Fragrance comparison

Samba for Men vs Poeme

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 13,307 ratings analysed

Samba for Men

Perfumer's Workshop

3.78122 votes

Rank #8,992 LavenderFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

19%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Poeme

Lancôme

4.0313,185 votes

Rank #524 Yellow FloralWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Poeme takes 5 of 7 categories.

Samba for Men
Choose it for a lavender and floral character. Wins on community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.
Poeme
Choose it for a yellow floral and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Samba for Men2/7

Poeme5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Samba for MenPerfumer's Workshop

PoemeLancôme

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.78/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 34%Had 66%Want 0%

4.03/ 5 · 13,185 votes

Have 59%Had 41%Want 0%

Category winnerPoemeRating 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

40%Love

39%Like

3%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

12,614 votes

Category winnerSamba for MenMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityPoeme

SillagePoeme

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price value54

Category winnerSamba for MenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

lavender100%

floral92%

woody84%

aromatic77%

citrus69%

fresh spicy61%

yellow floral100%

white floral92%

powdery84%

sweet77%

floral69%

vanilla61%

Scent match19%Clearly different · both floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LavenderBergamot

Heart

FreesiaYlang-Ylang

Base

CedarMusk

Top

NarcissusDaturaPeachPlumHimalayan PoppyMandarin OrangeBlack CurrantBergamot

Heart

MimosaVanilla FlowerTuberoseYlang-YlangOrange BlossomJasmineFreesiaHeliotrope

Base

VanillaAmberTonka BeanMuskCedar

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–

Spring62

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerPoemeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men83

Unisex18

Women0

Men1

Unisex3

Women96

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#8,992

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Overall rank#524

PerfumerJacques Cavallier Belletrud

Launched—

Reviews377

Category winnerPoemeHigher 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 →

Lancôme Poeme opens as a massive, sun-drenched burst of yellow mimosa and intoxicating Himalayan poppy, bringing an immediate golden warmth to the skin. Unlike modern sheer florals, this is a dense, syrupy nectar that feels heavy and rich, drying down into an amber-laced vanilla with leather undertones. It wears like …

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 Poeme?

Poeme takes 5 of 7 categories. Samba for Men is rated 3.78/5 from 122 votes; Poeme is rated 4.03/5 from 13,185 votes. Choose Samba for Men for a lavender and floral character. Wins on community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring. Choose Poeme for a yellow floral and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Samba for Men or Poeme?

Poeme lasts longest (Poeme 83/100, Samba for Men 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Samba for Men or Poeme?

Poeme projects furthest (Poeme 76/100, Samba for Men 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Samba for Men and Poeme smell similar?

Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Freesia, Ylang-Ylang and Cedar.

Is Samba for Men or Poeme better for summer or winter?

For summer, Samba for Men is the stronger pick. For winter, Poeme is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Samba for Men and Poeme?

Samba for Men has top notes of Lavender and Bergamot, heart notes of Freesia and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Cedar and Musk. Poeme has top notes of Narcissus, Datura, Peach and Plum, heart notes of Mimosa, Vanilla Flower, Tuberose and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Vanilla, Amber, Tonka Bean and Musk.