Fragrance comparison

Perfect Absolute vs R.E.M.

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 4,091 ratings analysed

4 wins

Perfect Absolute

Marc Jacobs

3.97502 votes

Rank #5,380 CaramelSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

R.E.M.

Ariana Grande

3.913,589 votes

Rank #2,847 SweetLavender

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Perfect Absolute takes 4 of 7 categories.

Perfect Absolute
Choose it for a caramel and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
R.E.M.
Choose it for a sweet and lavender character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Perfect Absolute4/7

R.E.M.3/7

Ratings & consensus: Perfect Absolute
Community sentiment: Perfect Absolute
Longevity: Perfect Absolute
Sillage & projection: Perfect Absolute
Value for money: R.E.M.
Versatility: R.E.M.
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: R.E.M.

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Perfect AbsoluteMarc Jacobs

R.E.M.Ariana Grande

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.97/ 5 · 502 votes

Have 92%Had 8%Want 0%

3.91/ 5 · 3,589 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

Category winnerPerfect AbsoluteRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

32%Like

16%Ok

9%Dislike

3%Hate

502 votes

36%Love

36%Like

16%Ok

10%Dislike

3%Hate

3,589 votes

Category winnerPerfect AbsoluteMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityPerfect Absolute

SillagePerfect Absolute

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value44

¤ Price value65

Category winnerR.E.M.Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

caramel100%

sweet86%

fruity72%

amber58%

white floral44%

woody30%

sweet100%

lavender92%

powdery84%

caramel77%

fruity69%

aromatic61%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both sweet, caramel and fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

FigCaramel

Heart2-4 hrs

Jasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

Amber

Top

ZefirCaramelSaltFigQuince

Heart

LavenderPear Blossom

Base

MuskTonka BeanSandalwood

InformationalShared notesFig and Caramel. Durations are only published for Perfect Absolute, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring38

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day41

Night100

Spring86

Summer45

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerR.E.M.Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex16

Women82

Date 40%Party 31%Casual 17%Work 11%

Men3

Unisex32

Women65

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,380

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews88

Overall rank#2,847

PerfumerAlexis Grugeon

Launched—

Reviews209

Category winnerR.E.M.Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Jacobs Perfect Absolute takes the bright floral core of the original line and submerges it in molten burnt sugar. Do not expect a fresh garden scent. The opening hits with thick, jammy black fig coated in caramelized sugar syrup, producing a dense gourmand warmth that radiates heavily. Within twenty minutes, swee…

Reviews →

Ariana Grande R.E.M. breaks away from traditional celebrity sugar bombs by pairing aromatic lavender with a salty gourmand core. Opening with crisp quince and juicy fig, the scent quickly shifts into a soft zefir marshmallow fluff seasoned with sea salt. The sweetness feels subdued rather than heavy, balanced by an he…

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, Perfect Absolute or R.E.M.?

Perfect Absolute takes 4 of 7 categories. Perfect Absolute is rated 3.97/5 from 502 votes; R.E.M. is rated 3.91/5 from 3,589 votes. Choose Perfect Absolute for a caramel and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose R.E.M. for a sweet and lavender character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Perfect Absolute or R.E.M.?

Perfect Absolute lasts longest (Perfect Absolute 67/100, R.E.M. 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Perfect Absolute or R.E.M.?

Perfect Absolute projects furthest (Perfect Absolute 56/100, R.E.M. 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Perfect Absolute and R.E.M. smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, caramel and fruity accords. Common notes include Fig and Caramel.

Is Perfect Absolute or R.E.M. better for summer or winter?

For summer, R.E.M. is the stronger pick. For winter, Perfect Absolute is the stronger pick. Perfect Absolute suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Perfect Absolute and R.E.M.?

Perfect Absolute has top notes of Fig and Caramel, heart notes of Jasmine, a base of Amber. R.E.M. has top notes of Zefir, Caramel, Salt and Fig, heart notes of Lavender and Pear Blossom, a base of Musk, Tonka Bean and Sandalwood.