Fragrance comparison

Retrospect vs Delectation

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 522 ratings analysed

Retrospect

Merit

3.93519 votes

Rank #4,170 MuskyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Delectation

Castel

4.333 votes

Rank #57,223 LeatherPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Delectation takes 3 of 4 categories.

Retrospect
Choose it for a musky and powdery character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Delectation
Choose it for a leather and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Retrospect1/4

Delectation3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

RetrospectMerit

DelectationCastel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 519 votes

Have 41%Had 6%Want 54%

4.33/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 22%Had 0%Want 78%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

41%Love

30%Like

14%Ok

11%Dislike

4%Hate

519 votes

67%Love

0%Like

33%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage43

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityDelectation

SillageDelectation

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value75

Category winnerDelectationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

musky100%

powdery92%

floral84%

iris77%

fresh69%

fruity61%

leather100%

powdery92%

amber84%

oud77%

animalic69%

violet61%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PearAmbretteAldehydesBergamot

Heart

OrrisJasmineVioletRoseRosemary

Base

MuskMossVanilla

Top20-30 mins

CaramelBergamotOrangeRosemaryAnise

Heart2-4 hrs

VioletRosePineappleOrrisJasmine

Base8-10+ hrs

LeatherAgarwoodAmberMuskVanillaVetiver

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Orris, Jasmine and Violet. Durations are only published for Delectation, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer51

Fall0

Winter74

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex18

Women81

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,170

PerfumerFanny Bal

Launched—

Reviews158

Overall rank#57,223

PerfumerNejla Barbir

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerRetrospectHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Retrospect opens with a sharp burst of crisp pear and airy aldehydes before settling into a soft, powdery heart of orris and violet. As it sits on skin, clean musk and warm vanilla create an intimate second-skin feel. It works best during cool spring mornings and quiet office workdays where subtle elegance matters.

Reviews →

Delectation by Castel delivers a rich blend of smooth leather, warm amber, and sweet caramel wrapped in an unexpected powdery floral blanket. The fragrance opens with a sharp flash of juicy orange and spicy star anise before softening into a velvety heart of violet, powdery orris, and tart pineapple. As it settles ont…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Retrospect or Delectation?

Delectation takes 3 of 4 categories. Retrospect is rated 3.93/5 from 519 votes; Delectation is rated 4.33/5 from 3 votes. Choose Retrospect for a musky and powdery character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Delectation for a leather and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Retrospect or Delectation?

Delectation lasts longest (Delectation 85/100, Retrospect 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Retrospect or Delectation?

Delectation projects furthest (Delectation 75/100, Retrospect 43/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Retrospect and Delectation smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Orris, Jasmine and Violet.

What are the notes in Retrospect and Delectation?

Retrospect has top notes of Pear, Ambrette, Aldehydes and Bergamot, heart notes of Orris, Jasmine, Violet and Rose, a base of Musk, Moss and Vanilla. Delectation has top notes of Caramel, Bergamot, Orange and Rosemary, heart notes of Violet, Rose, Pineapple and Orris, a base of Leather, Agarwood, Amber and Musk.