Fragrance comparison

Vanilla vs Makawi

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 39 ratings analysed

5 wins

Vanilla

Areej

4.4719 votes

Rank #30,235 VanillaFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

Makawi

Paolo Gigli

3.6520 votes

Rank #43,925 SweetCherry

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Vanilla takes 5 of 5 categories.

Vanilla
Choose it for a vanilla and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall.
Makawi
Choose it for a sweet and cherry character. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Vanilla5/5

Makawi0/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

VanillaAreej

MakawiPaolo Gigli

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.47/ 5 · 19 votes

Have 58%Had 0%Want 42%

3.65/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 24%Had 10%Want 66%

Category winnerVanillaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

79%Love

11%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

11%Hate

19 votes · too few to score

30%Love

45%Like

5%Ok

0%Dislike

20%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate66

Category winners

LongevityVanilla

SillageVanilla

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value94

¤ Price value60

Category winnerVanillaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

floral92%

almond84%

woody77%

sweet69%

powdery61%

sweet100%

cherry90%

almond80%

fruity70%

nutty60%

alcohol50%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both sweet and almond

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Bitter Almond

Heart

Floral NotesVanilla

Base

Vanilla AbsoluteSandalwoodTonka Bean

Top15-30 mins

Sour CherryBitter AlmondLiquor

Heart2-4 hrs

PlumRoseJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodTonka BeanVanilla

InformationalShared notesBitter Almond, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Tonka Bean. Durations are only published for Makawi, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer50

Fall100

Winter0

Day–

Night–

Spring50

Summer67

Fall67

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men0

Unisex14

Women86

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,235

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#43,925

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerVanillaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Areej Vanilla opens with a sharp flash of bitter almond that feels almost cherry-tinged before settling into a warm core of vanilla and soft floral notes. As the scent matures on skin, rich vanilla absolute takes over alongside creamy sandalwood and roasted tonka bean. The texture stays powdery and nutty rather than s…

Reviews →

Makawi by Paolo Gigli centers on a bold burst of boozy sour cherry, bitter marzipan almond, and warm liquor. It opens with an unmistakable solvent kick that softens within five minutes into spiced cherry compote. As the heart unfolds, hints of dark plum blend into sweet vanilla and smooth tonka bean. The declared rose…

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, Vanilla or Makawi?

Vanilla takes 5 of 5 categories. Vanilla is rated 4.47/5 from 19 votes; Makawi is rated 3.65/5 from 20 votes. Choose Vanilla for a vanilla and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall. Choose Makawi for a sweet and cherry character. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Vanilla or Makawi?

Vanilla lasts longest (Vanilla 100/100, Makawi 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Vanilla or Makawi?

Vanilla projects furthest (Vanilla 100/100, Makawi 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Vanilla and Makawi smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and almond accords. Common notes include Bitter Almond, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Tonka Bean.

Is Vanilla or Makawi better for summer or winter?

Makawi suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Vanilla and Makawi?

Vanilla has top notes of Bitter Almond, heart notes of Floral Notes and Vanilla, a base of Vanilla Absolute, Sandalwood and Tonka Bean. Makawi has top notes of Sour Cherry, Bitter Almond and Liquor, heart notes of Plum, Rose and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Tonka Bean and Vanilla.