Fragrance comparison

Oriental Express vs Tres Violet

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

Updated 26 Oct 2026 493 ratings analysed

Oriental Express

Mugler

4.18492 votes

Rank #4,585 PowderyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

Tres Violet

Anfar London

5.001 votes

Rank #51,379 FruityCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 2 categories split 1–1.

Oriental Express
Choose it for a powdery and vanilla character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Tres Violet
Choose it for a fruity and citrus character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, evening wear.

Oriental Express1/2

Tres Violet1/2

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Tres Violet
Sillage & projection: Not scored
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
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

Tres VioletAnfar London

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 492 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 10%Had 3%Want 87%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

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

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity80

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityTres Violet

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value39

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

vanilla91%

woody83%

fresh spicy74%

aromatic65%

green56%

fruity100%

citrus92%

aromatic84%

sweet77%

green69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both aromatic, fresh spicy and green

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

Black CurrantCitronLemonMintCorianderOrange

Heart

May RoseApricotCarrot SeedsBasil

Base

DatesFigAmbrette

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

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men14

Unisex59

Women26

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

Not enough votes yet

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#51,379

PerfumerAbdullah Anfar

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 →

Tres Violet opens with a tart splash of citron, lemon, and sharp black currant, balanced by crisp mint and herbal coriander. The heart transitions into soft May rose and ripe apricot, while a base of jammy dates, green fig, and powdery ambrette adds warmth. It suits bright spring mornings and casual outdoor gatherings.

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 Tres Violet?

No clear winner: the 2 categories split 1–1. Oriental Express is rated 4.18/5 from 492 votes; Tres Violet is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Oriental Express for a powdery and vanilla character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Tres Violet for a fruity and citrus character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Oriental Express or Tres Violet?

Tres Violet lasts longest (Tres Violet 80/100, Oriental Express 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Oriental Express and Tres Violet smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and green accords. Common notes include Basil and Carrot Seeds.

Is Oriental Express or Tres Violet better for summer or winter?

Oriental Express suits evening wear; Tres Violet suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Oriental Express and Tres Violet?

Oriental Express has top notes of Basil, heart notes of Vanilla and Sandalwood, a base of Carrot Seeds. Tres Violet has top notes of Black Currant, Citron, Lemon and Mint, heart notes of May Rose, Apricot, Carrot Seeds and Basil, a base of Dates, Fig and Ambrette.