Fragrance comparison

Academy of Pleasure vs The Secret Absolu

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 168 ratings analysed

Academy of Pleasure

Alkemia Perfumes

3.6526 votes

Rank #38,330 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

The Secret Absolu

Antonio Banderas

3.94142 votes

Rank #13,742 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The Secret Absolu takes 4 of 7 categories.

Academy of Pleasure
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
The Secret Absolu
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.

Academy of Pleasure3/7

The Secret Absolu4/7

Ratings & consensus: The Secret Absolu
Community sentiment: The Secret Absolu
Longevity: Academy of Pleasure
Sillage & projection: Academy of Pleasure
Value for money: The Secret Absolu
Versatility: Academy of Pleasure
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Secret Absolu

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Academy of PleasureAlkemia Perfumes

The Secret AbsoluAntonio Banderas

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.65/ 5 · 26 votes

Have 36%Had 4%Want 59%

3.94/ 5 · 142 votes

Have 60%Had 7%Want 33%

Category winnerThe Secret AbsoluRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

27%Love

31%Like

23%Ok

19%Dislike

0%Hate

26 votes

22%Love

57%Like

15%Ok

5%Dislike

1%Hate

142 votes

Category winnerThe Secret AbsoluMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityAcademy of Pleasure

SillageAcademy of Pleasure

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value73

Category winnerThe Secret AbsoluBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

citrus92%

warm spicy84%

amber77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

warm spicy100%

amber92%

fresh spicy84%

fruity77%

fresh69%

aromatic61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both warm spicy, amber and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

BergamotLinenCedarAmberSuedeCardamomTobaccoCognacCoffee

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Green AppleCardamomGingerBergamot

Heart

LavenderSaffronViolet Leaf

Base

AmberCognacSuedeLabdanum

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Amber, Suede and Cardamom. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer43

Fall57

Winter29

Day100

Night33

Spring69

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAcademy of PleasureMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men40

Unisex40

Women20

Men91

Unisex8

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#38,330

PerfumerSharra Lamoureaux

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#13,742

PerfumerHonorine Blanc, Ilias Ermenidis

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerThe Secret AbsoluHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Academy of Pleasure by Alkemia Perfumes is a fragrance for women and men. The nose behind this fragrance is Sharra Lamoureaux.

Reviews →

The Secret Absolu is a sweet amber-spicy men’s scent with apple, cardamom and ginger up top, then lavender, saffron and a soft suede-cognac base. It usually reads warm, easy to like, and clearly budget-friendly. Reviews suggest solid projection for the price, with moderate longevity overall. If you enjoy smooth sweet …

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, Academy of Pleasure or The Secret Absolu?

The Secret Absolu takes 4 of 7 categories. Academy of Pleasure is rated 3.65/5 from 26 votes; The Secret Absolu is rated 3.94/5 from 142 votes. Choose Academy of Pleasure for a woody and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose The Secret Absolu for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Academy of Pleasure or The Secret Absolu?

Academy of Pleasure lasts longest (Academy of Pleasure 63/100, The Secret Absolu 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Academy of Pleasure or The Secret Absolu?

Projection is very close: Academy of Pleasure 45/100, The Secret Absolu 44/100 for sillage.

Do Academy of Pleasure and The Secret Absolu smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, amber and aromatic accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Amber, Suede and Cardamom.

Is Academy of Pleasure or The Secret Absolu better for summer or winter?

For summer, Academy of Pleasure is the stronger pick. For winter, The Secret Absolu is the stronger pick. Academy of Pleasure suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Academy of Pleasure and The Secret Absolu?

Academy of Pleasure features Bergamot, Linen, Cedar, Amber and Suede. The Secret Absolu has top notes of Green Apple, Cardamom, Ginger and Bergamot, heart notes of Lavender, Saffron and Violet Leaf, a base of Amber, Cognac, Suede and Labdanum.