Fragrance comparison

Palimpsest vs Enigma

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 1,876 ratings analysed

Palimpsest

Aftelier

3.5333 votes

Rank #18,927 SweetYellow Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Enigma

Roja Dove

4.241,843 votes

Rank #82 PowderyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Enigma takes 5 of 5 categories.

Palimpsest
Choose it for a sweet and yellow floral character. Best in summer, day or night wear.
Enigma
Choose it for a powdery and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Palimpsest0/5

Enigma5/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PalimpsestAftelier

EnigmaRoja Dove

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.53/ 5 · 33 votes

Have 24%Had 7%Want 70%

4.24/ 5 · 1,843 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerEnigmaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

38%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

4%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

45%Love

36%Like

8%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

739 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity86

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityEnigma

SillageEnigma

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value0

¤ Price value51

Category winnerEnigmaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

yellow floral92%

white floral84%

citrus77%

woody69%

vanilla61%

powdery100%

vanilla92%

woody84%

rose77%

sweet69%

floral61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both sweet, woody and vanilla

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

JasmineYlang-YlangPeachYuzuVanillaAmbergrisWoody Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Top

PeachNeroliBergamot

Heart

RoseHeliotropeYlang-YlangJasmineGeranium

Base

VanillaOrris RootMuskAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouli

InformationalShared notesJasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Peach and Vanilla. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer100

Fall33

Winter67

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter67

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men5

Unisex15

Women80

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,927

PerfumerMandy Aftel

Launched—

Reviews13

Overall rank#82

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews327

Category winnerEnigmaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Palimpsest opens with bright yuzu and quickly turns stranger, richer, and more intimate. Peach, jasmine, ylang-ylang, vanilla, ambergris, and woods create a floral-fruity scent that can feel creamy, salty, leathery, and animalic at once. This is not an easy blind buy. It suits wearers who enjoy natural perfumes with t…

Reviews →

Enigma is a peachy floral amber with a plush powdery texture, built around rose, heliotrope, vanilla and soft woods. It opens fruity and luminous, then quickly settles into a smooth, feminine heart that many wearers describe as classy, addictive and beautifully blended. If you enjoy elegant perfumes with a vintage-lea…

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, Palimpsest or Enigma?

Enigma takes 5 of 5 categories. Palimpsest is rated 3.53/5 from 33 votes; Enigma is rated 4.24/5 from 1,843 votes. Choose Palimpsest for a sweet and yellow floral character. Best in summer, day or night wear. Choose Enigma for a powdery and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Palimpsest or Enigma?

Enigma lasts longest (Enigma 86/100, Palimpsest 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Palimpsest or Enigma?

Enigma projects furthest (Enigma 76/100, Palimpsest 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Palimpsest and Enigma smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, woody and vanilla accords. Common notes include Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Peach and Vanilla.

Is Palimpsest or Enigma better for summer or winter?

Palimpsest suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Palimpsest and Enigma?

Palimpsest features Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Peach, Yuzu and Vanilla. Enigma has top notes of Peach, Neroli and Bergamot, heart notes of Rose, Heliotrope, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine, a base of Vanilla, Orris Root, Musk and Ambergris.