Fragrance comparison

Old Story vs The Mauve

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 69 ratings analysed

4 wins

Old Story

Alexandria Fragrances

4.2344 votes

Rank #25,486 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

The Mauve

The Sum

4.0425 votes

Rank #49,845 LavenderWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Old Story takes 4 of 6 categories.

Old Story
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
The Mauve
Choose it for a lavender and woody character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Old Story4/6

The Mauve2/6

Ratings & consensus: Old Story
Community sentiment: The Mauve
Longevity: Old Story
Sillage & projection: Old Story
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: The Mauve
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Old Story

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Old StoryAlexandria Fragrances

The MauveThe Sum

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 44 votes

Have 45%Had 8%Want 46%

4.04/ 5 · 25 votes

Have 42%Had 11%Want 47%

Category winnerOld StoryRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

46%Love

36%Like

10%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

39 votes

28%Love

56%Like

8%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

25 votes

Category winnerThe MauveMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage48

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityOld Story

SillageOld Story

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value70

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy90%

woody80%

white floral70%

green60%

citrus50%

lavender100%

woody88%

aromatic77%

green65%

fresh spicy53%

fresh42%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

NeroliLavenderPetitgrainRosemary

Heart

JasmineGeraniumGalbanumClary Sage

Base

AmberVetiverSandalwoodOakCedar

Notes

LavenderTea LeafOak

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesLavender and Oak. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer90

Fall95

Winter35

Day100

Night70

Spring100

Summer71

Fall86

Winter71

Day100

Night44

Category winnerThe MauveMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men92

Unisex8

Women0

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,486

PerfumerHany Hafez

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#49,845

PerfumerJosh Meyer

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerOld StoryHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Old Story leans aromatic, green and woody, opening with neroli, lavender, petitgrain and rosemary before moving into a sharper herbal heart. The jasmine and geranium soften it slightly, but this stays firmly fresh, structured and masculine in character. On skin, it usually reads like a crisp woody floral musk with a c…

Reviews →

The Mauve opens with a sharp burst of herbal lavender backed by bitter tea leaf. As the initial spray settles, dry oakwood emerges underneath the aromatic top notes, giving the composition a grounded, mossy structure. It wears best on cool, overcast spring mornings or in quiet office environments where loud projection…

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, Old Story or The Mauve?

Old Story takes 4 of 6 categories. Old Story is rated 4.23/5 from 44 votes; The Mauve is rated 4.04/5 from 25 votes. Choose Old Story for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose The Mauve for a lavender and woody character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Old Story or The Mauve?

Old Story lasts longest (Old Story 62/100, The Mauve 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Old Story or The Mauve?

Old Story projects furthest (Old Story 58/100, The Mauve 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Old Story and The Mauve smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Lavender and Oak.

Is Old Story or The Mauve better for summer or winter?

For summer, Old Story is the stronger pick. For winter, The Mauve is the stronger pick. Old Story suits daytime wear; The Mauve suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Old Story and The Mauve?

Old Story has top notes of Neroli, Lavender, Petitgrain and Rosemary, heart notes of Jasmine, Geranium, Galbanum and Clary Sage, a base of Amber, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Oak. The Mauve features Lavender, Tea Leaf and Oak.