Fragrance comparison

Carbon vs Phoenix

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 468 ratings analysed

Carbon

Ajmal

3.68313 votes

Rank #16,291 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Phoenix

AXE

3.44155 votes

Rank #14,032 MuskyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Phoenix takes 4 of 7 categories.

Carbon
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.
Phoenix
Choose it for a musky and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in spring.

Carbon3/7

Phoenix4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CarbonAjmal

PhoenixAXE

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.68/ 5 · 313 votes

Have 52%Had 24%Want 24%

3.44/ 5 · 155 votes

Have 23%Had 67%Want 10%

Category winnerCarbonRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

22%Love

54%Like

8%Ok

16%Dislike

1%Hate

284 votes

21%Love

41%Like

17%Ok

13%Dislike

7%Hate

150 votes

Category winnerCarbonMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity49

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityCarbon

SillagePhoenix

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value74

¤ Price value86

Category winnerPhoenixBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery92%

warm spicy84%

violet77%

lavender69%

citrus61%

musky100%

fresh spicy92%

aromatic84%

lavender77%

earthy69%

powdery61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both powdery and lavender

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LavenderCitruses

Heart

VioletClove

Base

Woodsy NotesMuskPatchouli

Top

LavenderGeraniumCitruses

Heart

Soil TinctureViolet

Base

MuskLeather

InformationalShared notesLavender, Citruses, Violet 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

Summer0

Fall0

Winter39

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter77

Day–

Night–

Category winnerPhoenixMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men82

Unisex16

Women2

Men80

Unisex19

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,291

PerfumerNazir Ajmal

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#14,032

PerfumerAnn Gottlieb

Launched—

Reviews25

Category winnerPhoenixHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ajmal Carbon is a woody, powdery scent that opens with clean lavender and a quick squeeze of citrus, then moves into a violet heart warmed by clove. The dry down leans musky, woody and a little earthy from patchouli. It reads classic and put together rather than loud, with a smooth, slightly spicy finish that suits ev…

Reviews →

Phoenix by AXE is a polarizing aromatic fougere that defined an era for many young men. With notes of lavender, geranium, and citrus paired with an earthy soil tincture and base of musk and leather, it offers a distinct, clean, and herbal profile that remains deeply tied to high school nostalgia and informal daily wea…

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, Carbon or Phoenix?

Phoenix takes 4 of 7 categories. Carbon is rated 3.68/5 from 313 votes; Phoenix is rated 3.44/5 from 155 votes. Choose Carbon for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring. Choose Phoenix for a musky and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Carbon or Phoenix?

Carbon lasts longest (Carbon 62/100, Phoenix 49/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Carbon or Phoenix?

Projection is very close: Phoenix 56/100, Carbon 55/100 for sillage.

Do Carbon and Phoenix smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery and lavender accords. Common notes include Lavender, Citruses, Violet and Musk.

Is Carbon or Phoenix better for summer or winter?

For summer, Carbon is the stronger pick. For winter, Phoenix is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Carbon and Phoenix?

Carbon has top notes of Lavender and Citruses, heart notes of Violet and Clove, a base of Woodsy Notes, Musk and Patchouli. Phoenix has top notes of Lavender, Geranium and Citruses, heart notes of Soil Tincture and Violet, a base of Musk and Leather.