Fragrance comparison

Carmine vs Havana

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 1,722 ratings analysed

Carmine

House of Matriarch

3.9030 votes

Rank #40,071 FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Havana

Aramis

4.101,692 votes

Rank #826 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Havana takes 5 of 7 categories.

Carmine
Choose it for a floral and sweet character. Wins on longevity and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Havana
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Carmine2/7

Havana5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CarmineHouse of Matriarch

HavanaAramis

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.90/ 5 · 30 votes

Have 9%Had 4%Want 87%

4.10/ 5 · 1,692 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

Category winnerHavanaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

43%Like

0%Ok

13%Dislike

7%Hate

30 votes

47%Love

41%Like

4%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

1,339 votes

Category winnerHavanaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityCarmine

SillageHavana

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value38

¤ Price value80

Category winnerHavanaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

sweet92%

aromatic84%

warm spicy77%

woody69%

balsamic61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

warm spicy84%

fresh spicy77%

tobacco69%

earthy61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

MarigoldPandanusWoody Notes

Heart2-4 hrs

ChampacaArtemisiaBlack Pepper

Base8-10+ hrs

Masala ChaiPebblesSandalwoodTobaccoAmberTonka BeanOakmossVetiver

Top

Mandarin OrangeArtemisiaBasilCaraway

Heart

TobaccoCinnamonFirCarnation

Base

OakmossPatchouliVetiverSandalwood

InformationalShared notesArtemisia, Sandalwood, Tobacco and Oakmoss. Durations are only published for Carmine, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring13

Summer25

Fall100

Winter75

Day54

Night100

Spring92

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerCarmineMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

Date 39%Casual 29%Party 19%Work 13%

Men94

Unisex6

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#40,071

PerfumerChristi Meshell

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#826

PerfumerNathalie Feisthauer, Xavier Renard

Launched—

Reviews100

Category winnerHavanaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Carmine by House of Matriarch opens with a bold flare of bitter marigold and pungent green kewra, cutting through the air before settling into something remarkably deep. Within minutes, the golden floral sweetness of champaca takes hold, spiced by crushed black pepper and a savory swirl of hot masala chai. The base re…

Reviews →

Aramis Havana is a dry, spicy tobacco scent with a woody, mossy base and an unmistakably classic masculine style. It opens sharp with herbs and spice, then settles into cinnamon, tobacco, patchouli, and oakmoss. It usually suits someone who likes mature, assertive fragrances rather than soft modern sweetness. If you 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, Carmine or Havana?

Havana takes 5 of 7 categories. Carmine is rated 3.90/5 from 30 votes; Havana is rated 4.10/5 from 1,692 votes. Choose Carmine for a floral and sweet character. Wins on longevity and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Havana for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Carmine or Havana?

They last about the same: Carmine 74/100, Havana 72/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Carmine or Havana?

Havana projects furthest (Havana 66/100, Carmine 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Carmine and Havana smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Artemisia, Sandalwood, Tobacco and Oakmoss.

Is Carmine or Havana better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Carmine and Havana?

Carmine has top notes of Marigold, Pandanus and Woody Notes, heart notes of Champaca, Artemisia and Black Pepper, a base of Masala Chai, Pebbles, Sandalwood and Tobacco. Havana has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Artemisia, Basil and Caraway, heart notes of Tobacco, Cinnamon, Fir and Carnation, a base of Oakmoss, Patchouli, Vetiver and Sandalwood.