Fragrance comparison

Questionable Motives vs Sphinx

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 11 ratings analysed

Questionable Motives

Mirus Fine Fragrance

4.4010 votes

Rank #33,167 AmberMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

Sphinx

Parfum de Mahzen

5.001 votes

Rank #46,488 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Questionable Motives
Choose it for a amber and musky character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Sphinx
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Questionable Motives2/4

Sphinx2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Questionable MotivesMirus Fine Fragrance

SphinxParfum de Mahzen

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.40/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 10%Had 5%Want 86%

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 11%Had 0%Want 89%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

80%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

20%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

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

⏱ Longevity93

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevitySphinx

SillageSphinx

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value50

Category winnerQuestionable MotivesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

musky88%

woody77%

animalic65%

vanilla53%

balsamic42%

amber100%

woody92%

musky84%

citrus77%

floral69%

fresh61%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both amber, musky and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

AmbergrisOlibanumVanillaAmbroxanPetitgrainWoody NotesWhite Musk

No top / heart / base split published

Top20-30 mins

Floral NotesWoody NotesBergamotOlibanumLemonFruity Notes

Heart2-4 hrs

AmbergrisSeaweedHedioneCalone

Base8-12 hrs

Oriental notesLabdanumAgarwoodCedarMuskAmbroxan

InformationalShared notesAmbergris, Olibanum, Ambroxan and Woody Notes. Durations are only published for Sphinx, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer50

Fall75

Winter50

Day100

Night80

Spring100

Summer0

Fall50

Winter50

Day69

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Date 35%Party 28%Casual 20%Work 18%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#33,167

PerfumerNeal Peters

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#46,488

PerfumerEren Öğütcü, Özge Öğütcü

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerQuestionable MotivesHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Questionable Motives leans into amber, musk and woods, then shifts with a salty ambergris effect that gives it a stranger, more resinous edge. Warm vanilla softens the structure without making it feel sugary. It reads mysterious, textured and quietly sensual, with an old-world feel under the modern amber-musky base. …

Reviews →

Sphinx by Parfum de Mahzen hits the air with a bright splash of tangy lemon and crisp bergamot, immediately backed by dry frankincense and mixed orchard fruits. What makes this blend surprising is its salty, ocean-breeze heart. Crisp calone and mineral seaweed mingle with warm ambergris, bridging breezy maritime fresh…

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, Questionable Motives or Sphinx?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Questionable Motives is rated 4.40/5 from 10 votes; Sphinx is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Questionable Motives for a amber and musky character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Sphinx for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Questionable Motives or Sphinx?

Sphinx lasts longest (Sphinx 100/100, Questionable Motives 93/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Questionable Motives or Sphinx?

Sphinx projects furthest (Sphinx 75/100, Questionable Motives 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Questionable Motives and Sphinx smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, musky and woody accords. Common notes include Ambergris, Olibanum, Ambroxan and Woody Notes.

Is Questionable Motives or Sphinx better for summer or winter?

Questionable Motives suits daytime wear; Sphinx suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Questionable Motives and Sphinx?

Questionable Motives features Ambergris, Olibanum, Vanilla, Ambroxan and Petitgrain. Sphinx has top notes of Floral Notes, Woody Notes, Bergamot and Olibanum, heart notes of Ambergris, Seaweed, Hedione and Calone, a base of Oriental notes, Labdanum, Agarwood and Cedar.