Fragrance comparison

Yen vs Marj

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

Updated 13 Oct 2026 378 ratings analysed

Yen

Papa James

4.754 votes

Rank #43,084 CitrusSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Marj

Ahmed Al Maghribi

4.23374 votes

Rank #119 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Marj takes 3 of 4 categories.

Yen
Choose it for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Marj
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Yen1/4

Marj3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

YenPapa James

MarjAhmed Al Maghribi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 56%Had 0%Want 44%

4.23/ 5 · 374 votes

Have 90%Had 10%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

75%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

59%Love

23%Like

12%Ok

3%Dislike

3%Hate

182 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate94

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage86

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityMarj

SillageMarj

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value83

¤ Price value82

Category winnerYenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

sweet92%

woody84%

powdery77%

musky69%

animalic61%

woody100%

amber92%

sweet84%

warm spicy77%

white floral69%

animalic61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both woody, sweet and animalic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Pink PepperRaspberryBergamotOrange

Heart2-3 hrs

Floral NotesVanilla

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodAmbergrisOakmossLeatherCaramelMusk

Top

HoneyOudPink PepperelemiNutmegBergamotMandarin

Heart

Cashmere WoodSaffronOrange BlossomJasmineCinnamonPatchouliVetiver

Base

AgarwoodLeatherAmberRaspberryAmbergrisOakmossSandalwoodMusk

InformationalShared notesPink Pepper, Raspberry, Bergamot and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Yen, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night86

Spring77

Summer41

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex67

Women33

Casual 31%Date 29%Work 24%Party 16%

Men26

Unisex67

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#43,084

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#119

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews104

Category winnerMarjHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Yen by Papa James delivers a lively clash between bright fruits and cozy, resinous depth. The first spray releases a snappy burst of tart raspberry, juicy orange, and sparkling bergamot, sharpened by a pinch of pink pepper. It wakes up your senses instantly. Soon after, the zesty opening softens into a cushion of warm…

Reviews →

Marj is a bold unisex scent built around honey, saffron, woods and oud, with white florals softening the richer edges. It opens spicy and dense, then settles into a sweet ambery leather-wood drydown with musk and a slightly animalic warmth. It is widely praised for strong projection and very long wear, but the opening…

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, Yen or Marj?

Marj takes 3 of 4 categories. Yen is rated 4.75/5 from 4 votes; Marj is rated 4.23/5 from 374 votes. Choose Yen for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Marj for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Yen or Marj?

Marj lasts longest (Marj 91/100, Yen 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Yen or Marj?

Marj projects furthest (Marj 86/100, Yen 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Yen and Marj smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, sweet and animalic accords. Common notes include Pink Pepper, Raspberry, Bergamot and Sandalwood.

Is Yen or Marj better for summer or winter?

Yen suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Yen and Marj?

Yen has top notes of Pink Pepper, Raspberry, Bergamot and Orange, heart notes of Floral Notes and Vanilla, a base of Sandalwood, Ambergris, Oakmoss and Leather. Marj has top notes of Honey, Oud, Pink Pepper and elemi, heart notes of Cashmere Wood, Saffron, Orange Blossom and Jasmine, a base of Agarwood, Leather, Amber and Raspberry.