Fragrance comparison

Route Mandarine vs Carven L'Absolu

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 456 ratings analysed

4 wins

Route Mandarine

Manuel Canovas

4.1568 votes

Rank #13,169 Warm SpicyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

Carven L'Absolu

Carven

3.77388 votes

Rank #7,810 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Route Mandarine takes 4 of 7 categories.

Route Mandarine
Choose it for a warm spicy and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Carven L'Absolu
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Route Mandarine4/7

Carven L'Absolu2/7

Ratings & consensus: Route Mandarine
Community sentiment: Route Mandarine
Longevity: Route Mandarine
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Route Mandarine
Versatility: Carven L'Absolu
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Carven L'Absolu

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Route MandarineManuel Canovas

Carven L'AbsoluCarven

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 68 votes

Have 48%Had 12%Want 40%

3.77/ 5 · 388 votes

Have 47%Had 21%Want 32%

Category winnerRoute MandarineRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

41%Love

44%Like

3%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

68 votes

24%Love

50%Like

5%Ok

18%Dislike

2%Hate

388 votes

Category winnerRoute MandarineMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityRoute Mandarine

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value59

Category winnerRoute MandarineBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

citrus92%

amber84%

woody77%

white floral69%

rose61%

woody100%

white floral92%

patchouli84%

yellow floral77%

tuberose69%

amber61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both woody, white floral and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Madagascar ClovesOrangeCeylon CinnamonMadagascar Ylang-YlangItalian MandarinEgyptian PelargoniumLemonBergamot

Heart3-4 hrs

Bulgarian RosePatchouliSandalwoodOrange BlossomEgyptian JasmineTahitian VetiverLily-of-the-Valley

Base8-12 hrs

IncenseAmberSpanish LabdanumWhite MuskMadagascar Vanilla

Top

Madagascar Ylang-YlangItalian Mandarin

Heart

Egyptian JasmineTuberoseIris

Base

Indonesian Patchouli LeafSpanish LabdanumSandalwood

InformationalShared notesMadagascar Ylang-Ylang, Italian Mandarin, Sandalwood and Egyptian Jasmine. Durations are only published for Route Mandarine, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring48

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day77

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter99

Day–

Night–

Category winnerCarven L'AbsoluMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 35%Casual 28%Party 20%Work 18%

Men4

Unisex14

Women83

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,169

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews17

Overall rank#7,810

PerfumerFrancis Kurkdjian, Jérôme di Marino

Launched—

Reviews36

Category winnerCarven L'AbsoluHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Route Mandarine by Manuel Canovas smells like a traditional winter pomander brought to life. You get an immediate burst of juicy Italian mandarin, bitter bergamot, and pungent Madagascar clove. Do not overspray this. The spice hits fast. Within twenty minutes, the bright citrus flash fades into a warm heart of Bulgari…

Reviews →

Carven L'Absolu opens with a bright flash of Italian mandarin before settling into dense white florals and earthy patchouli. Co-created by Francis Kurkdjian and Jérôme di Marino in 2015, this eau de parfum leans heavily into Madagascar ylang-ylang and Egyptian jasmine, creating a rich, creamy floral character. The hea…

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, Route Mandarine or Carven L'Absolu?

Route Mandarine takes 4 of 7 categories. Route Mandarine is rated 4.15/5 from 68 votes; Carven L'Absolu is rated 3.77/5 from 388 votes. Choose Route Mandarine for a warm spicy and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Carven L'Absolu for a woody and white floral character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Route Mandarine or Carven L'Absolu?

Route Mandarine lasts longest (Route Mandarine 77/100, Carven L'Absolu 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Route Mandarine or Carven L'Absolu?

Projection is very close: Route Mandarine 65/100, Carven L'Absolu 65/100 for sillage.

Do Route Mandarine and Carven L'Absolu smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, white floral and amber accords. Common notes include Madagascar Ylang-Ylang, Italian Mandarin, Sandalwood and Egyptian Jasmine.

Is Route Mandarine or Carven L'Absolu better for summer or winter?

For summer, Route Mandarine is the stronger pick. For winter, Route Mandarine is the stronger pick. Route Mandarine suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Route Mandarine and Carven L'Absolu?

Route Mandarine has top notes of Madagascar Cloves, Orange, Ceylon Cinnamon and Madagascar Ylang-Ylang, heart notes of Bulgarian Rose, Patchouli, Sandalwood and Orange Blossom, a base of Incense, Amber, Spanish Labdanum and White Musk. Carven L'Absolu has top notes of Madagascar Ylang-Ylang and Italian Mandarin, heart notes of Egyptian Jasmine, Tuberose and Iris, a base of Indonesian Patchouli Leaf, Spanish Labdanum and Sandalwood.