Fragrance comparison

The Drummer vs Cleopatra

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 16 ratings analysed

3 wins

The Drummer

Zara

4.3614 votes

Rank #31,959 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

Cleopatra

Kesma

4.502 votes

Rank #52,432 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The Drummer takes 3 of 4 categories.

The Drummer
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.
Cleopatra
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Best in winter, evening wear.

The Drummer3/4

Cleopatra0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

The DrummerZara

CleopatraKesma

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.36/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 17%Had 19%Want 64%

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

50%Love

36%Like

14%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

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

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageThe Drummer

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value93

¤ Price value50

Category winnerThe DrummerBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

aromatic92%

lavender84%

woody77%

warm spicy69%

earthy61%

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both woody and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

LavenderBergamotIrisPatchouliPepperAmberVetiverCardamon

No top / heart / base split published

Top

BergamotCinnamonGalbanumPepperCloves

Heart

Orange BlossomYlang-YlangHeliotropeNarcissusTuberoseJasmineHoneyClove

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliLabdanumWormwoodOakmossLeatherVetiverIncense

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Patchouli, Pepper and Vetiver. 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

Summer29

Fall57

Winter0

Day67

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall50

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men78

Unisex22

Women0

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,959

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#52,432

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerThe DrummerHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Zara's The Drummer offers an easygoing, budget-friendly entry into the aromatic woody genre. It blends clean lavender and a sweet, powdery iris over a soft patchouli base, making it a comfortable everyday companion. The scent is approachable and clean, perfect for casual daytime wear when you want something pleasant a…

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, The Drummer or Cleopatra?

The Drummer takes 3 of 4 categories. The Drummer is rated 4.36/5 from 14 votes; Cleopatra is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose The Drummer for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Cleopatra for a woody and amber character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, The Drummer or Cleopatra?

They last about the same: The Drummer 60/100, Cleopatra 60/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, The Drummer or Cleopatra?

The Drummer projects furthest (The Drummer 73/100, Cleopatra 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do The Drummer and Cleopatra smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Patchouli, Pepper and Vetiver.

Is The Drummer or Cleopatra better for summer or winter?

The Drummer suits evening wear; Cleopatra suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in The Drummer and Cleopatra?

The Drummer features Lavender, Bergamot, Iris, Patchouli and Pepper. 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.