Quick answer: Mykonos Aphrodite, French Avenue Royal Blend and Fragrance World Cocktail Intense all trace back to Kilian Angels' Share, and all three share cinnamon, myrrh, tonka bean, sandalwood and vanilla. Royal Blend and Cocktail Intense are cognac-and-plum scents that sit very close together on paper. Aphrodite skips the cognac and goes smoky and floral instead, with jasmine, burnt cinnamon, tobacco and mineral amber.
Mykonos Aphrodite vs French Avenue Royal Blend and Cocktail Intense: three warm, spiced perfumes that tend to come up together when people look for scents in the direction of Kilian Angels' Share. Here we put all three side by side, and we also answer the question we hear next: how Royal Blend and Cocktail Intense differ from each other. We sell Mykonos and not French Avenue or Fragrance World, so we are not neutral, and notes on paper are a map rather than the perfume itself on your skin.
One note on names: this is the original French Avenue Royal Blend, not Royal Blend Sequoia or Royal Blend Nero, which are separate perfumes.
What they have in common: Kilian Angels' Share as the inspiration
Mykonos Aphrodite is inspired by Kilian Angels' Share and Maison Margiela Jazz Club. Its product page names both, which makes it a hybrid of the two rather than a take on either one. French Avenue Royal Blend and Fragrance World Cocktail Intense are both widely described as inspired by Kilian Angels' Share; that is how they are commonly listed. So all three share the Angels' Share side, and Aphrodite adds a second reference of its own. What a line like that does and does not tell you is explained in what "inspired by" means on a perfume.
The note lists back this up. Cinnamon, myrrh, tonka bean, sandalwood and vanilla appear in all three. All three are listed as unisex and strong, and all three are warm, spiced scents with a sweet, woody drydown.
In our own range, Mykonos Dark Secret also names Angels' Share. We compared the two Mykonos scents in Dark Secret vs Aphrodite, and Dark Secret with a Dua perfume in Mykonos Dark Secret vs Dua Angelic Elixir.
Mykonos Aphrodite vs French Avenue Royal Blend and Cocktail Intense: notes compared
| Mykonos Aphrodite | French Avenue Royal Blend | Fragrance World Cocktail Intense | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top notes | Jasmine, burnt cinnamon, myrrh | Cognac, cinnamon, plum | Cognac, cinnamon, plum |
| Heart notes | Cedarwood, tonka bean, sandalwood | Iris, myrrh | Myrrh, cashmeran, iris |
| Base notes | White musk, tobacco, vanilla, mineral amber | Vanilla, tonka bean, sandalwood | Vanilla, tonka bean, sandalwood |
| Concentration | Extrait de parfum | Eau de parfum | Eau de parfum |
| Character | Woody, warm-spicy, vanilla; smoky and floral | Woody aromatic; cognac, cinnamon and warm woods | Aromatic spicy; boozy opening, powdery iris heart |
| Intensity (as listed) | Strong | Strong | Strong |
| Listed for | Unisex | Unisex | Unisex |
| Best season | Autumn, winter | Summer (as tagged) | Autumn, winter |
| Best for | Evenings, special occasions | Daily wear, evenings, special occasions | Evenings, special occasions |
Two things stand out. First, Royal Blend and Cocktail Intense list matching top notes and matching base notes; on paper, the only addition is cashmeran in the heart of Cocktail Intense. Second, Aphrodite is the only one of the three without cognac or plum, and the only one with jasmine, cedarwood, tobacco or musk.
Where they differ
Aphrodite against the other two
- The opening. Aphrodite opens with jasmine, burnt cinnamon and myrrh: floral, spicy and resinous at once. Royal Blend and Cocktail Intense open with cognac, cinnamon and plum, so they start boozy and fruity.
- The structure. In Aphrodite, tonka bean and sandalwood sit in the heart with cedarwood, and the base moves on to white musk, tobacco, vanilla and mineral amber. In the other two, vanilla, tonka and sandalwood are the base itself.
- Smoke. With tobacco in the base and myrrh at the top, Aphrodite is the smokiest of the three. Its brand story is set in a jazz club, with sensual musks and smoky tobacco drifting through it. The other two use myrrh in the heart but list no tobacco. Our guide to smoky perfumes explains how myrrh and tobacco behave.
- Concentration. Aphrodite is an extrait de parfum; Royal Blend and Cocktail Intense are eaux de parfum. See extrait de parfum vs eau de parfum for what that means in practice.
Royal Blend against Cocktail Intense
- The heart. Cocktail Intense adds cashmeran to iris and myrrh, and its description links the iris and cashmeran to a powdery, soft texture. Royal Blend's heart is iris and myrrh.
- The tags. Royal Blend is tagged for summer and for daily wear as well as evenings and special occasions. Cocktail Intense is tagged for autumn and winter, evenings and special occasions.
- How each is described. Royal Blend is described as a woody aromatic scent that combines cognac with spicy cinnamon and warm woods. Cocktail Intense is described as an aromatic spicy scent that feels like a refined cocktail on an evening out.
Which one should you choose?
- Choose Aphrodite if you want smoke and flowers with your spice: tobacco, myrrh and jasmine rather than cognac and plum.
- Choose Aphrodite if you want extrait concentration, or a scent with a strong personality of its own; Mykonos calls it mysterious, sensual and self-possessed.
- Choose Royal Blend if the cognac-and-plum opening is what you are after and you want a scent that is also tagged for daily wear.
- Choose Cocktail Intense if you want that cognac-and-plum opening with cashmeran added to the heart, for cold-weather evenings.
- Already own Royal Blend or Cocktail Intense? Aphrodite is the one of the three that adds something different to a collection rather than repeating it.
If warm spice in general is your thing, our guide to spicy perfumes covers cinnamon, cardamom, clove and saffron across the range.
Wearing Mykonos Aphrodite
Aphrodite is an extrait de parfum in 50 ml and 100 ml. Its accord is woody, warm-spicy and vanilla, and Mykonos rates its sillage and projection as strong and its longevity at 12+ hours. Two sprays are enough for an evening; one if you will be in close company all night. It is tagged for autumn and winter, evenings and special occasions, and it is unisex.
The brand calls Aphrodite the scent of self-love, and the story behind it is a scene in a jazz club: myrrh, burnt cinnamon and jasmine first, then musk and smoky tobacco as you come closer. If you have never worn a smoky scent before, 50 ml is the sensible first bottle. You will find Aphrodite in our Woody & Vanilla collection, and more warm scents among our sandalwood perfumes.
Frequently asked questions
Are Mykonos Aphrodite and French Avenue Royal Blend the same perfume?
No. They share a reference point in Kilian Angels' Share and several notes, including cinnamon, myrrh, tonka, sandalwood and vanilla, but Aphrodite has no cognac or plum and adds jasmine, cedarwood, tobacco and musk. It also names a second inspiration, Maison Margiela Jazz Club.
What is the difference between Royal Blend and Cocktail Intense?
On paper, a small one. Their listed top and base notes match, and Cocktail Intense adds cashmeran to the heart. Royal Blend is tagged for summer and daily wear, Cocktail Intense for autumn, winter and evenings. Beyond that, we would not claim more than the notes show.
Does Mykonos Aphrodite have a cognac note?
No cognac note is listed for Aphrodite. Its warmth comes from burnt cinnamon, myrrh, tonka and tobacco over vanilla and mineral amber. If cognac is the note you want, both Royal Blend and Cocktail Intense list it at the top.
Which of the three suits summer?
Only Royal Blend is tagged for summer. Aphrodite and Cocktail Intense are tagged for autumn and winter. For more on matching a scent to the weather, see choosing perfume by season.