Fragrance comparison

Absolute vs Carnival of Souls

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 128 ratings analysed

3 wins

Absolute

Asghar Adam Ali

4.673 votes

Rank #44,667 WoodySmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

19%scent match

Clearly different

Carnival of Souls

Marissa Zappas

3.87125 votes

Rank #13,660 PowderyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Absolute takes 3 of 4 categories.

Absolute
Choose it for a woody and smoky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Carnival of Souls
Choose it for a powdery and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Absolute3/4

Carnival of Souls1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Absolute
Sillage & projection: Absolute
Value for money: Absolute
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Carnival of Souls

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AbsoluteAsghar Adam Ali

Carnival of SoulsMarissa Zappas

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 57%Had 0%Want 43%

3.87/ 5 · 125 votes

Have 14%Had 2%Want 83%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

37%Love

26%Like

27%Ok

6%Dislike

3%Hate

125 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate92

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage41

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityAbsolute

SillageAbsolute

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value48

Category winnerAbsoluteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

smoky92%

warm spicy84%

leather77%

aromatic69%

soft spicy61%

powdery100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

yellow floral77%

violet69%

floral61%

Scent match19%Clearly different · both warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Pink PepperLavenderCorianderCardamomSaffronBergamotMandarinOrange

Heart

LeatherIncenseVioletOrange BlossomBrown sugarPineappleCashmeranJasmine

Base

Guaiac WoodOudPatchouliSandalwoodLabdanumBenzoinAmberMusk

Notes

MimosaVioletMilk CreamIncenseVanillaSaffronPatchouliMuskAmber

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Incense, Violet and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Carnival of Souls, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer0

Fall67

Winter100

Day100

Night50

Spring41

Summer29

Fall88

Winter100

Day100

Night64

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men10

Unisex43

Women48

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#44,667

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#13,660

PerfumerMarissa Zappas

Launched—

Reviews45

Category winnerCarnival of SoulsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Absolute is a smoky, woody leather fragrance with a bright citrus and spice opening, then a darker heart of incense, violet, cashmeran and sweetened leather. It starts lively, but the overall character leans warm, resinous and textured. The wear looks best suited to people who enjoy bold woody scents with some sweetne…

Reviews →

Carnival of Souls by Marissa Zappas presents a quiet, powdery floral landscape that pairs fluffy yellow mimosa with chilled milk cream and soft violet. An undercurrent of smoky incense and warm spicy saffron cuts through the sweetness, keeping the scent grounded rather than sugary. As it settles, an amber base enriche…

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, Absolute or Carnival of Souls?

Absolute takes 3 of 4 categories. Absolute is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes; Carnival of Souls is rated 3.87/5 from 125 votes. Choose Absolute for a woody and smoky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Carnival of Souls for a powdery and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Absolute or Carnival of Souls?

Absolute lasts longest (Absolute 87/100, Carnival of Souls 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Absolute or Carnival of Souls?

Absolute projects furthest (Absolute 75/100, Carnival of Souls 41/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Absolute and Carnival of Souls smell similar?

Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy accords. Common notes include Saffron, Incense, Violet and Patchouli.

Is Absolute or Carnival of Souls better for summer or winter?

Absolute suits daytime wear; Carnival of Souls suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Absolute and Carnival of Souls?

Absolute has top notes of Pink Pepper, Lavender, Coriander and Cardamom, heart notes of Leather, Incense, Violet and Orange Blossom, a base of Guaiac Wood, Oud, Patchouli and Sandalwood. Carnival of Souls features Mimosa, Violet, Milk Cream, Incense and Vanilla.