Fragrance comparison

An Air Of Despair vs Chic Magnet

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 146 ratings analysed

An Air Of Despair

Imaginary Authors

3.5382 votes

Rank #14,999 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

6 wins

Chic Magnet

Alexandria Fragrances

4.3464 votes

Rank #10,611 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Chic Magnet takes 6 of 7 categories.

An Air Of Despair
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Chic Magnet
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, evening wear.

An Air Of Despair1/7

Chic Magnet6/7

Ratings & consensus: Chic Magnet
Community sentiment: Chic Magnet
Longevity: Chic Magnet
Sillage & projection: An Air Of Despair
Value for money: Chic Magnet
Versatility: Chic Magnet
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Chic Magnet

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

An Air Of DespairImaginary Authors

Chic MagnetAlexandria Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.53/ 5 · 82 votes

Have 18%Had 6%Want 76%

4.34/ 5 · 64 votes

Have 36%Had 5%Want 59%

Category winnerChic MagnetRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

34%Like

3%Ok

30%Dislike

1%Hate

74 votes

55%Love

35%Like

4%Ok

4%Dislike

2%Hate

49 votes

Category winnerChic MagnetMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevityChic Magnet

SillageAn Air Of Despair

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value42

¤ Price value69

Category winnerChic MagnetBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy88%

musky77%

powdery65%

metallic53%

leather42%

amber100%

woody92%

powdery84%

warm spicy77%

leather69%

animalic61%

Scent match56%Closely related · both woody, warm spicy and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

SaffronCedarMusk

No top / heart / base split published

Top

SaffronWoodsy Notes

Heart

LeatherSandalwoodCedar

Base

Tolu BalsamAmberMusk

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Cedar and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring43

Summer29

Fall100

Winter61

Day100

Night–

Spring100

Summer38

Fall95

Winter67

Day68

Night100

Category winnerChic MagnetMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men40

Unisex20

Women40

Men63

Unisex33

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,999

PerfumerJosh Meyer

Launched—

Reviews21

Overall rank#10,611

PerfumerHany Hafez

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerChic MagnetHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

An Air Of Despair is a dry, cedar-led scent with saffron adding a leathery, slightly metallic warmth and musk keeping it clean rather than fluffy. It opens sharp for some wearers, then settles into a smooth, comforting woodiness that can feel cozy, austere, and quietly distinctive. This suits someone who enjoys minima…

Reviews →

Chic Magnet is a warm amber-wood scent built around saffron, leather, cedar, and a soft balsamic base. It opens dry, spicy, and slightly sharp, then settles into a smoother mix of powdery woods, musk, and amber. It usually reads unisex with a masculine tilt. If you enjoy textured, resinous fragrances with some warmth …

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 Air Of Despair or Chic Magnet?

Chic Magnet takes 6 of 7 categories. An Air Of Despair is rated 3.53/5 from 82 votes; Chic Magnet is rated 4.34/5 from 64 votes. Choose An Air Of Despair for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Chic Magnet for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, An Air Of Despair or Chic Magnet?

Chic Magnet lasts longest (Chic Magnet 67/100, An Air Of Despair 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, An Air Of Despair or Chic Magnet?

Projection is very close: An Air Of Despair 61/100, Chic Magnet 59/100 for sillage.

Do An Air Of Despair and Chic Magnet smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and powdery accords. Common notes include Saffron, Cedar and Musk.

Is An Air Of Despair or Chic Magnet better for summer or winter?

For summer, Chic Magnet is the stronger pick. For winter, Chic Magnet is the stronger pick. An Air Of Despair suits daytime wear; Chic Magnet suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in An Air Of Despair and Chic Magnet?

An Air Of Despair features Saffron, Cedar and Musk. Chic Magnet has top notes of Saffron and Woodsy Notes, heart notes of Leather, Sandalwood and Cedar, a base of Tolu Balsam, Amber and Musk.