Fragrance comparison

8 THE CHALLENGER vs Circa

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 4 ratings analysed

1 wins

8 THE CHALLENGER

hOUSE OF hELIOS

4.254 votes

Rank #55,723 GreenSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

Circa

Cardon

—0 votes

Rank #72,141 CitrusEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

8 THE CHALLENGER takes 1 of 1 categories.

8 THE CHALLENGER
Choose it for a green and smoky character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Circa
Choose it for a citrus and earthy character. Best in spring, evening wear.

8 THE CHALLENGER1/1

Circa0/1

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Not scored
Sillage & projection: Not scored
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: 8 THE CHALLENGER

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

8 THE CHALLENGERhOUSE OF hELIOS

CircaCardon

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.25/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 11%Had 0%Want 89%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

25%Like

25%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

green100%

smoky92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

ozonic69%

aquatic61%

citrus100%

earthy92%

ozonic84%

iris77%

woody69%

aquatic61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both ozonic, woody and aquatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

RhubarbPink PepperBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

Violet LeavesCardamomFlowersSageHerbal Notes

Base7-10 hrs

SmokeLeatherOrrisSandalwoodWoodsy Notes

Top

MelonLimeCardamom

Heart

CypriolOrrisSageLily of the Valley

Base

PatchouliLeatherVanillaVetiverSandalwood

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Sage, Leather and Orris. Durations are only published for 8 THE CHALLENGER, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter67

Day86

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

Work 32%Date 29%Casual 22%Party 17%

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#55,723

PerfumerFrank Voelkl

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#72,141

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winner8 THE CHALLENGERHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

8 THE CHALLENGER by hOUSE OF hELIOS delivers a crisp, smoky leather profile anchored by green herbs and tart fruit. The opening hits fast with sour rhubarb, cracked pink pepper, and brisk bergamot. Within fifteen minutes, wet violet leaves and crushed garden sage cut across the initial brightness, introducing a cool, …

Reviews →

Circa by Cardon is a Leather fragrance for men. This is a new fragrance. Circa was launched in 2025. Top notes are Melon, Lime and Cardamom; middle notes are Cypriol, Orris, Sage and Lily of the Valley; base notes are Patchouli, Leather, Vanilla, Vetiver and Sandalwood. It opens with Melon, Lime. The heart moves into …

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.

Do 8 THE CHALLENGER and Circa smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share ozonic, woody and aquatic accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Sage, Leather and Orris.

Is 8 THE CHALLENGER or Circa better for summer or winter?

8 THE CHALLENGER suits evening wear; Circa suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in 8 THE CHALLENGER and Circa?

8 THE CHALLENGER has top notes of Rhubarb, Pink Pepper and Bergamot, heart notes of Violet Leaves, Cardamom, Flowers and Sage, a base of Smoke, Leather, Orris and Sandalwood. Circa has top notes of Melon, Lime and Cardamom, heart notes of Cypriol, Orris, Sage and Lily of the Valley, a base of Patchouli, Leather, Vanilla and Vetiver.