Fragrance comparison

Bois d'Aksum vs Red Iris

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 12 ratings analysed

Bois d'Aksum

Awshal

4.673 votes

Rank #46,433 LeatherIris

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Red Iris

Deraah Private

4.449 votes

Rank #37,916 CitrusFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Red Iris takes 3 of 4 categories.

Bois d'Aksum
Choose it for a leather and iris character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.
Red Iris
Choose it for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Bois d'Aksum1/4

Red Iris3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Bois d'Aksum
Sillage & projection: Red Iris
Value for money: Red Iris
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Red Iris

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bois d'AksumAwshal

Red IrisDeraah Private

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 27%Had 0%Want 73%

4.44/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 67%Had 0%Want 33%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

56%Love

33%Like

11%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate92

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage81

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevityBois d'Aksum

SillageRed Iris

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value84

Category winnerRed IrisBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

leather100%

iris92%

amber84%

sweet77%

powdery69%

animalic61%

citrus100%

fresh spicy88%

white floral77%

woody65%

aromatic53%

powdery42%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LeatherBergamotCinnamonMandarinApple

Heart

OrrisJasmineelemi

Base

PralineAmberCedarwoodTonkaPatchouliOakmossVetiverMusk

Top15-30 mins

BergamotMandarinBlack Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

JasmineLavenderOrris

Base6-8+ hrs

CedarwoodAmberPatchouli

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Mandarin, Orris and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Red Iris, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Spring100

Summer50

Fall75

Winter75

Day100

Night56

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men38

Unisex63

Women0

Work 39%Casual 33%Date 18%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#46,433

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#37,916

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerRed IrisHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Bois d'Aksum by Awshal opens with a sharp, crisp apple and mandarin blend before grounding itself in supple leather. This unisex scent balances a bright fruit introduction with a resinous, woody base. It thrives in cooler weather, providing a polished profile that fits both professional settings and evening outings, s…

Reviews →

Deraah Private Red Iris hits the skin with a sharp crack of black pepper and sparkling bergamot. The citrus burns bright for twenty minutes before giving way to powdery orris root and cool lavender. It is clean, crisp, and noticeably dry. Creamy jasmine softens the heart, keeping the floral accord approachable rather …

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, Bois d'Aksum or Red Iris?

Red Iris takes 3 of 4 categories. Bois d'Aksum is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes; Red Iris is rated 4.44/5 from 9 votes. Choose Bois d'Aksum for a leather and iris character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Red Iris for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Bois d'Aksum or Red Iris?

Bois d'Aksum lasts longest (Bois d'Aksum 80/100, Red Iris 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bois d'Aksum or Red Iris?

Red Iris projects furthest (Red Iris 81/100, Bois d'Aksum 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bois d'Aksum and Red Iris smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Mandarin, Orris and Jasmine.

Is Bois d'Aksum or Red Iris better for summer or winter?

Bois d'Aksum suits evening wear; Red Iris suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bois d'Aksum and Red Iris?

Bois d'Aksum has top notes of Leather, Bergamot, Cinnamon and Mandarin, heart notes of Orris, Jasmine and elemi, a base of Praline, Amber, Cedarwood and Tonka. Red Iris has top notes of Bergamot, Mandarin and Black Pepper, heart notes of Jasmine, Lavender and Orris, a base of Cedarwood, Amber and Patchouli.