Fragrance comparison

Soft Iris vs Cleopatra

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 78 ratings analysed

Soft Iris

Marks & Spencer

3.7476 votes

Rank #18,160 White FloralIris

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

Cleopatra

Kesma

4.502 votes

Rank #54,368 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Soft Iris
Choose it for a white floral and iris character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Cleopatra
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Soft Iris2/4

Cleopatra2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Cleopatra
Sillage & projection: Cleopatra
Value for money: Soft Iris
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Soft Iris

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Soft IrisMarks & Spencer

CleopatraKesma

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.74/ 5 · 76 votes

Have 58%Had 14%Want 28%

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 36%Had 9%Want 55%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

13%Love

59%Like

21%Ok

1%Dislike

5%Hate

76 votes

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity44

〰 Sillage41

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityCleopatra

SillageCleopatra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value91

¤ Price value50

Category winnerSoft IrisBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

iris92%

woody84%

earthy77%

citrus69%

amber61%

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both woody, white floral and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

IrisJasmineBergamotOrange BlossomVetiverAmberPatchouliTonka Bean

No top / heart / base split published

Top

BergamotCinnamonGalbanumPepperCloves

Heart

Orange BlossomYlang-YlangHeliotropeNarcissusTuberoseJasmineHoneyClove

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliLabdanumWormwoodOakmossLeatherVetiverIncense

InformationalShared notesJasmine, Bergamot, Orange Blossom and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Soft Iris, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer49

Fall49

Winter42

Day100

Night21

Spring0

Summer0

Fall50

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex9

Women91

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,160

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#54,368

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerSoft IrisHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Soft Iris by Marks & Spencer is a gentle floral fragrance centered on powdery iris, orange blossom, and jasmine. It opens with a bright splash of bergamot before settling into clean white floral layers over an earthy base of patchouli, vetiver, and warm tonka bean. The overall feel is polite, fresh, and slightly sweet…

Reviews →

Cleopatra by Kesma is a dense, unapologetic oriental floral from 1983. It opens with a punch of cloves and cinnamon before settling into a rich, resinous heart of tuberose, ylang-ylang, and honey. This is a cold-weather classic that leans heavily on its base of incense, leather, and oakmoss for a deep, vintage footpri…

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, Soft Iris or Cleopatra?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Soft Iris is rated 3.74/5 from 76 votes; Cleopatra is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose Soft Iris for a white floral and iris character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Cleopatra for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Soft Iris or Cleopatra?

Cleopatra lasts longest (Cleopatra 60/100, Soft Iris 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Soft Iris or Cleopatra?

Cleopatra projects furthest (Cleopatra 50/100, Soft Iris 41/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Soft Iris and Cleopatra smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, white floral and amber accords. Common notes include Jasmine, Bergamot, Orange Blossom and Vetiver.

Is Soft Iris or Cleopatra better for summer or winter?

Soft Iris suits daytime wear; Cleopatra suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Soft Iris and Cleopatra?

Soft Iris features Iris, Jasmine, Bergamot, Orange Blossom and Vetiver. Cleopatra has top notes of Bergamot, Cinnamon, Galbanum and Pepper, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Ylang-Ylang, Heliotrope and Narcissus, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli, Labdanum and Wormwood.