Fragrance comparison

Opera Mate vs Élixir du Désert

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 112 ratings analysed

Opera Mate

Mind Games

4.32111 votes

Rank #6,573 SweetCaramel

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

2 wins

Élixir du Désert

Parfum Lab

5.001 votes

Rank #49,687 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Élixir du Désert takes 2 of 3 categories.

Opera Mate
Choose it for a sweet and caramel character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Élixir du Désert
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Opera Mate1/3

Élixir du Désert2/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Élixir du Désert
Sillage & projection: Élixir du Désert
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Opera Mate

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Opera MateMind Games

Élixir du DésertParfum Lab

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.32/ 5 · 111 votes

Have 38%Had 4%Want 58%

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 0%Had 14%Want 86%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

61%Love

21%Like

8%Ok

8%Dislike

2%Hate

111 votes

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityÉlixir du Désert

SillageÉlixir du Désert

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

caramel92%

amber84%

balsamic77%

aromatic69%

nutty61%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

aromatic77%

vanilla69%

citrus61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both amber and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

ChestnutLabdanumGrapefruit

Heart

Creme BruleeDavanaVetiver

Base

CaramelSuede

Top20-30 mins

LavenderCaramelGingerSpicesGrapefruitBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

CloveJasmine

Base6-10 hrs

PatchouliVanillaVetiverAmberCedarTonkaLabdanumMusk

InformationalShared notesLabdanum, Grapefruit, Vetiver and Caramel. Durations are only published for Élixir du Désert, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring20

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men34

Unisex63

Women3

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,573

PerfumerChristelle Laprade

Launched—

Reviews24

Overall rank#49,687

PerfumerSamuel Moraes

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerOpera MateHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mind Games Opera Mate opens with a sharp burst of bitter grapefruit cut against warm, resinous labdanum and rich roasted chestnut. As the initial brightness settles into skin, a buttery creme brulee note takes over, balanced by herbal davana and earthy vetiver. The base lingers for hours on soft suede and dark burnt c…

Reviews →

Élixir du Désert by Parfum Lab is a rich woody aromatic fragrance built for cold days and crisp nights. It opens with an invigorating blast of candied ginger, fresh bergamot, and sweet caramel, quickly grounded by clean herbal lavender. As the fragrance warms on your skin, a cozy heart of clove and jasmine emerges bef…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Opera Mate or Élixir du Désert?

Élixir du Désert takes 2 of 3 categories. Opera Mate is rated 4.32/5 from 111 votes; Élixir du Désert is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Opera Mate for a sweet and caramel character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Élixir du Désert for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Opera Mate or Élixir du Désert?

Élixir du Désert lasts longest (Élixir du Désert 80/100, Opera Mate 74/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Opera Mate or Élixir du Désert?

Élixir du Désert projects furthest (Élixir du Désert 75/100, Opera Mate 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Opera Mate and Élixir du Désert smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and aromatic accords. Common notes include Labdanum, Grapefruit, Vetiver and Caramel.

Is Opera Mate or Élixir du Désert better for summer or winter?

Élixir du Désert suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Opera Mate and Élixir du Désert?

Opera Mate has top notes of Chestnut, Labdanum and Grapefruit, heart notes of Creme Brulee, Davana and Vetiver, a base of Caramel and Suede. Élixir du Désert has top notes of Lavender, Caramel, Ginger and Spices, heart notes of Clove and Jasmine, a base of Patchouli, Vanilla, Vetiver and Amber.