Fragrance comparison

Apex vs Only The Brave Tattoo

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 3,119 ratings analysed

Apex

Roja Dove

3.841,785 votes

Rank #1,444 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Only The Brave Tattoo

Diesel

4.031,334 votes

Rank #25,092 FruityTobacco

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Only The Brave Tattoo takes 4 of 7 categories.

Apex
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Only The Brave Tattoo
Choose it for a fruity and tobacco character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Apex3/7

Only The Brave Tattoo4/7

Ratings & consensus: Only The Brave Tattoo
Community sentiment: Only The Brave Tattoo
Longevity: Apex
Sillage & projection: Apex
Value for money: Only The Brave Tattoo
Versatility: Only The Brave Tattoo
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Apex

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ApexRoja Dove

Only The Brave TattooDiesel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.84/ 5 · 1,785 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

4.03/ 5 · 1,334 votes

Have 50%Had 28%Want 22%

Category winnerOnly The Brave TattooRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

24%Like

13%Ok

8%Dislike

10%Hate

1,136 votes

36%Love

45%Like

8%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

1,334 votes

Category winnerOnly The Brave TattooMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityApex

SillageApex

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value36

¤ Price value67

Category winnerOnly The Brave TattooBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

fresh spicy84%

citrus77%

amber69%

sweet61%

fruity100%

tobacco92%

sweet84%

woody77%

warm spicy69%

amber61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both woody, sweet and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotOrangeMandarin OrangeLemon

Heart

PineappleCistus IncanusJasmine

Base

CypressBalsam FirOakmossLeatherPatchouliTobaccoJuniper BerriesOlibanum

Top15 to 30 minutes

Red AppleMandarin Orange

Heart1 to 2 hours

PepperSage

Base5 to 8 hours

TobaccoBenzoinWoodsy NotesPatchouli

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Patchouli and Tobacco. Durations are only published for Only The Brave Tattoo, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter83

Day–

Night–

Spring56

Summer26

Fall93

Winter100

Day53

Night100

Category winnerOnly The Brave TattooMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men94

Unisex3

Women2

Men92

Unisex7

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,444

PerfumerRoja Dove

Launched—

Reviews413

Overall rank#25,092

PerfumerAlberto Morillas, Honorine Blanc

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerApexHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Apex opens bright with citrus and pineapple, then quickly turns greener, woodsier, and more old-school in character. Cypress, oakmoss, leather, and fir give it a masculine, outdoorsy feel that many find polished, while others find dated or too forceful. It suits someone who likes classic chypre structure with a modern…

Reviews →

Only The Brave Tattoo by Diesel delivers an immediate hit of sweet red apple and juicy mandarin orange, creating a punchy, candied fruit opening. That bright sweetness soon settles into an aromatic core of sage and warm pepper. As the scent develops over several hours, rich tobacco and warm benzoin take over the base,…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Apex or Only The Brave Tattoo?

Only The Brave Tattoo takes 4 of 7 categories. Apex is rated 3.84/5 from 1,785 votes; Only The Brave Tattoo is rated 4.03/5 from 1,334 votes. Choose Apex for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Only The Brave Tattoo for a fruity and tobacco character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Apex or Only The Brave Tattoo?

Apex lasts longest (Apex 76/100, Only The Brave Tattoo 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Apex or Only The Brave Tattoo?

Apex projects furthest (Apex 67/100, Only The Brave Tattoo 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Apex and Only The Brave Tattoo smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, sweet and amber accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Patchouli and Tobacco.

Is Apex or Only The Brave Tattoo better for summer or winter?

For summer, Only The Brave Tattoo is the stronger pick. For winter, Only The Brave Tattoo is the stronger pick. Only The Brave Tattoo suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Apex and Only The Brave Tattoo?

Apex has top notes of Bergamot, Orange, Mandarin Orange and Lemon, heart notes of Pineapple, Cistus Incanus and Jasmine, a base of Cypress, Balsam Fir, Oakmoss and Leather. Only The Brave Tattoo has top notes of Red Apple and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Pepper and Sage, a base of Tobacco, Benzoin, Woodsy Notes and Patchouli.