Fragrance comparison

Carnival of Souls vs Oud

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 285 ratings analysed

Carnival of Souls

Marissa Zappas

3.87125 votes

Rank #13,660 PowderyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Oud

The Spirit of Dubai

4.22160 votes

Rank #24,619 WoodyOud

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Oud takes 4 of 7 categories.

Carnival of Souls
Choose it for a powdery and amber character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Oud
Choose it for a woody and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Carnival of Souls3/7

Oud4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Carnival of SoulsMarissa Zappas

OudThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.87/ 5 · 125 votes

Have 14%Had 2%Want 83%

4.22/ 5 · 160 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

Category winnerOudRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

26%Like

27%Ok

6%Dislike

3%Hate

125 votes

59%Love

21%Like

9%Ok

4%Dislike

6%Hate

160 votes

Category winnerOudMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage41

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity86

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityOud

SillageOud

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value48

¤ Price value25

Category winnerCarnival of SoulsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

yellow floral77%

violet69%

floral61%

woody100%

oud92%

warm spicy84%

amber77%

sweet69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both amber and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

MimosaVioletMilk CreamIncenseVanillaSaffronPatchouliMuskAmber

No top / heart / base split published

Top

SaffronPineappleLimePineBlack PepperDamask RoseIncenseCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)JasmineGuaiac WoodResinsOlibanumRed RoseRoseEarthy Notes

Base

Indian OudPatchouliSandalwoodLeatherCedarWoodsy NotesAmbergrisTobacco

InformationalShared notesIncense, Saffron and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Carnival of Souls, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring41

Summer29

Fall88

Winter100

Day100

Night64

Spring47

Summer33

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerCarnival of SoulsMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men10

Unisex43

Women48

Men69

Unisex25

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,660

PerfumerMarissa Zappas

Launched—

Reviews45

Overall rank#24,619

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerCarnival of SoulsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Carnival of Souls by Marissa Zappas presents a quiet, powdery floral landscape that pairs fluffy yellow mimosa with chilled milk cream and soft violet. An undercurrent of smoky incense and warm spicy saffron cuts through the sweetness, keeping the scent grounded rather than sugary. As it settles, an amber base enriche…

Reviews →

The Spirit of Dubai Oud opens with a sharp burst of bitter lime, pungent saffron, and prickly black pepper before dropping straight into dense Indian agarwood. The wood here smells raw and medicinal at first, heavily saturated with dark leather, smoky incense, and dry cypriol oil. As the initial sharpness burns off, s…

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, Carnival of Souls or Oud?

Oud takes 4 of 7 categories. Carnival of Souls is rated 3.87/5 from 125 votes; Oud is rated 4.22/5 from 160 votes. Choose Carnival of Souls for a powdery and amber character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Oud for a woody and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Carnival of Souls or Oud?

Oud lasts longest (Oud 86/100, Carnival of Souls 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Carnival of Souls or Oud?

Oud projects furthest (Oud 78/100, Carnival of Souls 41/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Carnival of Souls and Oud smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Incense, Saffron and Patchouli.

Is Carnival of Souls or Oud better for summer or winter?

For summer, Oud is the stronger pick. For winter, Carnival of Souls is the stronger pick. Carnival of Souls suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Carnival of Souls and Oud?

Carnival of Souls features Mimosa, Violet, Milk Cream, Incense and Vanilla. Oud has top notes of Saffron, Pineapple, Lime and Pine, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Jasmine, Guaiac Wood and Resins, a base of Indian Oud, Patchouli, Sandalwood and Leather.