Fragrance comparison

An Affair vs The Calling

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 186 ratings analysed

An Affair

QOT - Question of Time

4.4522 votes

Rank #32,369 Warm SpicySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

The Calling

Phuong Dang

3.82164 votes

Rank #4,212 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The Calling takes 3 of 5 categories.

An Affair
Choose it for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
The Calling
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

An Affair2/5

The Calling3/5

Ratings & consensus: An Affair
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: The Calling
Sillage & projection: The Calling
Value for money: An Affair
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Calling

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

An AffairQOT - Question of Time

The CallingPhuong Dang

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.45/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 37%Had 3%Want 60%

3.82/ 5 · 164 votes

Have 15%Had 6%Want 80%

Category winnerAn AffairRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

73%Love

9%Like

9%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

29%Love

38%Like

2%Ok

29%Dislike

2%Hate

55 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate86

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityThe Calling

SillageThe Calling

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value73

¤ Price value49

Category winnerAn AffairBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

sweet90%

vanilla80%

aromatic70%

rum60%

caramel50%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

sweet84%

chocolate77%

aromatic69%

tobacco61%

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

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

CardamomRumCoffee

Heart3-4 hrs

PanettoneCaramelSyrupButterMaple

Base6-8+ hrs

VanillaTonka BeanCedarwoodMusk

Top

RumLavenderPink PepperCardamomCuminGreen MangoCypress

Heart

Guaiac WoodCinnamonSaffronClary SageCarnation

Base

ChocolateTobaccoCaramelVanillaSandalwoodLabdanumMuskPapyrus

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Rum, Caramel and Vanilla. Durations are only published for An Affair, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring45

Summer18

Fall100

Winter100

Day45

Night100

Spring15

Summer8

Fall100

Winter62

Day55

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men17

Unisex67

Women17

Date 37%Casual 26%Party 24%Work 12%

Men60

Unisex20

Women20

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#32,369

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#4,212

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews42

Category winnerThe CallingHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

An Affair by QOT smells like warm Italian panettone soaked in spiced rum and freshly pulled espresso. You get an immediate hit of green cardamom that cuts through dense maple syrup and golden caramel. It is sweet without feeling sticky. Melted butter notes give the bakery heart a velvety texture, while cedarwood and d…

Reviews →

The Calling by Phuong Dang delivers a bold, woody spicy profile built around dark chocolate and tobacco. It features an punchy opening of rum and green mango that settles into a resinous, warm heart. Best suited for cooler evenings, this unisex scent offers a complex, unconventional experience for those who appreciate…

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, An Affair or The Calling?

The Calling takes 3 of 5 categories. An Affair is rated 4.45/5 from 22 votes; The Calling is rated 3.82/5 from 164 votes. Choose An Affair for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose The Calling for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, An Affair or The Calling?

The Calling lasts longest (The Calling 85/100, An Affair 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, An Affair or The Calling?

The Calling projects furthest (The Calling 78/100, An Affair 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do An Affair and The Calling smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, sweet and aromatic accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Rum, Caramel and Vanilla.

Is An Affair or The Calling better for summer or winter?

An Affair suits evening wear; The Calling suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in An Affair and The Calling?

An Affair has top notes of Cardamom, Rum and Coffee, heart notes of Panettone, Caramel, Syrup and Butter, a base of Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Cedarwood and Musk. The Calling has top notes of Rum, Lavender, Pink Pepper and Cardamom, heart notes of Guaiac Wood, Cinnamon, Saffron and Clary Sage, a base of Chocolate, Tobacco, Caramel and Vanilla.