Fragrance comparison

Northern Cardinal vs Rose & Osmanthus

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 638 ratings analysed

Northern Cardinal

Zoologist Perfumes

3.55596 votes

Rank #4,217 CitrusGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

17%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Rose & Osmanthus

L'Occitane en Provence

4.0242 votes

Rank #20,862 RoseFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Rose & Osmanthus takes 3 of 6 categories.

Northern Cardinal
Choose it for a citrus and green character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Rose & Osmanthus
Choose it for a rose and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Northern Cardinal2/6

Rose & Osmanthus3/6

Ratings & consensus: Rose & Osmanthus
Community sentiment: Rose & Osmanthus
Longevity: Northern Cardinal
Sillage & projection: Rose & Osmanthus
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Tie
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Northern Cardinal

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Northern CardinalZoologist Perfumes

Rose & OsmanthusL'Occitane en Provence

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.55/ 5 · 596 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.02/ 5 · 42 votes

Have 25%Had 13%Want 62%

Category winnerRose & OsmanthusRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

31%Love

31%Like

22%Ok

14%Dislike

2%Hate

504 votes

24%Love

64%Like

2%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

42 votes

Category winnerRose & OsmanthusMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityNorthern Cardinal

SillageRose & Osmanthus

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value44

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

green92%

aromatic84%

mossy77%

earthy69%

woody61%

rose100%

floral92%

powdery84%

fruity77%

musky69%

citrus61%

Scent match17%Clearly different · both citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Green LeavesBergamotLemonMandarin Orange

Heart

Clary SageLeatherRose

Base

OakmossPatchouliVanillaMusk

Top15-30 mins

BergamotGreen Leaves

Heart2-4 hrs

Grasse RoseChinese Osmanthus

Base4-6 hrs

White MuskVanillaWhite Iris

InformationalShared notesGreen Leaves, Bergamot and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Rose & Osmanthus, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter95

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer63

Fall19

Winter13

Day100

Night14

Category winnerTieMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men57

Unisex39

Women5

Not enough votes yet

Casual 43%Work 35%Date 15%Party 6%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,217

PerfumerRosendo Mateu

Launched—

Reviews128

Overall rank#20,862

PerfumerKarine Dubreuil-Sereni

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerNorthern CardinalHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Northern Cardinal opens with tart citrus and a blast of leafy green freshness, then settles into a cool chypre shape with clary sage, rose, soft leather, and mossy woods. On skin, it often feels airy and brisk rather than heavy, but the sharp green tone can read as elegant and outdoorsy to some, or oddly bell pepper-l…

Reviews →

L'Occitane en Provence Rose & Osmanthus delivers a crisp, watercolor floral experience built around dewy Grasse rose and tender Chinese osmanthus. The scent opens with a splash of sunlit bergamot and crunchy green leaves before softening into translucent rose petals tinged with subtle apricot sweetness. As the midday …

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, Northern Cardinal or Rose & Osmanthus?

Rose & Osmanthus takes 3 of 6 categories. Northern Cardinal is rated 3.55/5 from 596 votes; Rose & Osmanthus is rated 4.02/5 from 42 votes. Choose Northern Cardinal for a citrus and green character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Rose & Osmanthus for a rose and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Northern Cardinal or Rose & Osmanthus?

Northern Cardinal lasts longest (Northern Cardinal 73/100, Rose & Osmanthus 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Northern Cardinal or Rose & Osmanthus?

Rose & Osmanthus projects furthest (Rose & Osmanthus 62/100, Northern Cardinal 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Northern Cardinal and Rose & Osmanthus smell similar?

Clearly different: a 17% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus accords. Common notes include Green Leaves, Bergamot and Vanilla.

Is Northern Cardinal or Rose & Osmanthus better for summer or winter?

For summer, Rose & Osmanthus is the stronger pick. For winter, Northern Cardinal is the stronger pick. Rose & Osmanthus suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Northern Cardinal and Rose & Osmanthus?

Northern Cardinal has top notes of Green Leaves, Bergamot, Lemon and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Clary Sage, Leather and Rose, a base of Oakmoss, Patchouli, Vanilla and Musk. Rose & Osmanthus has top notes of Bergamot and Green Leaves, heart notes of Grasse Rose and Chinese Osmanthus, a base of White Musk, Vanilla and White Iris.