Fragrance comparison

Retrospection vs Sultan Blend

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 70 ratings analysed

Retrospection

JMP Artisan Perfumes

3.5934 votes

Rank #17,814 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

30%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Sultan Blend

Arabian Oud

4.4436 votes

Rank #12,547 White FloralWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sultan Blend takes 4 of 7 categories.

Retrospection
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Sultan Blend
Choose it for a white floral and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, evening wear.

Retrospection2/7

Sultan Blend4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

RetrospectionJMP Artisan Perfumes

Sultan BlendArabian Oud

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.59/ 5 · 34 votes

Have 30%Had 12%Want 57%

4.44/ 5 · 36 votes

Have 40%Had 10%Want 50%

Category winnerSultan BlendRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

24%Love

35%Like

24%Ok

12%Dislike

6%Hate

34 votes

64%Love

28%Like

0%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

25 votes

Category winnerSultan BlendMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityRetrospection

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value61

¤ Price value60

Category winnerRetrospectionBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

animalic84%

fresh spicy77%

white floral69%

green61%

white floral100%

woody92%

rose84%

amber77%

warm spicy69%

fresh61%

Scent match30%Clearly different · both woody and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

GalbanumAldehydesBergamotWormwoodLavenderRosemaryPetitgrain

Heart2-4 hrs

Orange BlossomLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineGeraniumCorianderRoseClary SageCloves

Base8-10+ hrs

OakmossCivetLeatherBeeswaxMuskOrris RootVetiverSandalwood

Top

Olibanum

Heart

Orange BlossomRose

Base

SandalwoodLily-of-the-Valley

InformationalShared notesOrange Blossom, Lily-of-the-Valley, Rose and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Retrospection, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring86

Summer21

Fall100

Winter71

Day73

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerSultan BlendMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men65

Unisex23

Women12

Date 31%Work 28%Casual 23%Party 18%

Men80

Unisex20

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,814

PerfumerJakub Pietrynka

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#12,547

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerSultan BlendHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Retrospection by JMP Artisan Perfumes resurrects the bold, unapologetic swagger of traditional masculine perfumery from the late twentieth century. Created by Polish independent perfumer Jakub Pietrynka, this composition opens with a sharp burst of bitter galbanum, soapy aldehydes, and zesty bergamot. Within minutes, …

Reviews →

Sultan Blend leans dark, floral-woody and distinctly masculine. The opening brings frankincense bite, then rose and orange blossom soften the shape before sandalwood and lily of the valley keep it smooth, dry and slightly powdery. It suits wearers who enjoy Arabic-style florals with a polished woody base rather than h…

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, Retrospection or Sultan Blend?

Sultan Blend takes 4 of 7 categories. Retrospection is rated 3.59/5 from 34 votes; Sultan Blend is rated 4.44/5 from 36 votes. Choose Retrospection for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Sultan Blend for a white floral and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Retrospection or Sultan Blend?

Retrospection lasts longest (Retrospection 80/100, Sultan Blend 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Retrospection or Sultan Blend?

Projection is very close: Retrospection 71/100, Sultan Blend 71/100 for sillage.

Do Retrospection and Sultan Blend smell similar?

Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and white floral accords. Common notes include Orange Blossom, Lily-of-the-Valley, Rose and Sandalwood.

Is Retrospection or Sultan Blend better for summer or winter?

For summer, Sultan Blend is the stronger pick. For winter, Sultan Blend is the stronger pick. Retrospection suits evening wear; Sultan Blend suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Retrospection and Sultan Blend?

Retrospection has top notes of Galbanum, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Wormwood, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine and Geranium, a base of Oakmoss, Civet, Leather and Beeswax. Sultan Blend has top notes of Olibanum, heart notes of Orange Blossom and Rose, a base of Sandalwood and Lily-of-the-Valley.