Fragrance comparison

Sheer Delight vs Excite

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 56 ratings analysed

Sheer Delight

Betty Barclay

3.3340 votes

Rank #22,699 CitrusFresh

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

Excite

Joliot Descartes Parfums

4.4416 votes

Rank #32,848 FruityFresh

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 5 categories split 2–2.

Sheer Delight
Choose it for a citrus and fresh character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Excite
Choose it for a fruity and fresh character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Sheer Delight2/5

Excite2/5

Ratings & consensus: Excite
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: Excite
Value for money: Sheer Delight
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Sheer Delight

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Sheer DelightBetty Barclay

ExciteJoliot Descartes Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.33/ 5 · 40 votes

Have 30%Had 37%Want 33%

4.44/ 5 · 16 votes

Have 63%Had 3%Want 34%

Category winnerExciteRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

5%Love

55%Like

10%Ok

28%Dislike

3%Hate

40 votes

56%Love

31%Like

13%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage42

♥ Love / hate58

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageExcite

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value68

¤ Price value31

Category winnerSheer DelightBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

fresh92%

white floral84%

floral77%

amber69%

rose61%

fruity100%

fresh92%

white floral84%

sweet77%

musky69%

floral61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both fresh, white floral and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Italian LemonMandarin OrangePear

Heart

PeonyOrange BlossomLily-of-the-Valley

Base

MuskResinsAmber

Top15-30 mins

PearItalian LemonBlack CurrantPineapple

Heart2-3 hrs

Lily-of-the-ValleyPeonyJasmineGreen Apple

Base4-6+ hrs

White MuskCedarOakmossAmber

InformationalShared notesItalian Lemon, Pear, Peony and Lily-of-the-Valley. Durations are only published for Excite, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring94

Summer100

Fall18

Winter12

Day100

Night7

Spring100

Summer71

Fall71

Winter86

Day100

Night24

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men14

Unisex0

Women86

Men0

Unisex8

Women92

Casual 40%Work 36%Date 15%Party 8%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#22,699

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#32,848

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerSheer DelightHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Sheer Delight by Betty Barclay is a Floral Fruity fragrance for women that debuted in 2015. It centers on a bright opening of Italian lemon and mandarin orange, which transitions into a floral heart of peony and lily-of-the-valley. The scent finishes with a clean, musk-heavy dry-down. It works best as an easygoing, ev…

Reviews →

Excite by Joliot Descartes offers an immediate burst of sparkling Italian lemon, crisp pear, and ripe black currant. The fruit is vibrant without turning sugary. Within twenty minutes, the opening sweetness subsides into a dewy floral heart of lily-of-the-valley, pink peony, and green apple. It smells crisp, clean, an…

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, Sheer Delight or Excite?

No clear winner: the 5 categories split 2–2. Sheer Delight is rated 3.33/5 from 40 votes; Excite is rated 4.44/5 from 16 votes. Choose Sheer Delight for a citrus and fresh character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Excite for a fruity and fresh character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Sheer Delight or Excite?

They last about the same: Sheer Delight 53/100, Excite 53/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Sheer Delight or Excite?

Projection is very close: Excite 44/100, Sheer Delight 42/100 for sillage.

Do Sheer Delight and Excite smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh, white floral and floral accords. Common notes include Italian Lemon, Pear, Peony and Lily-of-the-Valley.

Is Sheer Delight or Excite better for summer or winter?

Sheer Delight suits daytime wear; Excite suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Sheer Delight and Excite?

Sheer Delight has top notes of Italian Lemon, Mandarin Orange and Pear, heart notes of Peony, Orange Blossom and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Musk, Resins and Amber. Excite has top notes of Pear, Italian Lemon, Black Currant and Pineapple, heart notes of Lily-of-the-Valley, Peony, Jasmine and Green Apple, a base of White Musk, Cedar, Oakmoss and Amber.