Fragrance comparison

Sal vs Malum – Pure Essence

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

Updated 23 Oct 2026 19 ratings analysed

Sal

Venezia 1600

4.008 votes

Rank #55,807 MarineAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

30%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Malum – Pure Essence

Bruno Acampora

3.9111 votes

Rank #42,939 Warm SpicyFresh

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Malum – Pure Essence takes 3 of 4 categories.

Sal
Choose it for a marine and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Malum – Pure Essence
Choose it for a warm spicy and fresh character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Sal1/4

Malum – Pure Essence3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Malum – Pure Essence
Sillage & projection: Malum – Pure Essence
Value for money: Sal
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Malum – Pure Essence

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

SalVenezia 1600

Malum – Pure EssenceBruno Acampora

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 37%Had 8%Want 55%

3.91/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 20%Had 0%Want 80%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

38%Like

13%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

45%Love

27%Like

0%Ok

27%Dislike

0%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage46

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityMalum – Pure Essence

SillageMalum – Pure Essence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value50

Category winnerSalBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

marine100%

aromatic90%

musky80%

white floral70%

amber60%

salty50%

warm spicy100%

fresh92%

fruity84%

aromatic77%

marine69%

cinnamon61%

Scent match30%Clearly different · both marine and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Sea NotesFreesiaCardamom

Heart2-4 hrs

Red AlgaeLilyLily-of-the-ValleyNarcissus

Base6-8 hrs

White MuskWhite AmberAnisePatchouli

Notes

AppleSea NotesCardamomCinnamonFennelAniseTonka BeanGingerLily-of-the-ValleySandalwoodVanillaMusk

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesSea Notes, Cardamom, Lily-of-the-Valley and Anise. Durations are only published for Sal, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring75

Summer100

Fall13

Winter0

Day100

Night41

Spring100

Summer100

Fall40

Winter40

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men13

Unisex25

Women63

Casual 42%Work 31%Date 17%Party 11%

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#55,807

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#42,939

PerfumerMiguel Matos

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerMalum – Pure EssenceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The opening blast of Sal by Venezia 1600 smells like stepping onto a sunlit Venetian dock at low tide. A briny wash of cold sea notes rushes forward, sharpened by a snap of green cardamom and crystalline freesia. You get immediate salt air. As the initial vapor burns away, damp red algae and crisp lily emerge to give …

Reviews →

Malum (Pure Essence) by Bruno Acampora is a tart apple fragrance layered with warm cinnamon and ginger. The scent settles into a dry woodiness, making it a great daytime choice for spring or summer outings.

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, Sal or Malum – Pure Essence?

Malum – Pure Essence takes 3 of 4 categories. Sal is rated 4.00/5 from 8 votes; Malum – Pure Essence is rated 3.91/5 from 11 votes. Choose Sal for a marine and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Malum – Pure Essence for a warm spicy and fresh character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Sal or Malum – Pure Essence?

Malum – Pure Essence lasts longest (Malum – Pure Essence 74/100, Sal 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Sal or Malum – Pure Essence?

Malum – Pure Essence projects furthest (Malum – Pure Essence 73/100, Sal 46/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Sal and Malum – Pure Essence smell similar?

Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share marine and aromatic accords. Common notes include Sea Notes, Cardamom, Lily-of-the-Valley and Anise.

Is Sal or Malum – Pure Essence better for summer or winter?

Sal suits daytime wear; Malum – Pure Essence suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Sal and Malum – Pure Essence?

Sal has top notes of Sea Notes, Freesia and Cardamom, heart notes of Red Algae, Lily, Lily-of-the-Valley and Narcissus, a base of White Musk, White Amber, Anise and Patchouli. Malum – Pure Essence features Apple, Sea Notes, Cardamom, Cinnamon and Fennel.