, Orris and Jasmine, a base of Cedar, Patchouli, Musk and Amber. Istanbul has top notes of Bergamot, Galbanum, Mandarin and Fig, heart notes of Blackcurrant, Geranium and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Vetiver, Amber and Musk.