Xerjoff Naxos vs YSL Capeline - Perfume Battle Round 79
Round 79 of the AlHimyan Perfume Battle puts the champion back on the shelf for another defence. Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos arrives with twenty-four straight wins, the longest reign in the history of the tournament. Its challenger is Yves Saint Laurent Capeline, a bright citrus-lily fragrance from the same Le Vestiaire des Parfums collection that gave us Trench and Wild Leather.
This is honey against a summer hat. Naxos is a warm, sweet tobacco made to fill a room. Capeline is airy, sunny and soft, built around bergamot, mandarin, lily and neroli with vanilla and musk underneath. Both are unisex, both are available at AlHimyan in the UAE, and here is how they compare on verified community data.
The tale of the tape
| Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos | YSL Capeline | |
|---|---|---|
| House | Xerjoff (Italy) | Yves Saint Laurent (France) |
| Collection | XJ 1861 | Le Vestiaire des Parfums |
| Perfumer | Not credited | Juliette Karagueuzoglou |
| Released | 2015 | 2020 (as listed on Parfumo) |
| Family | Sweet, spicy tobacco | Citrus, white floral, soft musk |
| Worn by | Men and women | Men and women |
| Price at AlHimyan | AED 869 (100 ml) | AED 1,340 (125 ml) |
| Community ratings counted | 13,834 | 147 |
Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos: the champion
Naxos belongs to the Xerjoff 1861 collection, a tribute to the unification of Italy, and it remains one of the most loved unisex fragrances 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, tonka bean and vanilla is warm and creamy without turning sticky. It is refined rather than loud, wears long, and lingers on fabric into the next day.
Community scores (Parfumo): Scent 8.9/10 from 13,834 ratings, Longevity 8.8/10, Sillage 8.5/10, Bottle 9.1/10, Value for money 7.6/10.
Yves Saint Laurent Capeline: the challenger
Le Vestiaire des Parfums translates the YSL wardrobe into scent, and Capeline is the house's reading of the wide-brimmed summer hat. Parfumo credits Juliette Karagueuzoglou as the perfumer. It is meant to feel like sunshine on skin, and reviewers describe it as easy, bright and unisex in the truest sense.
The opening is fresh and juicy: bergamot, mandarin orange and pink pepper. The heart is soft and floral with lily, neroli and ylang-ylang. The base of musk, vanilla absolute and vetiver keeps everything warm and close to the skin. It is a pleasant, understated fragrance, more about light than presence.
Community scores (Parfumo): Scent 8.0/10 from 147 ratings, Longevity 7.6/10, Sillage 7.1/10, Bottle 8.3/10, Value for money 5.9/10.
Head to head
Scent quality. Naxos scores 8.9 across 13,834 ratings. Capeline scores a respectable 8.0 across 147, a good result for a sunny citrus-floral, but the gap to the champion is still large.
Performance. Naxos posts 8.8 for longevity and 8.5 for sillage against 7.6 and 7.1. Capeline holds up better than most light citrus scents, but it stays softer and closer to the skin, and the champion leads on both lines.
Value. Naxos again. Parfumo users rate its value 7.6 against 5.9 for Capeline, and at AlHimyan the Naxos bottle carries the lower price.
Presentation. Naxos, 9.1 against 8.3. Capeline is a well-liked bottle, but the champion still leads.
The verdict
| Scoring component | Weight | Naxos | Capeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parfumo scent score | 60% | 8.86 | 8.00 |
| Longevity | 15% | 8.77 | 7.60 |
| Sillage | 10% | 8.54 | 7.10 |
| Value for money | 15% | 7.59 | 5.90 |
| Final score | Total | 8.62 | 7.54 |
Winner: Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos. The champion sweeps all four categories and takes its twenty-fifth consecutive round, by a margin of 1.08. Capeline is a bright, easy fragrance for people who want to smell fresh and sunny, but on scent, performance and value Naxos leads every line.
A note on method. Community figures come from Parfumo (the Capeline page was fetched on 1 October 2026; Naxos figures from the check made on 28 September). Fragrantica's public pages returned an access block, so no Fragrantica score is quoted and its weighting was moved to the Parfumo scent score, as in recent rounds. No figure in this article is estimated.
Which one should you buy?
Buy Naxos if you want a smooth honey-tobacco scent that almost everyone around you will enjoy, from the office to dinner.
Buy Capeline if you want a light, sunny citrus-and-lily scent for the day, the office or a hot afternoon, and you prefer a fragrance that stays soft.
How to wear them in the UAE
Naxos is rich, so two sprays are enough: one on the neck and one on the chest or the kandura collar. It suits cooler evenings, air-conditioned majlis gatherings and the winter months from November onwards.
Capeline is made for warm weather. Its bergamot, mandarin and pink pepper opening feels fresh in the heat, and because it wears softly you can spray it generously on the neck, wrists and shirt. Reapply after a few hours.
Frequently asked questions
What does YSL Capeline smell like? Bergamot, mandarin orange and pink pepper on top, lily, neroli and ylang-ylang in the heart, and musk, vanilla absolute and vetiver in the base. It is a fresh, citrusy, floral-musky scent.
Who created Capeline? Parfumo credits Juliette Karagueuzoglou, for the Yves Saint Laurent Le Vestiaire des Parfums collection.
Is Capeline for men or women? It is unisex and worn by both.
Which is better for the UAE heat? Capeline is lighter and fresher in summer. Naxos is sweeter and shines in autumn, winter and air-conditioned rooms.
How do I order in the UAE? Both are available 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
Yves Saint Laurent Capeline Unisex Eau de Parfum 125 ml
Champion standing after Round 79: Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos, twenty-five straight wins. A new challenger enters next round.