Fragrance comparison

Rumba vs The Longing

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 1,236 ratings analysed

5 wins

Rumba

Ted Lapidus

3.711,128 votes

Rank #1,508 SweetFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

The Longing

House of Matriarch

3.72108 votes

Rank #33,347 FloralFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Rumba takes 5 of 7 categories.

Rumba
Choose it for a sweet and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
The Longing
Choose it for a floral and fruity character. Wins on longevity and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Rumba5/7

The Longing2/7

Ratings & consensus: Rumba
Community sentiment: Rumba
Longevity: The Longing
Sillage & projection: Rumba
Value for money: Rumba
Versatility: The Longing
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Rumba

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

RumbaTed Lapidus

The LongingHouse of Matriarch

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.71/ 5 · 1,128 votes

Have 69%Had 31%Want 0%

3.72/ 5 · 108 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

Category winnerRumbaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

34%Love

37%Like

6%Ok

20%Dislike

4%Hate

1,074 votes

39%Love

28%Like

3%Ok

28%Dislike

3%Hate

108 votes

Category winnerRumbaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityThe Longing

SillageRumba

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value79

¤ Price value25

Category winnerRumbaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

floral92%

fruity84%

white floral77%

woody69%

animalic61%

floral100%

fruity92%

white floral84%

amber77%

sweet69%

vanilla61%

Scent match56%Closely related · both floral, fruity and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PlumPeachMirabelleOrange BlossomBasilBergamotRaspberry

Heart

HoneyMarigoldCarnationTuberoseHeliotropeGardeniaJasmineRose

Base

OakmossLeatherAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliMuskStyraxVanilla

Top15-30 mins

PlumButterAgarwood (Oud)JasmineBoronia

Heart3-4 hrs

OsmanthusHoneyGardeniaVanilla OrchidOrange Blossom

Base8-12 hrs

BenzoinSandalwoodVanillaLeatherAmberAmbrette (Musk Mallow)

InformationalShared notesPlum, Orange Blossom, Honey and Gardenia. Durations are only published for The Longing, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring45

Summer28

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring47

Summer26

Fall91

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerThe LongingMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex26

Women73

Men29

Unisex14

Women57

Date 45%Party 28%Casual 16%Work 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,508

PerfumerJean-Claude Ellena

Launched—

Reviews118

Overall rank#33,347

PerfumerChristi Meshell

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerRumbaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ted Lapidus Rumba is a dark, heavy oriental floral that throws back to 1989. It blends a very syrupy, honeyed plum opening with dry leather and heavy oakmoss in the base. This bottle is built for fans of unapologetic vintage powerhouses who want a bold, warm scent for chilly autumn evenings.

Reviews →

The Longing by House of Matriarch is a dense, unapologetic dark gourmand. It opens with rich salted butter melting over stewed purple plum and a sharp kick of raw agarwood. Do not overspray this. Within twenty minutes, the initial shock softens into honeyed orange blossom, thick vanilla orchid, and golden amber resins…

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, Rumba or The Longing?

Rumba takes 5 of 7 categories. Rumba is rated 3.71/5 from 1,128 votes; The Longing is rated 3.72/5 from 108 votes. Choose Rumba for a sweet and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose The Longing for a floral and fruity character. Wins on longevity and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Rumba or The Longing?

They last about the same: The Longing 81/100, Rumba 80/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Rumba or The Longing?

Rumba projects furthest (Rumba 76/100, The Longing 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Rumba and The Longing smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, fruity and sweet accords. Common notes include Plum, Orange Blossom, Honey and Gardenia.

Is Rumba or The Longing better for summer or winter?

For summer, Rumba is the stronger pick. For winter, Rumba is the stronger pick. The Longing suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Rumba and The Longing?

Rumba has top notes of Plum, Peach, Mirabelle and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Honey, Marigold, Carnation and Tuberose, a base of Oakmoss, Leather, Ambergris and Sandalwood. The Longing has top notes of Plum, Butter, Agarwood (Oud) and Jasmine, heart notes of Osmanthus, Honey, Gardenia and Vanilla Orchid, a base of Benzoin, Sandalwood, Vanilla and Leather.