Fragrance comparison

Cardinal vs D7 Aoud

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

Updated 23 Oct 2026 1,259 ratings analysed

Cardinal

James Heeley

4.211,257 votes

Rank #25,079 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

D7 Aoud

The Dua Brand

4.002 votes

Rank #50,955 AmberCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

D7 Aoud takes 3 of 4 categories.

Cardinal
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
D7 Aoud
Choose it for a amber and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Cardinal1/4

D7 Aoud3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: D7 Aoud
Sillage & projection: D7 Aoud
Value for money: D7 Aoud
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Cardinal

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CardinalJames Heeley

D7 AoudThe Dua Brand

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.21/ 5 · 1,257 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

4.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 75%Had 0%Want 25%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

48%Love

35%Like

7%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

1,257 votes

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityD7 Aoud

SillageD7 Aoud

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value75

Category winnerD7 AoudBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy83%

fresh spicy65%

balsamic48%

woody30%

amber100%

citrus92%

oud84%

patchouli77%

warm spicy69%

woody61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both amber, warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LinenBlack PepperBaie Rose

Heart

MyrrhOlibanumFrench labdanum

Base

AmberPatchouliVetyver

Notes

Mandarin OrangeFrench labdanumPatchouliAgarwoodMyrrh

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesMyrrh, French labdanum and Patchouli. Durations are only published for D7 Aoud, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring54

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men32

Unisex65

Women4

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Date 40%Party 23%Casual 20%Work 17%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,079

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#50,955

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerCardinalHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cardinal by James Heeley opens with an immediate contrast of crisp starchy linen and dry incense smoke. The top note brings a cool, freshly ironed fabric impression boosted by black pepper and baie rose before settling into a heart dominated by olibanum and myrrh. Rather than feeling heavy or suffocating like typical …

Reviews →

The Dua Brand D7 Aoud delivers an unapologetic burst of candied mandarin orange over dense, resinous woods. The opening hits fast with a tart citrus brightness and a faint solvent flash. That sharpness fades within five minutes. Dark agarwood and earthy patchouli take over the midsection, wrapping the skin in a warm, …

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, Cardinal or D7 Aoud?

D7 Aoud takes 3 of 4 categories. Cardinal is rated 4.21/5 from 1,257 votes; D7 Aoud is rated 4.00/5 from 2 votes. Choose Cardinal for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose D7 Aoud for a amber and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Cardinal or D7 Aoud?

D7 Aoud lasts longest (D7 Aoud 70/100, Cardinal 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cardinal or D7 Aoud?

D7 Aoud projects furthest (D7 Aoud 63/100, Cardinal 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cardinal and D7 Aoud smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Myrrh, French labdanum and Patchouli.

Is Cardinal or D7 Aoud better for summer or winter?

D7 Aoud suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cardinal and D7 Aoud?

Cardinal has top notes of Linen, Black Pepper and Baie Rose, heart notes of Myrrh, Olibanum and French labdanum, a base of Amber, Patchouli and Vetyver. D7 Aoud features Mandarin Orange, French labdanum, Patchouli, Agarwood and Myrrh.