Fragrance comparison

Aqua di Aix vs Steel Grey

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 39 ratings analysed

Aqua di Aix

Absolument Parfumeur

3.5812 votes

Rank #45,954 Warm SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Steel Grey

Zara

3.8327 votes

Rank #17,055 CitrusMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Steel Grey takes 3 of 5 categories.

Aqua di Aix
Choose it for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Steel Grey
Choose it for a citrus and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Aqua di Aix2/5

Steel Grey3/5

Ratings & consensus: Steel Grey
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Aqua di Aix
Sillage & projection: Aqua di Aix
Value for money: Steel Grey
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Steel Grey

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Aqua di AixAbsolument Parfumeur

Steel GreyZara

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.58/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 37%Had 17%Want 46%

3.83/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 55%Had 26%Want 19%

Category winnerSteel GreyRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

25%Love

33%Like

25%Ok

8%Dislike

8%Hate

12 votes · too few to score

25%Love

31%Like

38%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityAqua di Aix

SillageAqua di Aix

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value89

Category winnerSteel GreyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

aromatic92%

amber84%

woody77%

fresh spicy69%

smoky61%

citrus100%

musky86%

warm spicy72%

aromatic58%

powdery44%

fresh spicy30%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both warm spicy, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CardamomBergamotApple

Heart

IncenseJasmineBlack Pepper

Base

VetiverAmberMusk

Top

Bergamot

Heart

Cardamom

Base

Musk

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Bergamot 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

Spring100

Summer80

Fall60

Winter20

Day100

Night60

Spring100

Summer89

Fall78

Winter44

Day100

Night63

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex57

Women43

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#45,954

PerfumerMarc Villaceque, Pascal Rolland

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#17,055

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerSteel GreyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Aqua di Aix by Absolument Parfumeur is a Aromatic Spicy fragrance for women. Aqua di Aix was launched in 2014. Aqua di Aix was created by Pascal Rolland and Marc Villaceque. Top notes are Cardamom, Bergamot and Apple; middle notes are Incense, Jasmine and Black Pepper; base notes are Vetiver, Amber and Musk.

Reviews →

Steel Grey is a clean, cardamom-led Zara scent with a brief citrus lift up top and a soft musky base underneath. It reads fresh, lightly spicy, and easy to wear rather than complex. On skin, it usually suits spring and summer best, especially daytime use. If you like simple, crisp fragrances with a smooth spicy edge a…

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, Aqua di Aix or Steel Grey?

Steel Grey takes 3 of 5 categories. Aqua di Aix is rated 3.58/5 from 12 votes; Steel Grey is rated 3.83/5 from 27 votes. Choose Aqua di Aix for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Steel Grey for a citrus and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Aqua di Aix or Steel Grey?

They last about the same: Aqua di Aix 70/100, Steel Grey 68/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Aqua di Aix or Steel Grey?

Aqua di Aix projects furthest (Aqua di Aix 70/100, Steel Grey 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Aqua di Aix and Steel Grey smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Bergamot and Musk.

Is Aqua di Aix or Steel Grey better for summer or winter?

Aqua di Aix suits daytime wear; Steel Grey suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Aqua di Aix and Steel Grey?

Aqua di Aix has top notes of Cardamom, Bergamot and Apple, heart notes of Incense, Jasmine and Black Pepper, a base of Vetiver, Amber and Musk. Steel Grey has top notes of Bergamot, heart notes of Cardamom, a base of Musk.