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Round 70 of the AlHimyan Perfume Battle sends a Parisian fruity floral against the reigning champion. Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos has won fifteen rounds in a row. Its challenger is Lanvin Me, the 2013 Eau de Parfum that pairs juicy blueberry with licorice, tuberose and sandalwood.

One is honeyed tobacco with a lavender-citrus lift and a warm vanilla base. The other is a bright, sweet floral built for everyday wear. They are very different fragrances, and both are in stock at AlHimyan in the UAE. Here is how they compare on verified community data.

The tale of the tape

Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos: the champion

Naxos belongs to the Xerjoff 1861 collection, a tribute to the unification of Italy, and it still holds the number one unisex ranking on Parfumo. It opens with lavender, bergamot, lemon and Omani frankincense. The heart brings honey, cinnamon and jasmine sambac over a soft cashmere-wood texture.

The dry-down of tobacco leaf, tonka bean and vanilla is warm and creamy without turning sticky. It wears close and long, and it lingers on fabric into the next day.

Community scores (Parfumo): Scent 8.9/10 from 13,735 ratings, Longevity 8.8/10, Sillage 8.5/10, Bottle 9.1/10, Value for money 7.6/10.

Lanvin Me: the challenger

Lanvin Me was released in 2013 and composed by Domitille Michalon-Bertier of IFF. It opens with blueberry and mandarin orange, a juicy and slightly tart start that is easy to like on the first spray.

The heart is the interesting part: licorice sits alongside tuberose and rose, giving the floral a sweet, almost candied edge. The base settles on sandalwood, soft and creamy. It is a feminine, cheerful scent for daytime, the office and relaxed evenings.

Community scores (Parfumo): Scent 6.2/10 from 55 ratings, Longevity 6.8/10, Sillage 6.0/10, Bottle 7.2/10. Parfumo shows no value-for-money score for Lanvin Me.

Head to head

Scent quality. Naxos scores 8.9 across 13,735 ratings. Lanvin Me scores 6.2 across 55. This is the widest scent gap of the round and it decides the result.

Performance. Naxos rates 8.8 for longevity and 8.5 for sillage. Lanvin Me rates 6.8 and 6.0, a moderate, skin-close wear that suits people who dislike loud perfume.

Price. Lanvin Me is the clear budget pick. At AlHimyan it costs AED 340 for 80 ml, about AED 4.25 per ml, less than half the per-ml cost of Naxos.

Presentation. Naxos takes it, 9.1 against 7.2.

The verdict

Winner: Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos. The champion takes its sixteenth consecutive round, equalling the longest reign in tournament history. Lanvin Me wins on price, but Naxos wins every community category that was measured, and the 2.54-point margin is the widest the tournament has recorded.

A note on method. Community figures come from Parfumo. Fragrantica's public pages returned an access block at the time of writing, so no Fragrantica score is quoted and its weighting was moved to the Parfumo scent score, as in Rounds 67 to 69. Parfumo shows no value-for-money score for Lanvin Me, so the value component was left out for both perfumes and the remaining weights were scaled to the same total. No figure in this article is estimated.

Which one should you buy?

Buy Naxos if you want a long-lasting, rich fragrance with presence, and a warm honey-tobacco scent that works for men and women alike, especially in the cooler months.

Buy Lanvin Me if you want a light, sweet fruity floral for everyday wear, a scent that stays close to the skin, or an affordable gift for someone who loves berries and flowers.

Frequently asked questions

What does Lanvin Me smell like? Blueberry and mandarin orange on top, licorice, tuberose and rose in the heart, and sandalwood in the base.

Is Lanvin Me for men or women? It is a women's fragrance.

Does Lanvin Me last long? Parfumo users rate its longevity 6.8 out of 10 and its sillage 6.0, so expect a moderate wear that stays close to the skin.

Which is better for the UAE summer? Lanvin Me is the easier daytime choice in warm weather. Naxos shines in autumn, winter and air-conditioned evenings; in daytime heat, two sprays is enough.

How do I order in the UAE? Both are in stock now at alhimyan.com. Cash on delivery is available across the UAE, delivery is fast, and returns are accepted within seven days.

Shop this round

Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos Unisex Eau de Parfum 100 ml

Lanvin Me Eau de Parfum for Women 80 ml

Champion standing after Round 70: Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos, sixteen straight wins. A new challenger enters next round.