Fragrance comparison

Nusantara vs Makalu

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 15 ratings analysed

3 wins

Nusantara

Bahfamsn Fragrance

4.001 votes

Rank #50,181 LeatherPatchouli

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

Makalu

Alchimista

4.0014 votes

Rank #47,424 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Nusantara takes 3 of 4 categories.

Nusantara
Choose it for a leather and patchouli character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Makalu
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Nusantara3/4

Makalu1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

NusantaraBahfamsn Fragrance

MakaluAlchimista

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 33%Had 0%Want 67%

4.00/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 25%Had 11%Want 64%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

43%Love

29%Like

14%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityNusantara

SillageNusantara

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value44

Category winnerNusantaraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

leather100%

patchouli92%

rose84%

woody77%

animalic69%

warm spicy61%

woody100%

amber92%

balsamic84%

smoky77%

leather69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both woody, leather and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Rose

Heart

Leather

Base

Patchouli

Top

Peru BalsamMimosaGeraniumRoseAgarwood (Oud)ChamomileLeather

Heart

IncenseClovesJasmineYlang-YlangIrisOrange BlossomAmber

Base

BirchCedarGuaiac WoodBrown sugarSandalwoodTonka BeanPatchouli

InformationalShared notesRose, Leather and Patchouli. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Spring50

Summer25

Fall63

Winter100

Day89

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men25

Unisex75

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#50,181

PerfumerKriss Mokhtar, Sonali Said

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#47,424

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMakaluHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Nusantara by Bahfamsn Fragrance is a bold chypre floral that leans on deep leather and earthy patchouli. It creates a dark, resonant atmosphere suited for evening wear in cooler months. The rose opening brings a sharp, crisp floral edge before settling into a grounded, woody leather base that lasts through long nights…

Reviews →

Makalu by Alchimista is a resinous, smoky floral woody scent with a soft leather edge. It opens balsamic and slightly sweet, then turns incense-led with jasmine, orange blossom and a warm amber glow. The dry-down leans woody and musky, with birch smoke, sandalwood and a hint of brown sugar and tonka that keeps it cosy…

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, Nusantara or Makalu?

Nusantara takes 3 of 4 categories. Nusantara is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes; Makalu is rated 4.00/5 from 14 votes. Choose Nusantara for a leather and patchouli character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Makalu for a woody and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Nusantara or Makalu?

Nusantara lasts longest (Nusantara 80/100, Makalu 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Nusantara or Makalu?

Nusantara projects furthest (Nusantara 75/100, Makalu 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Nusantara and Makalu smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, leather and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Rose, Leather and Patchouli.

Is Nusantara or Makalu better for summer or winter?

Nusantara suits evening wear; Makalu suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Nusantara and Makalu?

Nusantara has top notes of Rose, heart notes of Leather, a base of Patchouli. Makalu has top notes of Peru Balsam, Mimosa, Geranium and Rose, heart notes of Incense, Cloves, Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Birch, Cedar, Guaiac Wood and Brown sugar.