Fragrance comparison

Russian Gold vs Valparaiso

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 169 ratings analysed

5 wins

Russian Gold

Pure Gold Perfumes

4.6213 votes

Rank #29,802 Fresh SpicyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

66%scent match

Closely related

Valparaiso

Le Couvent Maison de Parfum

4.01156 votes

Rank #14,360 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Russian Gold takes 5 of 6 categories.

Russian Gold
Choose it for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Valparaiso
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Russian Gold5/6

Valparaiso1/6

Ratings & consensus: Russian Gold
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Russian Gold
Sillage & projection: Russian Gold
Value for money: Russian Gold
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Russian Gold
Fragranxe ranking: Valparaiso

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Russian GoldPure Gold Perfumes

ValparaisoLe Couvent Maison de Parfum

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.62/ 5 · 13 votes

Have 15%Had 3%Want 83%

4.01/ 5 · 156 votes

Have 52%Had 13%Want 35%

Category winnerRussian GoldRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

77%Love

15%Like

0%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

13 votes · too few to score

31%Love

49%Like

10%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

156 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity98

〰 Sillage88

♥ Love / hate90

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityRussian Gold

SillageRussian Gold

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value64

Category winnerRussian GoldBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

warm spicy92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

amber69%

leather61%

woody100%

aromatic90%

warm spicy80%

amber70%

fresh spicy60%

earthy50%

Scent match66%Closely related · both woody, aromatic and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

MaceMyrtleCardamomCuminNutmegSaffronPink Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

GeraniumOlibanumMyrrh

Base8-12+ hrs

Agarwood (Oud)LeatherPatchouliCedarSandalwoodMusk

Notes

VetiverCardamomMyrrhOlibanumCedarNutmegPatchouliPetitgrainRock rose

No top / heart / base split published

Category winnerRussian GoldLongest dry-down: 8-12+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring77

Summer54

Fall92

Winter100

Day58

Night100

Spring62

Summer27

Fall100

Winter77

Day100

Night89

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men53

Unisex42

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#29,802

PerfumerMaurus Bachmann

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#14,360

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews14

Category winnerValparaisoHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Russian Gold by Pure Gold Perfumes is a dense, unapologetic blast of exotic spices, dark resins, and heavy leather. Perfumer Maurus Bachmann built this 2016 release around a thick wall of nutmeg, cardamom, and pungent cumin that hits the room the second you press the atomizer. Within minutes, the fiery opening settles…

Reviews →

Valparaiso by Le Couvent Maison de Parfum is a dry, resinous woody perfume built around crisp spice and aromatic earth. It opens with bitter petitgrain, cool cardamom, and grated nutmeg, giving an immediate burst of fresh spicy energy. As the initial sharpness settles, a resinous core of olibanum and warm myrrh emerge…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Russian Gold or Valparaiso?

Russian Gold takes 5 of 6 categories. Russian Gold is rated 4.62/5 from 13 votes; Valparaiso is rated 4.01/5 from 156 votes. Choose Russian Gold for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Valparaiso for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Russian Gold or Valparaiso?

Russian Gold lasts longest (Russian Gold 98/100, Valparaiso 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Russian Gold or Valparaiso?

Russian Gold projects furthest (Russian Gold 88/100, Valparaiso 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Russian Gold and Valparaiso smell similar?

Closely related: a 66% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Nutmeg, Olibanum and Myrrh.

Is Russian Gold or Valparaiso better for summer or winter?

Russian Gold suits evening wear; Valparaiso suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Russian Gold and Valparaiso?

Russian Gold has top notes of Mace, Myrtle, Cardamom and Cumin, heart notes of Geranium, Olibanum and Myrrh, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Leather, Patchouli and Cedar. Valparaiso features Vetiver, Cardamom, Myrrh, Olibanum and Cedar.