Fragrance comparison

Upton vs Old Story

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 54 ratings analysed

Upton

Papillon

4.1010 votes

Rank #40,504 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

81%scent match

Very similar

4 wins

Old Story

Alexandria Fragrances

4.2344 votes

Rank #24,941 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Old Story takes 4 of 5 categories.

Upton
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Old Story
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Upton1/5

Old Story4/5

Ratings & consensus: Old Story
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Old Story
Sillage & projection: Upton
Value for money: Old Story
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Old Story

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

UptonPapillon

Old StoryAlexandria Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.10/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 67%Had 5%Want 29%

4.23/ 5 · 44 votes

Have 45%Had 8%Want 46%

Category winnerOld StoryRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

10%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

46%Love

36%Like

10%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

39 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityOld Story

SillageUpton

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value66

¤ Price value70

Category winnerOld StoryBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic90%

fresh spicy80%

powdery70%

green60%

lavender50%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy90%

woody80%

white floral70%

green60%

citrus50%

Scent match81%Very similar · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

LavenderRosemaryNeroliPetitgrain

Heart2-3 hrs

GalbanumJasmineGeraniumClary Sage

Base5-7 hrs

SandalwoodCedarAmberVetiverOakmoss

Top

NeroliLavenderPetitgrainRosemary

Heart

JasmineGeraniumGalbanumClary Sage

Base

AmberVetiverSandalwoodOakCedar

InformationalShared notesLavender, Rosemary, Neroli and Petitgrain. Durations are only published for Upton, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring75

Summer25

Fall100

Winter63

Day100

Night39

Spring100

Summer90

Fall95

Winter35

Day100

Night70

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Work 44%Casual 35%Date 12%Party 9%

Men92

Unisex8

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#40,504

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#24,941

PerfumerHany Hafez

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerOld StoryHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Papillon Upton opens with an intense, bracing jolt of lavender, bitter petitgrain, and crushed rosemary leaves. It immediately recalls classic European barbershop traditions. Give the sharp opening five minutes to burn off its alcohol vapor before leaning in. Once the initial blast settles, dry green galbanum, herbal …

Reviews →

Old Story leans aromatic, green and woody, opening with neroli, lavender, petitgrain and rosemary before moving into a sharper herbal heart. The jasmine and geranium soften it slightly, but this stays firmly fresh, structured and masculine in character. On skin, it usually reads like a crisp woody floral musk with a c…

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, Upton or Old Story?

Old Story takes 4 of 5 categories. Upton is rated 4.10/5 from 10 votes; Old Story is rated 4.23/5 from 44 votes. Choose Upton for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Old Story for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Upton or Old Story?

They last about the same: Old Story 62/100, Upton 60/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Upton or Old Story?

Upton projects furthest (Upton 63/100, Old Story 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Upton and Old Story smell similar?

Very similar: a 81% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Lavender, Rosemary, Neroli and Petitgrain.

Is Upton or Old Story better for summer or winter?

Upton suits daytime wear; Old Story suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Upton and Old Story?

Upton has top notes of Lavender, Rosemary, Neroli and Petitgrain, heart notes of Galbanum, Jasmine, Geranium and Clary Sage, a base of Sandalwood, Cedar, Amber and Vetiver. Old Story has top notes of Neroli, Lavender, Petitgrain and Rosemary, heart notes of Jasmine, Geranium, Galbanum and Clary Sage, a base of Amber, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Oak.