Fragrance comparison

Noire De Mai vs Illuminea

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 250 ratings analysed

Noire De Mai

Veronique Gabai

4.16146 votes

Rank #30,245 RoseWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

22%scent match

Clearly different

6 wins

Illuminea

Mary Kay

4.05104 votes

Rank #15,924 White FloralVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Illuminea takes 6 of 8 categories.

Noire De Mai
Choose it for a rose and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Illuminea
Choose it for a white floral and vanilla character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Noire De Mai2/8

Illuminea6/8

Ratings & consensus: Noire De Mai
Community sentiment: Illuminea
Longevity: Illuminea
Sillage & projection: Illuminea
Value for money: Illuminea
Versatility: Noire De Mai
Note pyramid (duration): Illuminea
Fragranxe ranking: Illuminea

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Noire De MaiVeronique Gabai

IllumineaMary Kay

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 146 votes

Have 44%Had 11%Want 44%

4.05/ 5 · 104 votes

Have 56%Had 15%Want 29%

Category winnerNoire De MaiRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

27%Like

16%Ok

5%Dislike

3%Hate

146 votes

33%Love

48%Like

13%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

104 votes

Category winnerIllumineaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityIlluminea

SillageIlluminea

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value34

¤ Price value46

Category winnerIllumineaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

rose100%

woody90%

amber80%

mossy70%

aquatic60%

floral50%

white floral100%

vanilla92%

floral84%

fresh77%

fruity69%

woody61%

Scent match22%Clearly different · both woody and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Dew Drop

Heart2-4 hrs

Rose de MaiSea Notes

Base5-8 hrs

AmberWoody NotesOakmoss

Top15-30 mins

Dew DropPink PepperMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

HoneysuckleRed Peony

Base6-8+ hrs

VanillaCashmere WoodOakmoss

Category winnerIllumineaLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring78

Summer51

Fall100

Winter76

Day100

Night53

Spring64

Summer27

Fall100

Winter82

Day100

Night59

Category winnerNoire De MaiMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex20

Women75

Casual 34%Work 31%Date 24%Party 11%

Men1

Unisex1

Women97

Work 33%Casual 29%Date 26%Party 12%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,245

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#15,924

PerfumerGino Percontino

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerIllumineaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Morning dew hits first. Veronique Gabai Noire De Mai sets fresh Rose de Mai petals against salty sea notes and damp earth, avoiding the powdery sweetness common to traditional rose perfumes. It feels brisk. Within twenty minutes, the bright floral sheen gives way to dark oakmoss, amber, and dry cedar wood, grounding t…

Reviews →

Mary Kay Illuminea opens with bright mandarin orange, dewy water droplets, and a prickle of pink pepper. It sparkles briefly. Within fifteen minutes, the citrus evaporates and yields to a lush heart of golden honeysuckle and soft red peony. The texture turns velvety fast. A dense base of sweet vanilla, cashmere wood, …

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, Noire De Mai or Illuminea?

Illuminea takes 6 of 8 categories. Noire De Mai is rated 4.16/5 from 146 votes; Illuminea is rated 4.05/5 from 104 votes. Choose Noire De Mai for a rose and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Illuminea for a white floral and vanilla character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Noire De Mai or Illuminea?

Illuminea lasts longest (Illuminea 69/100, Noire De Mai 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Noire De Mai or Illuminea?

Illuminea projects furthest (Illuminea 59/100, Noire De Mai 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Noire De Mai and Illuminea smell similar?

Clearly different: a 22% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and floral accords. Common notes include Dew Drop and Oakmoss.

Is Noire De Mai or Illuminea better for summer or winter?

For summer, Noire De Mai is the stronger pick. For winter, Illuminea is the stronger pick. Noire De Mai suits daytime wear; Illuminea suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Noire De Mai and Illuminea?

Noire De Mai has top notes of Dew Drop, heart notes of Rose de Mai and Sea Notes, a base of Amber, Woody Notes and Oakmoss. Illuminea has top notes of Dew Drop, Pink Pepper and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Honeysuckle and Red Peony, a base of Vanilla, Cashmere Wood and Oakmoss.