Fragrance comparison

Raffinee vs The Purple Oriental

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 319 ratings analysed

2 wins

Raffinee

Houbigant

4.04319 votes

Rank #25,880 Warm SpicyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

The Purple Oriental

Lecmo

—0 votes

Rank #75,360 AmberFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Raffinee takes 2 of 2 categories.

Raffinee
Choose it for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on note pyramid duration and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
The Purple Oriental
Choose it for a amber and fresh spicy character.

Raffinee2/2

The Purple Oriental0/2

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

RaffineeHoubigant

The Purple OrientalLecmo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.04/ 5 · 319 votes

Have 59%Had 41%Want 0%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

42%Like

2%Ok

15%Dislike

2%Hate

319 votes

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value59

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

floral92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

powdery69%

sweet61%

amber100%

fresh spicy92%

powdery84%

aromatic77%

sweet69%

woody61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both aromatic, powdery and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CarnationPlumClary SageOrange BlossomBergamotRoseJasmineLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

Orris RootTonka BeanMimosaTuberoseYlang-YlangHiacynthOrchidOsmanthus

Base8-12 hrs

SpicesCinnamonIncenseSandalwoodVanillaMuskCypressVetiver

Top15-30 mins

Clary SageBergamotNutmegAmber

Heart2-4 hrs

RosePlum

Base6-10 hrs

CedarwoodVanillaIncenseTobaccoMusk

Category winnerRaffineeLongest dry-down: 8-12 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring35

Summer19

Fall0

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day37

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex20

Women77

Date 38%Party 36%Casual 15%Work 11%

Not enough votes yet

Date 41%Party 27%Casual 18%Work 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,880

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#75,360

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerRaffineeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Raffinee by Houbigant is an unapologetic powerhouse from 1982 that captures the bold theatrical spirit of early eighties perfumery. The spray opens with a punchy burst of dark stewed plum, sharp clary sage, and clove-like carnation. You get a brief alcoholic sting for two minutes before the dense oils grip the skin. O…

Reviews →

The Purple Oriental by Lecmo centers on a dark, spiced resin profile built around golden amber, stewed purple plum, and dry cedarwood. The opening delivers a punchy wave of aromatic clary sage and bergamot dusted with grated nutmeg. Within twenty minutes, the citrus edge recedes, revealing a plush heart of velvety ros…

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.

Do Raffinee and The Purple Oriental smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, powdery and woody accords. Common notes include Plum, Clary Sage, Bergamot and Rose.

Is Raffinee or The Purple Oriental better for summer or winter?

Raffinee suits evening wear; The Purple Oriental suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Raffinee and The Purple Oriental?

Raffinee has top notes of Carnation, Plum, Clary Sage and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Orris Root, Tonka Bean, Mimosa and Tuberose, a base of Spices, Cinnamon, Incense and Sandalwood. The Purple Oriental has top notes of Clary Sage, Bergamot, Nutmeg and Amber, heart notes of Rose and Plum, a base of Cedarwood, Vanilla, Incense and Tobacco.