Fragrance comparison

Oriental Express vs South

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

Updated 26 Oct 2026 711 ratings analysed

7 wins

Oriental Express

Mugler

4.18492 votes

Rank #4,585 PowderyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

50%scent match

Some overlap

South

Mendittorosa

3.54219 votes

Rank #14,867 WoodyNutty

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Oriental Express takes 7 of 7 categories.

Oriental Express
Choose it for a powdery and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
South
Choose it for a woody and nutty character. Best in spring.

Oriental Express7/7

South0/7

Ratings & consensus: Oriental Express
Community sentiment: Oriental Express
Longevity: Oriental Express
Sillage & projection: Oriental Express
Value for money: Oriental Express
Versatility: Oriental Express
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

SouthMendittorosa

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 492 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

3.54/ 5 · 219 votes

Have 34%Had 19%Want 48%

Category winnerOriental ExpressRating 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

23%Love

40%Like

9%Ok

26%Dislike

2%Hate

219 votes

Category winnerOriental ExpressMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityOriental Express

SillageOriental Express

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value39

¤ Price value36

Category winnerOriental ExpressBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

vanilla91%

woody83%

fresh spicy74%

aromatic65%

green56%

woody100%

nutty86%

powdery72%

aromatic58%

fresh spicy44%

green30%

Scent match50%Some overlap · both woody, powdery 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

Notes

HazelnutBreadAustralian SandalwoodWhite SandalwoodBasilCarrot SeedsAmyrisCyclamenPrecious WoodsMock OrangeCalabrian bergamotJasmine

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBasil and Carrot Seeds. 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

Summer0

Fall0

Winter29

Day–

Night–

Category winnerOriental ExpressMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men14

Unisex59

Women26

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

Men25

Unisex62

Women13

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#14,867

PerfumerAmelie Bourgeois

Launched—

Reviews18

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 →

Mendittorosa South opens with a flash of green basil and dry carrot seeds before unfolding into an unconventional heart of freshly baked bread and toasted hazelnut. Perfumer Amelie Bourgeois balances these warm, savory elements against clean cyclamen and jasmine petals, creating a stark contrast between bakery warmth …

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 South?

Oriental Express takes 7 of 7 categories. Oriental Express is rated 4.18/5 from 492 votes; South is rated 3.54/5 from 219 votes. Choose Oriental Express for a powdery and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose South for a woody and nutty character. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Oriental Express or South?

Oriental Express lasts longest (Oriental Express 69/100, South 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Oriental Express or South?

Projection is very close: Oriental Express 64/100, South 62/100 for sillage.

Do Oriental Express and South smell similar?

Some overlap: a 50% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, powdery and aromatic accords. Common notes include Basil and Carrot Seeds.

Is Oriental Express or South better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Oriental Express and South?

Oriental Express has top notes of Basil, heart notes of Vanilla and Sandalwood, a base of Carrot Seeds. South features Hazelnut, Bread, Australian Sandalwood, White Sandalwood and Basil.