Retrospection vs Van Cleef
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
41%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Van Cleef takes 5 of 8 categories.
RetrospectionChoose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Van CleefChoose it for a aromatic and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Retrospection3/8
Van Cleef5/8
- Ratings & consensus
- Van Cleef
- Community sentiment
- Van Cleef
- Longevity
- Retrospection
- Sillage & projection
- Van Cleef
- Value for money
- Retrospection
- Versatility
- Retrospection
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Van Cleef
- Fragranxe ranking
- Van Cleef
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
RetrospectionJMP Artisan PerfumesVan CleefVan Cleef & ArpelsWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.59/ 5 · 34 votes
Have 30%Had 12%Want 57%
4.12/ 5 · 1,235 votes
Have 62%Had 38%Want 0%
Category winnerVan CleefRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate24%Love
35%Like
24%Ok
12%Dislike
6%Hate
34 votes
43%Love
41%Like
2%Ok
13%Dislike
1%Hate
1,235 votes
Category winnerVan CleefMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityRetrospection
SillageVan Cleef
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerRetrospectionBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by botharomatic100%
woody92%
animalic84%
fresh spicy77%
white floral69%
green61%
aromatic100%
sweet92%
fresh spicy84%
balsamic77%
vanilla69%
green61%
Scent match41%Some overlap · both aromatic, fresh spicy and green
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop15-30 mins
GalbanumAldehydesBergamotWormwoodLavenderRosemaryPetitgrain
Heart2-4 hrs
Orange BlossomLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineGeraniumCorianderRoseClary SageCloves
Base8-10+ hrs
OakmossCivetLeatherBeeswaxMuskOrris RootVetiverSandalwood
Top20-30 mins
MarigoldGalbanumNeroliRaspberryBergamot
Heart3-4 hrs
GeraniumOrange BlossomJasmineRose
Base8-10+ hrs
Tonka BeanVanillaSandalwoodCedarMusk
Category winnerVan CleefLongest dry-down: 8-10+ hrs
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring86
Summer21
Fall100
Winter71
Day83
Night100
Spring32
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day75
Night100
Category winnerRetrospectionMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#19,634
PerfumerJakub Pietrynka
Launched—
Reviews6
Overall rank#721
PerfumerPascal Giraux
Launched—
Reviews104
Category winnerVan CleefHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotRetrospection 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 →Van Cleef by Van Cleef & Arpels delivers a bold, golden warmth reminiscent of classic 1990s perfumery. The fragrance opens with an intriguing herbal splash of bitter galbanum and marigold petals, brightened by tart raspberry and sunny bergamot. As the initial sharp green bite softens, a generous bouquet of spicy geran…
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.
Guided comparison
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Retrospection or Van Cleef?
Van Cleef takes 5 of 8 categories. Retrospection is rated 3.59/5 from 34 votes; Van Cleef is rated 4.12/5 from 1,235 votes. Choose Retrospection for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Van Cleef for a aromatic and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Which lasts longer, Retrospection or Van Cleef?
They last about the same: Retrospection 80/100, Van Cleef 79/100 for longevity in community votes.
Which projects more, Retrospection or Van Cleef?
Projection is very close: Van Cleef 72/100, Retrospection 71/100 for sillage.
Do Retrospection and Van Cleef smell similar?
Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and green accords. Common notes include Galbanum, Bergamot, Orange Blossom and Jasmine.
Is Retrospection or Van Cleef better for summer or winter?
For summer, Retrospection is the stronger pick. For winter, Van Cleef is the stronger pick. Retrospection suits evening wear; Van Cleef suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Retrospection and Van Cleef?
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. Van Cleef has top notes of Marigold, Galbanum, Neroli and Raspberry, heart notes of Geranium, Orange Blossom, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Cedar.
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