Fragrance comparison

Retrospection vs Sumatra Rain

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 64 ratings analysed

4 wins

Retrospection

JMP Artisan Perfumes

3.5934 votes

Rank #18,366 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

14%scent match

Clearly different

Sumatra Rain

Muelhens · 1993

4.4030 votes

Rank #52,409 Sweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Retrospection takes 4 of 6 categories.

Retrospection
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear.
Sumatra Rain
Choose it for a sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Retrospection4/6

Sumatra Rain2/6

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

RetrospectionJMP Artisan Perfumes

Sumatra RainMuelhens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.59/ 5 · 34 votes

Have 30%Had 12%Want 57%

4.40/ 5 · 30 votes

Have 26%Had 42%Want 32%

Category winnerSumatra RainRating 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

40%Love

30%Like

0%Ok

20%Dislike

10%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityRetrospection

SillageRetrospection

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value61

¤ Price value65

Category winnerSumatra RainBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

aromatic100%

woody92%

animalic84%

fresh spicy77%

white floral69%

green61%

sweet38%

Scent match14%Clearly different

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

Top15-30 mins

LimeBergamotPetitgrainGalbanumLavender

Heart2-3 hrs

ClovesJasmineClary SageOrange BlossomCyclamenGeranium

Base4-6 hrs

CedarMuskMossAmberSandalwoodTonka Bean

Category winnerRetrospectionLongest dry-down: 8-10+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring86

Summer21

Fall100

Winter71

Day73

Night100

Spring50

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night35

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men65

Unisex23

Women12

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

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Casual 46%Work 33%Date 12%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,366

PerfumerJakub Pietrynka

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#52,409

PerfumerNot listed

Launched1993

Reviews0

Category winnerRetrospectionHigher 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 →

Muelhens Sumatra Rain brings an immediate rush of crushed lime, green galbanum, and bitter petitgrain. It smells brisk and unapologetically herbal. You will not find modern sugar cubes or warm synthetic ambergris here. Instead, a clean current of French lavender, clary sage, and pungent cloves cuts through the humidit…

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 Sumatra Rain?

Retrospection takes 4 of 6 categories. Retrospection is rated 3.59/5 from 34 votes; Sumatra Rain is rated 4.40/5 from 30 votes. Choose Retrospection for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Sumatra Rain for a sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Retrospection or Sumatra Rain?

Retrospection lasts longest (Retrospection 80/100, Sumatra Rain 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Retrospection or Sumatra Rain?

Retrospection projects furthest (Retrospection 71/100, Sumatra Rain 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Retrospection and Sumatra Rain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 14% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Galbanum, Bergamot, Lavender and Petitgrain.

Is Retrospection or Sumatra Rain better for summer or winter?

Retrospection suits evening wear; Sumatra Rain suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Retrospection and Sumatra Rain?

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. Sumatra Rain has top notes of Lime, Bergamot, Petitgrain and Galbanum, heart notes of Cloves, Jasmine, Clary Sage and Orange Blossom, a base of Cedar, Musk, Moss and Amber.