Fragrance comparison

Sweet Milk vs Vanilla Ice Cream

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

Updated 23 Oct 2026 356 ratings analysed

6 wins

Sweet Milk

Jo Malone London

4.21164 votes

Rank #8,391 LactonicSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

59%scent match

Closely related

Vanilla Ice Cream

Demeter Fragrance

3.87192 votes

Rank #9,519 SweetLactonic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sweet Milk takes 6 of 8 categories.

Sweet Milk
Choose it for a lactonic and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Vanilla Ice Cream
Choose it for a sweet and lactonic character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Sweet Milk6/8

Vanilla Ice Cream2/8

Ratings & consensus: Sweet Milk
Community sentiment: Sweet Milk
Longevity: Sweet Milk
Sillage & projection: Sweet Milk
Value for money: Vanilla Ice Cream
Versatility: Vanilla Ice Cream
Note pyramid (duration): Sweet Milk
Fragranxe ranking: Sweet Milk

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Sweet MilkJo Malone London

Vanilla Ice CreamDemeter Fragrance

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.21/ 5 · 164 votes

Have 8%Had 3%Want 89%

3.87/ 5 · 192 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

Category winnerSweet MilkRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

43%Like

1%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

164 votes

29%Love

44%Like

13%Ok

14%Dislike

1%Hate

192 votes

Category winnerSweet MilkMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity52

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevitySweet Milk

SillageSweet Milk

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value71

Category winnerVanilla Ice CreamBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

lactonic100%

sweet92%

vanilla84%

powdery77%

almond69%

anis61%

sweet100%

lactonic83%

vanilla65%

powdery48%

aquatic30%

Scent match59%Closely related · both sweet, lactonic and vanilla

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Star AniseHeliotropeBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

MilkCaramel

Base6-8+ hrs

VanilleAlmondMusk

Notes

MilkVanilleSweet NotesWater Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Category winnerSweet MilkLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day92

Night100

Spring73

Summer73

Fall100

Winter86

Day100

Night43

Category winnerVanilla Ice CreamMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex15

Women85

Casual 40%Date 28%Work 23%Party 9%

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

Casual 46%Date 23%Work 17%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#8,391

PerfumerChristine Nagel

Launched—

Reviews18

Overall rank#9,519

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews31

Category winnerSweet MilkHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Sweet Milk by Jo Malone London delivers an authentic, comforting gourmand profile built around warm steamed milk, sweet caramel, and powdery almond. Created by perfumer Christine Nagel for the 2011 Tea Collection, it opens with a quick flicker of bergamot and liquorice-tinged star anise before settling into a thick, c…

Reviews →

Vanilla Ice Cream by Demeter Fragrance captures the exact sensation of a chilly dessert counter on a warm afternoon. You get a direct splash of sweet notes, chilled milk, and soft vanille right from the first spray. A faint aquatic breeze gives the opening a distinct cold vapor effect before the cream thickens. It sme…

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, Sweet Milk or Vanilla Ice Cream?

Sweet Milk takes 6 of 8 categories. Sweet Milk is rated 4.21/5 from 164 votes; Vanilla Ice Cream is rated 3.87/5 from 192 votes. Choose Sweet Milk for a lactonic and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Vanilla Ice Cream for a sweet and lactonic character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Sweet Milk or Vanilla Ice Cream?

They last about the same: Sweet Milk 52/100, Vanilla Ice Cream 50/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Sweet Milk or Vanilla Ice Cream?

Sweet Milk projects furthest (Sweet Milk 66/100, Vanilla Ice Cream 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Sweet Milk and Vanilla Ice Cream smell similar?

Closely related: a 59% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, lactonic and vanilla accords. Common notes include Milk and Vanille.

Is Sweet Milk or Vanilla Ice Cream better for summer or winter?

For summer, Vanilla Ice Cream is the stronger pick. For winter, Sweet Milk is the stronger pick. Sweet Milk suits evening wear; Vanilla Ice Cream suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Sweet Milk and Vanilla Ice Cream?

Sweet Milk has top notes of Star Anise, Heliotrope and Bergamot, heart notes of Milk and Caramel, a base of Vanille, Almond and Musk. Vanilla Ice Cream features Milk, Vanille, Sweet Notes and Water Notes.