Fragrance comparison

Oriental Express vs Nordic Fougère

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

Updated 26 Oct 2026 584 ratings analysed

4 wins

Oriental Express

Mugler

4.18492 votes

Rank #4,585 PowderyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

Nordic Fougère

Alfred Dunhill

4.2992 votes

Rank #28,154 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Oriental Express takes 4 of 7 categories.

Oriental Express
Choose it for a powdery and vanilla character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Nordic Fougère
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Oriental Express4/7

Nordic Fougère3/7

Ratings & consensus: Nordic Fougère
Community sentiment: Oriental Express
Longevity: Oriental Express
Sillage & projection: Oriental Express
Value for money: Nordic Fougère
Versatility: Nordic Fougère
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Oriental Express

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Oriental ExpressMugler

Nordic FougèreAlfred Dunhill

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 492 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.29/ 5 · 92 votes

Have 86%Had 14%Want 0%

Category winnerNordic FougèreRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

39%Like

6%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

492 votes

58%Love

23%Like

12%Ok

7%Dislike

1%Hate

92 votes

Category winnerOriental ExpressMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityOriental Express

SillageOriental Express

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value39

¤ Price value63

Category winnerNordic FougèreBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

vanilla91%

woody83%

fresh spicy74%

aromatic65%

green56%

fresh spicy100%

aromatic92%

woody84%

warm spicy77%

citrus69%

herbal61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both fresh spicy, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Basil

Heart3-5 hrs

VanillaSandalwood

Base6-10+ hrs

Carrot Seeds

Top

BasilCardamomBlack Pepper

Heart

KumquatGeraniumBamboo Leaf

Base

SandalwoodVanillaPatchouli

InformationalShared notesBasil, Vanilla and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Oriental Express, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring38

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day56

Night100

Spring100

Summer93

Fall82

Winter16

Day100

Night32

Category winnerNordic FougèreMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men14

Unisex59

Women26

Date 34%Work 29%Casual 23%Party 14%

Men84

Unisex10

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,585

PerfumerJean-Christophe Hérault, Olivier Polge

Launched—

Reviews61

Overall rank#28,154

PerfumerJérôme Epinette, Michel Almairac

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerOriental ExpressHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mugler Oriental Express flips traditional heavy amber perfumes upside down. You get a cool burst of fresh basil at the start. That herbal bite cuts clean through the warmth before a rich wave of creamy sandalwood and sweet vanilla takes over. It smells like vintage French powder mixed with warm, dry wood and a curious…

Reviews →

Nordic Fougère by Alfred Dunhill is a Aromatic Fougere fragrance for men. Nordic Fougère was launched in 2022. Nordic Fougère was created by Michel Almairac and Jérôme Epinette. Top notes are Basil, Cardamom and Black Pepper; middle notes are Kumquat, Geranium and Bamboo Leaf; base notes are Sandalwood, Vanilla and Pa…

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, Oriental Express or Nordic Fougère?

Oriental Express takes 4 of 7 categories. Oriental Express is rated 4.18/5 from 492 votes; Nordic Fougère is rated 4.29/5 from 92 votes. Choose Oriental Express for a powdery and vanilla character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Nordic Fougère for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Oriental Express or Nordic Fougère?

Oriental Express lasts longest (Oriental Express 69/100, Nordic Fougère 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Oriental Express or Nordic Fougère?

Oriental Express projects furthest (Oriental Express 64/100, Nordic Fougère 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Oriental Express and Nordic Fougère smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Basil, Vanilla and Sandalwood.

Is Oriental Express or Nordic Fougère better for summer or winter?

For summer, Nordic Fougère is the stronger pick. For winter, Oriental Express is the stronger pick. Oriental Express suits evening wear; Nordic Fougère suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Oriental Express and Nordic Fougère?

Oriental Express has top notes of Basil, heart notes of Vanilla and Sandalwood, a base of Carrot Seeds. Nordic Fougère has top notes of Basil, Cardamom and Black Pepper, heart notes of Kumquat, Geranium and Bamboo Leaf, a base of Sandalwood, Vanilla and Patchouli.