Fragrance comparison

Arcanum vs Holy Smoke

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

Updated 23 Oct 2026 172 ratings analysed

5 wins

Arcanum

Alkemia Perfumes

3.9383 votes

Rank #8,121 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

69%scent match

Closely related

Holy Smoke

Demeter Fragrance

3.9789 votes

Rank #17,786 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Arcanum takes 5 of 7 categories.

Arcanum
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Holy Smoke
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Arcanum5/7

Holy Smoke2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ArcanumAlkemia Perfumes

Holy SmokeDemeter Fragrance

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 83 votes

Have 36%Had 10%Want 54%

3.97/ 5 · 89 votes

Have 60%Had 40%Want 0%

Category winnerHoly SmokeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

60%Love

28%Like

3%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

60 votes

26%Love

58%Like

4%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

89 votes

Category winnerArcanumMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity45

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityArcanum

SillageHoly Smoke

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value88

¤ Price value44

Category winnerArcanumBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber88%

balsamic77%

woody65%

smoky53%

patchouli42%

amber100%

warm spicy83%

smoky65%

balsamic48%

woody30%

Scent match69%Closely related · both amber, warm spicy and balsamic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

IncenseDragon Blood ResinSpicesOlibanumPatchouliSandalwood

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

IncenseSpices

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesIncense and Spices. Durations are only published for Holy Smoke, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring26

Summer17

Fall100

Winter87

Day63

Night100

Spring35

Summer28

Fall0

Winter100

Day79

Night100

Category winnerArcanumMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex88

Women8

Men11

Unisex67

Women22

Casual 44%Work 27%Date 22%Party 7%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#8,121

PerfumerSharra Lamoureaux

Launched—

Reviews20

Overall rank#17,786

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews14

Category winnerArcanumHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Arcanum by Alkemia Perfumes is a fragrance for women and men. The nose behind this fragrance is Sharra Lamoureaux.

Reviews →

Demeter Fragrance Holy Smoke bottles the dry, sweet incense smoke of an old stone sanctuary without any dark gloom. You get a direct hit of frankincense resin, crushed dry spices, and warm amber sap right away. The profile is surprisingly gentle. A clean base of cedar and sweet benzoin keeps the smoke from smelling li…

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, Arcanum or Holy Smoke?

Arcanum takes 5 of 7 categories. Arcanum is rated 3.93/5 from 83 votes; Holy Smoke is rated 3.97/5 from 89 votes. Choose Arcanum for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Holy Smoke for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Arcanum or Holy Smoke?

Arcanum lasts longest (Arcanum 67/100, Holy Smoke 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Arcanum or Holy Smoke?

Holy Smoke projects furthest (Holy Smoke 54/100, Arcanum 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Arcanum and Holy Smoke smell similar?

Closely related: a 69% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and balsamic accords. Common notes include Incense and Spices.

Is Arcanum or Holy Smoke better for summer or winter?

For summer, Holy Smoke is the stronger pick. For winter, Holy Smoke is the stronger pick. Arcanum suits evening wear; Holy Smoke suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.