Fragrance comparison

Cedar Violet vs Steel

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 490 ratings analysed

4 wins

Cedar Violet

Aerin

3.56431 votes

Rank #6,749 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

Steel

Superdry

3.3859 votes

Rank #19,878 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cedar Violet takes 4 of 7 categories.

Cedar Violet
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Steel
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Cedar Violet4/7

Steel3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Cedar VioletAerin

SteelSuperdry

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.56/ 5 · 431 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.38/ 5 · 59 votes

Have 38%Had 31%Want 31%

Category winnerCedar VioletRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

35%Like

18%Ok

12%Dislike

3%Hate

398 votes

17%Love

45%Like

14%Ok

24%Dislike

0%Hate

29 votes

Category winnerCedar VioletMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage49

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage48

♥ Love / hate66

Category winners

LongevitySteel

SillageCedar Violet

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value39

¤ Price value75

Category winnerSteelBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery86%

ozonic72%

white floral58%

aquatic44%

warm spicy30%

citrus100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

fresh spicy77%

earthy69%

herbal61%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Violet LeafLily-of-the-Valley

Heart

Virginia CedarCalifornian Gardenia

Base

Australian SandalwoodAmber

Top

BergamotLimeAldehydes

Heart

ArtemisiaLily-of-the-ValleyCardamomViolet Leaf

Base

oak mossVirginia CedarVetiverPatchouli

InformationalShared notesViolet Leaf, Lily-of-the-Valley and Virginia Cedar. 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

Summer52

Fall0

Winter51

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer78

Fall67

Winter22

Day100

Night36

Category winnerSteelMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex40

Women56

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,749

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews83

Overall rank#19,878

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews13

Category winnerCedar VioletHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cedar Violet opens as a soft violet leaf and lily-of-the-valley scent, then settles quickly into creamy sandalwood, cedar and a light amber warmth. It reads more woody-powdery than lush floral. This suits someone who likes clean, polished, slightly nostalgic scents with a calm unisex feel. Sample first if you want st…

Reviews →

Steel by Superdry is a woody chypre fragrance built on a crisp, citrus-forward foundation. Launched in 2011, it brings together bergamot, lime, and sharp aldehydes for a bright initial snap. The scent settles into an aromatic heart of artemisia and violet leaf, grounded by a sturdy base of oak moss, vetiver, and cedar…

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, Cedar Violet or Steel?

Cedar Violet takes 4 of 7 categories. Cedar Violet is rated 3.56/5 from 431 votes; Steel is rated 3.38/5 from 59 votes. Choose Cedar Violet for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring. Choose Steel for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Cedar Violet or Steel?

Steel lasts longest (Steel 63/100, Cedar Violet 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cedar Violet or Steel?

Projection is very close: Cedar Violet 49/100, Steel 48/100 for sillage.

Do Cedar Violet and Steel smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Violet Leaf, Lily-of-the-Valley and Virginia Cedar.

Is Cedar Violet or Steel better for summer or winter?

For summer, Steel is the stronger pick. For winter, Cedar Violet is the stronger pick. Steel suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cedar Violet and Steel?

Cedar Violet has top notes of Violet Leaf and Lily-of-the-Valley, heart notes of Virginia Cedar and Californian Gardenia, a base of Australian Sandalwood and Amber. Steel has top notes of Bergamot, Lime and Aldehydes, heart notes of Artemisia, Lily-of-the-Valley, Cardamom and Violet Leaf, a base of oak moss, Virginia Cedar, Vetiver and Patchouli.