Fragrance comparison

Star vs Mystery & Excellence

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 989 ratings analysed

5 wins

Star

Mauboussin

4.06913 votes

Rank #519 VanillaSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Mystery & Excellence

Linn Young

3.8976 votes

Rank #27,749 SweetPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Star takes 5 of 7 categories.

Star
Choose it for a vanilla and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Mystery & Excellence
Choose it for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring.

Star5/7

Mystery & Excellence2/7

Ratings & consensus: Star
Community sentiment: Star
Longevity: Star
Sillage & projection: Star
Value for money: Mystery & Excellence
Versatility: Mystery & Excellence
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Star

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

StarMauboussin

Mystery & ExcellenceLinn Young

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.06/ 5 · 913 votes

Have 86%Had 14%Want 0%

3.89/ 5 · 76 votes

Have 24%Had 22%Want 55%

Category winnerStarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

37%Like

11%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

678 votes

33%Love

45%Like

4%Ok

16%Dislike

3%Hate

76 votes

Category winnerStarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityStar

SillageStar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price value82

Category winnerMystery & ExcellenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

sweet90%

powdery80%

amber70%

woody60%

fruity50%

sweet100%

powdery92%

soft spicy84%

anis77%

vanilla69%

violet61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both sweet, powdery and vanilla

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PineappleFig

Heart

Coconut MilkIris

Base

VanillaTonka BeanPralineWhite AmberVirginian CedarHeliotrope

Top

AniseVioletIvyLemonPineappleMahogany

Heart

LicoriceIrisJasmineVetiverAmaryllisLily-of-the-ValleyOrris Root

Base

VanillaTonka BeanAlmondWhite MuskChocolateHeliotropeTobacco

InformationalShared notesPineapple, Iris, Vanilla and Tonka Bean. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring38

Summer22

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer46

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerMystery & ExcellenceMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex19

Women78

Men0

Unisex13

Women88

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#519

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews191

Overall rank#27,749

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerStarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Star by Mauboussin is a sweet, powdery vanilla with a creamy coconut milk feel and a lightly smoky, woody edge. On many wearers, the fig and pineapple brighten the opening briefly before the scent settles into praline, tonka and iris. It suits cooler weather best and reads like a cosy, dressed-up gourmand rather than …

Reviews →

Linn Young Mystery & Excellence opens with an immediate blast of star anise and powdery violet, settled over dark ivy. As it dries down on skin during cold autumn evenings, a syrupy licorice heart mixes with vanilla, tonka bean, and almond. The dark gourmand trail stays sweet, cozy, and distinctly warm for casual wint…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Star or Mystery & Excellence?

Star takes 5 of 7 categories. Star is rated 4.06/5 from 913 votes; Mystery & Excellence is rated 3.89/5 from 76 votes. Choose Star for a vanilla and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Mystery & Excellence for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Star or Mystery & Excellence?

Star lasts longest (Star 71/100, Mystery & Excellence 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Star or Mystery & Excellence?

Star projects furthest (Star 61/100, Mystery & Excellence 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Star and Mystery & Excellence smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, powdery and vanilla accords. Common notes include Pineapple, Iris, Vanilla and Tonka Bean.

Is Star or Mystery & Excellence better for summer or winter?

For summer, Mystery & Excellence is the stronger pick. For winter, Star is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Star and Mystery & Excellence?

Star has top notes of Pineapple and Fig, heart notes of Coconut Milk and Iris, a base of Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Praline and White Amber. Mystery & Excellence has top notes of Anise, Violet, Ivy and Lemon, heart notes of Licorice, Iris, Jasmine and Vetiver, a base of Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Almond and White Musk.