Fragrance comparison

Samba for Men vs Nosy Manitra

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 125 ratings analysed

Samba for Men

Perfumer's Workshop

3.78122 votes

Rank #8,992 LavenderFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

24%scent match

Clearly different

2 wins

Nosy Manitra

AAWED

4.673 votes

Rank #48,287 FruityWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Nosy Manitra takes 2 of 3 categories.

Samba for Men
Choose it for a lavender and floral character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Nosy Manitra
Choose it for a fruity and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Samba for Men1/3

Nosy Manitra2/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Nosy Manitra
Sillage & projection: Nosy Manitra
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Samba for Men

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Samba for MenPerfumer's Workshop

Nosy ManitraAAWED

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.78/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 34%Had 66%Want 0%

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 12%Had 0%Want 88%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

55%Like

6%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

113 votes

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityNosy Manitra

SillageNosy Manitra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

lavender100%

floral92%

woody84%

aromatic77%

citrus69%

fresh spicy61%

fruity100%

woody92%

sweet84%

amber77%

white floral69%

animalic61%

Scent match24%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LavenderBergamot

Heart

FreesiaYlang-Ylang

Base

CedarMusk

Top

JasmineDried FruitsBergamotLeatherSaffron

Heart

PineappleYlang-YlangCedarRoseFreesiaLily of the Valley

Base

Cashmere WoodAmbergrisPatchouliMusk

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Freesia, Ylang-Ylang and Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter33

Day–

Night–

Spring50

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men83

Unisex18

Women0

Men33

Unisex0

Women67

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#8,992

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Overall rank#48,287

PerfumerShadi Samra

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerSamba for MenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Samba for Men is a fresh aromatic from 1990 with lavender, bergamot, airy florals, cedar, and musk. On skin it often reads clean, lightly woody, and spring friendly, with a soft floral lift rather than a heavy barbershop feel. Reviewers point to its understated character, good value, and easy compliments, while also …

Reviews →

Nosy Manitra is a fruity leather with a soft floral lift and a warm, musky base. It opens on saffron, bergamot and jasmine over a dried-fruit sweetness, then turns more tropical as pineapple and ylang-ylang show up around creamy woods. In the dry-down, cashmere wood, ambergris, patchouli and musk give it a smooth, sl…

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, Samba for Men or Nosy Manitra?

Nosy Manitra takes 2 of 3 categories. Samba for Men is rated 3.78/5 from 122 votes; Nosy Manitra is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Samba for Men for a lavender and floral character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Nosy Manitra for a fruity and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Samba for Men or Nosy Manitra?

Nosy Manitra lasts longest (Nosy Manitra 100/100, Samba for Men 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Samba for Men or Nosy Manitra?

Nosy Manitra projects furthest (Nosy Manitra 100/100, Samba for Men 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Samba for Men and Nosy Manitra smell similar?

Clearly different: a 24% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Freesia, Ylang-Ylang and Cedar.

Is Samba for Men or Nosy Manitra better for summer or winter?

Nosy Manitra suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Samba for Men and Nosy Manitra?

Samba for Men has top notes of Lavender and Bergamot, heart notes of Freesia and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Cedar and Musk. Nosy Manitra has top notes of Jasmine, Dried Fruits, Bergamot and Leather, heart notes of Pineapple, Ylang-Ylang, Cedar and Rose, a base of Cashmere Wood, Ambergris, Patchouli and Musk.