Fragrance comparison

An Air Of Despair vs Santal

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 197 ratings analysed

An Air Of Despair

Imaginary Authors

3.5382 votes

Rank #14,999 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

7 wins

Santal

Ajmal

4.13115 votes

Rank #6,331 WoodyOud

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Santal takes 7 of 7 categories.

An Air Of Despair
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Santal
Choose it for a woody and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

An Air Of Despair0/7

Santal7/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

An Air Of DespairImaginary Authors

SantalAjmal

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.53/ 5 · 82 votes

Have 18%Had 6%Want 76%

4.13/ 5 · 115 votes

Have 43%Had 8%Want 49%

Category winnerSantalRating 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

57%Love

29%Like

7%Ok

4%Dislike

2%Hate

82 votes

Category winnerSantalMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevitySantal

SillageSantal

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value42

¤ Price value68

Category winnerSantalBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy88%

musky77%

powdery65%

metallic53%

leather42%

woody100%

oud88%

fresh spicy77%

powdery65%

warm spicy53%

amber42%

Scent match48%Some overlap · 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

SaffronNutmegGinger

Heart

Gurjan balsamSandalwoodCedar

Base

Agarwood (Oud)White AmberMusk

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–

Spring75

Summer28

Fall100

Winter97

Day91

Night100

Category winnerSantalMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men40

Unisex20

Women40

Men45

Unisex51

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,999

PerfumerJosh Meyer

Launched—

Reviews21

Overall rank#6,331

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerSantalHigher 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 →

Ajmal Santal is a dry, spicy woody scent built around sandalwood, cedar and an oud style base, with saffron, ginger and nutmeg giving the opening a warm, aromatic bite. As it settles, it can feel gently powdery and musky, with a smooth amber glow rather than heavy sweetness. It usually suits cooler weather and evening…

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 Santal?

Santal takes 7 of 7 categories. An Air Of Despair is rated 3.53/5 from 82 votes; Santal is rated 4.13/5 from 115 votes. Choose An Air Of Despair for a woody and warm spicy character. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Santal for a woody and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, An Air Of Despair or Santal?

Santal lasts longest (Santal 84/100, An Air Of Despair 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, An Air Of Despair or Santal?

Santal projects furthest (Santal 72/100, An Air Of Despair 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do An Air Of Despair and Santal smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% 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 Santal better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in An Air Of Despair and Santal?

An Air Of Despair features Saffron, Cedar and Musk. Santal has top notes of Saffron, Nutmeg and Ginger, heart notes of Gurjan balsam, Sandalwood and Cedar, a base of Agarwood (Oud), White Amber and Musk.