Fragrance comparison

Black Oud vs Red Santal

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 136 ratings analysed

7 wins

Black Oud

Al Haramain Perfumes

4.4626 votes

Rank #10,610 Warm SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

Red Santal

Abel

3.57110 votes

Rank #13,712 Fresh SpicyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Oud takes 7 of 7 categories.

Black Oud
Choose it for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Red Santal
Choose it for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Best in winter.

Black Oud7/7

Red Santal0/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black OudAl Haramain Perfumes

Red SantalAbel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.46/ 5 · 26 votes

Have 30%Had 6%Want 64%

3.57/ 5 · 110 votes

Have 44%Had 22%Want 35%

Category winnerBlack OudRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

54%Love

38%Like

8%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

26 votes

27%Love

32%Like

17%Ok

20%Dislike

4%Hate

81 votes

Category winnerBlack OudMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate66

Category winners

LongevityBlack Oud

SillageBlack Oud

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value37

Category winnerBlack OudBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

aromatic91%

woody83%

vanilla74%

oud65%

amber56%

fresh spicy100%

warm spicy86%

woody72%

aromatic58%

citrus44%

powdery30%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CardamomClovesBlack PepperThyme

Heart

OudVetiverCedarRose

Base

Tonka BeanSandalwoodVanilaAmberMusk

Top

ClovesBlack and Pink Pepper

Heart

GingerThymeBergamot

Base

SandalwoodAustralian Sandalwood

InformationalShared notesCloves, Thyme and Sandalwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring29

Summer21

Fall64

Winter100

Day43

Night100

Spring68

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBlack OudMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men77

Unisex18

Women5

Men34

Unisex62

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,610

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#13,712

PerfumerIsaac Sinclair

Launched—

Reviews25

Category winnerBlack OudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Oud by Al Haramain leans into a Tom Ford Oud Wood style, but wears smoother, less sharp, and a touch more oud-forward. Expect a dark, spicy opening with a medicinal oud edge, then a cleaner woody dry-down where sandalwood and vanilla soften the blend. Reviews often call it masculine, slightly formal, and a stron…

Reviews →

Red Santal is a close-wearing, spice-forward sandalwood that reads more like an aromatherapy blend than a glossy designer woody. It opens peppery and clove-heavy, then warms into ginger, herbs and a soft, slightly powdery sandalwood dry-down. If you want a subtle, naturalistic spice cabinet scent with a clean, soapy e…

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, Black Oud or Red Santal?

Black Oud takes 7 of 7 categories. Black Oud is rated 4.46/5 from 26 votes; Red Santal is rated 3.57/5 from 110 votes. Choose Black Oud for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Red Santal for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Black Oud or Red Santal?

Black Oud lasts longest (Black Oud 76/100, Red Santal 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Oud or Red Santal?

Black Oud projects furthest (Black Oud 64/100, Red Santal 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Oud and Red Santal smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Cloves, Thyme and Sandalwood.

Is Black Oud or Red Santal better for summer or winter?

For summer, Black Oud is the stronger pick. For winter, Black Oud is the stronger pick. Black Oud suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Oud and Red Santal?

Black Oud has top notes of Cardamom, Cloves, Black Pepper and Thyme, heart notes of Oud, Vetiver, Cedar and Rose, a base of Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Vanila and Amber. Red Santal has top notes of Cloves and Black and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Ginger, Thyme and Bergamot, a base of Sandalwood and Australian Sandalwood.