Fragrance comparison

Retrospection vs Upton

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 44 ratings analysed

4 wins

Retrospection

JMP Artisan Perfumes

3.5934 votes

Rank #18,128 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

60%scent match

Closely related

Upton

Papillon

4.1010 votes

Rank #40,504 WoodyAromatic

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.
Upton
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Retrospection4/6

Upton2/6

Ratings & consensus: Upton
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Retrospection
Sillage & projection: Retrospection
Value for money: Upton
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

UptonPapillon

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.59/ 5 · 34 votes

Have 30%Had 12%Want 57%

4.10/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 67%Had 5%Want 29%

Category winnerUptonRating 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

50%Like

0%Ok

0%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

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityRetrospection

SillageRetrospection

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value61

¤ Price value66

Category winnerUptonBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

animalic84%

fresh spicy77%

white floral69%

green61%

woody100%

aromatic90%

fresh spicy80%

powdery70%

green60%

lavender50%

Scent match60%Closely related · both woody, aromatic and fresh spicy

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

Top20-30 mins

LavenderRosemaryNeroliPetitgrain

Heart2-3 hrs

GalbanumJasmineGeraniumClary Sage

Base5-7 hrs

SandalwoodCedarAmberVetiverOakmoss

Category winnerRetrospectionLongest dry-down: 8-10+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring86

Summer21

Fall100

Winter71

Day73

Night100

Spring75

Summer25

Fall100

Winter63

Day100

Night39

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men65

Unisex23

Women12

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

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Work 44%Casual 35%Date 12%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,128

PerfumerJakub Pietrynka

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#40,504

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

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 →

Papillon Upton opens with an intense, bracing jolt of lavender, bitter petitgrain, and crushed rosemary leaves. It immediately recalls classic European barbershop traditions. Give the sharp opening five minutes to burn off its alcohol vapor before leaning in. Once the initial blast settles, dry green galbanum, herbal …

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 Upton?

Retrospection takes 4 of 6 categories. Retrospection is rated 3.59/5 from 34 votes; Upton is rated 4.10/5 from 10 votes. Choose Retrospection for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Upton for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Retrospection or Upton?

Retrospection lasts longest (Retrospection 80/100, Upton 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Retrospection or Upton?

Retrospection projects furthest (Retrospection 71/100, Upton 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Retrospection and Upton smell similar?

Closely related: a 60% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Galbanum, Lavender, Rosemary and Petitgrain.

Is Retrospection or Upton better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Retrospection and Upton?

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. Upton has top notes of Lavender, Rosemary, Neroli and Petitgrain, heart notes of Galbanum, Jasmine, Geranium and Clary Sage, a base of Sandalwood, Cedar, Amber and Vetiver.