Fragrance comparison

Nostos vs Sel Marin

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 1,637 ratings analysed

6 wins

Nostos

L'Erbolario

4.0728 votes

Rank #20,713 MarineSalty

Full profile Similar & dupes

64%scent match

Closely related

Sel Marin

James Heeley

4.111,609 votes

Rank #25,444 MarineAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Nostos takes 6 of 7 categories.

Nostos
Choose it for a marine and salty character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Sel Marin
Choose it for a marine and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in spring.

Nostos6/7

Sel Marin1/7

Ratings & consensus: Sel Marin
Community sentiment: Nostos
Longevity: Nostos
Sillage & projection: Nostos
Value for money: Nostos
Versatility: Nostos
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Nostos

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

NostosL'Erbolario

Sel MarinJames Heeley

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 28 votes

Have 14%Had 18%Want 68%

4.11/ 5 · 1,609 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

Category winnerSel MarinRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

29%Love

61%Like

0%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

28 votes

44%Love

37%Like

8%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

1,609 votes

Category winnerNostosMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityNostos

SillageNostos

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value88

¤ Price value42

Category winnerNostosBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

marine100%

salty77%

aromatic53%

aquatic30%

marine100%

aromatic83%

salty65%

citrus48%

aquatic30%

Scent match64%Closely related · both marine, salty and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Sea waterSalt

No top / heart / base split published

Top

LemonBergamotGreen Notes

Heart

Sea waterSaltSeagrassMoss

Base

CedarMuskLeather

InformationalShared notesSea water and Salt. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer100

Fall17

Winter22

Day100

Night22

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter10

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNostosMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men36

Unisex60

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,713

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

Overall rank#25,444

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerNostosHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

L'Erbolario Nostos hits the nose with direct sea water and harsh salt crystals right from the initial spray. This Italian creation bypasses the synthetic melon notes common in mass market nineties aquatics. Instead, it relies on a raw aromatic structure that feels like walking along a storm-swept coastal bluff. Marine…

Reviews →

Sel Marin by James Heeley opens with a cold burst of lemon and bitter bergamot that immediately shifts into realistic sea water and salty seagrass. Unlike commercial aquatics that rely on synthetic calone or heavy floral musk, this fragrance focuses on damp moss, sun-bleached cedar, and a cut of pale leather on the dr…

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, Nostos or Sel Marin?

Nostos takes 6 of 7 categories. Nostos is rated 4.07/5 from 28 votes; Sel Marin is rated 4.11/5 from 1,609 votes. Choose Nostos for a marine and salty character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Sel Marin for a marine and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Nostos or Sel Marin?

Nostos lasts longest (Nostos 80/100, Sel Marin 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Nostos or Sel Marin?

Nostos projects furthest (Nostos 68/100, Sel Marin 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Nostos and Sel Marin smell similar?

Closely related: a 64% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share marine, salty and aromatic accords. Common notes include Sea water and Salt.

Is Nostos or Sel Marin better for summer or winter?

For summer, Nostos is the stronger pick. For winter, Nostos is the stronger pick. Nostos suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Nostos and Sel Marin?

Nostos features Sea water and Salt. Sel Marin has top notes of Lemon, Bergamot and Green Notes, heart notes of Sea water, Salt, Seagrass and Moss, a base of Cedar, Musk and Leather.