Van Cleef vs Retrospection
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
41%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Van Cleef takes 5 of 8 categories.
Van CleefChoose it for a aromatic and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
RetrospectionChoose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Van Cleef5/8
Retrospection3/8
- Ratings & consensus
- Van Cleef
- Community sentiment
- Van Cleef
- Longevity
- Retrospection
- Sillage & projection
- Van Cleef
- Value for money
- Retrospection
- Versatility
- Retrospection
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Van Cleef
- Fragranxe ranking
- Van Cleef
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
Van CleefVan Cleef & ArpelsRetrospectionJMP Artisan PerfumesWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.12/ 5 · 1,235 votes
Have 62%Had 38%Want 0%
3.59/ 5 · 34 votes
Have 30%Had 12%Want 57%
Category winnerVan CleefRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate43%Love
41%Like
2%Ok
13%Dislike
1%Hate
1,235 votes
24%Love
35%Like
24%Ok
12%Dislike
6%Hate
34 votes
Category winnerVan CleefMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityRetrospection
SillageVan Cleef
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerRetrospectionBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by botharomatic100%
sweet92%
fresh spicy84%
balsamic77%
vanilla69%
green61%
aromatic100%
woody92%
animalic84%
fresh spicy77%
white floral69%
green61%
Scent match41%Some overlap · both aromatic, fresh spicy and green
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop20-30 mins
MarigoldGalbanumNeroliRaspberryBergamot
Heart3-4 hrs
GeraniumOrange BlossomJasmineRose
Base8-10+ hrs
Tonka BeanVanillaSandalwoodCedarMusk
Top15-30 mins
GalbanumAldehydesBergamotWormwoodLavenderRosemaryPetitgrain
Heart2-4 hrs
Orange BlossomLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineGeraniumCorianderRoseClary SageCloves
Base8-10+ hrs
OakmossCivetLeatherBeeswaxMuskOrris RootVetiverSandalwood
Category winnerVan CleefLongest dry-down: 8-10+ hrs
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring32
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day75
Night100
Spring86
Summer21
Fall100
Winter71
Day83
Night100
Category winnerRetrospectionMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#721
PerfumerPascal Giraux
Launched—
Reviews104
Overall rank#19,634
PerfumerJakub Pietrynka
Launched—
Reviews6
Category winnerVan CleefHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotVan Cleef by Van Cleef & Arpels delivers a bold, golden warmth reminiscent of classic 1990s perfumery. The fragrance opens with an intriguing herbal splash of bitter galbanum and marigold petals, brightened by tart raspberry and sunny bergamot. As the initial sharp green bite softens, a generous bouquet of spicy geran…
Reviews →Retrospection by JMP Artisan Perfumes resurrects the bold, unapologetic swagger of traditional masculine perfumery from the late twentieth century. Created by Polish independent perfumer Jakub Pietrynka, this composition opens with a sharp burst of bitter galbanum, soapy aldehydes, and zesty bergamot. Within minutes, …
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Van Cleef or Retrospection?
Van Cleef takes 5 of 8 categories. Van Cleef is rated 4.12/5 from 1,235 votes; Retrospection is rated 3.59/5 from 34 votes. Choose Van Cleef for a aromatic and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Retrospection for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Which lasts longer, Van Cleef or Retrospection?
They last about the same: Retrospection 80/100, Van Cleef 79/100 for longevity in community votes.
Which projects more, Van Cleef or Retrospection?
Projection is very close: Van Cleef 72/100, Retrospection 71/100 for sillage.
Do Van Cleef and Retrospection smell similar?
Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and green accords. Common notes include Galbanum, Bergamot, Geranium and Orange Blossom.
Is Van Cleef or Retrospection better for summer or winter?
For summer, Retrospection is the stronger pick. For winter, Van Cleef is the stronger pick. Van Cleef suits evening wear; Retrospection suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Van Cleef and Retrospection?
Van Cleef has top notes of Marigold, Galbanum, Neroli and Raspberry, heart notes of Geranium, Orange Blossom, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Cedar. Retrospection has top notes of Galbanum, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Wormwood, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine and Geranium, a base of Oakmoss, Civet, Leather and Beeswax.
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