Fragrance comparison

Charles Street vs Risala Special Blend

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 100 ratings analysed

Charles Street

Mark Birley

4.0688 votes

Rank #9,808 LeatherFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Risala Special Blend

Risala

4.0812 votes

Rank #50,107 FloralWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Risala Special Blend takes 3 of 5 categories.

Charles Street
Choose it for a leather and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Risala Special Blend
Choose it for a floral and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Charles Street2/5

Risala Special Blend3/5

Ratings & consensus: Charles Street
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Risala Special Blend
Sillage & projection: Risala Special Blend
Value for money: Risala Special Blend
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Charles Street

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Charles StreetMark Birley

Risala Special BlendRisala

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.06/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 33%Had 16%Want 51%

4.08/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 31%Had 4%Want 65%

Category winnerCharles StreetRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

53%Like

0%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

88 votes

33%Love

58%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

8%Hate

12 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityRisala Special Blend

SillageRisala Special Blend

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value56

¤ Price value89

Category winnerRisala Special BlendBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

leather100%

fruity92%

sweet84%

powdery77%

warm spicy69%

white floral61%

floral100%

white floral92%

powdery84%

woody77%

fruity69%

sweet61%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both fruity, powdery and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

CoffeeNutmegAngelicaCarrot SeedsThyme

Heart2 to 3 hours

RaspberrySaffronRoseIrisAfrican Orange FlowerLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineTuberose

Base4 to 6 hours

LeatherVanilleAmberoak mossPatchouli

Top

RaspberryLily-of-the-ValleyThymeMandarin OrangeBergamotMagnoliaSaffronLilac

Heart

JasminePeachYlang YlangTuberoseOlibanumVioletBulgarian RoseCarnation

Base

LeatherIrisAmberSandalwoodMuskWoody NotesVanillaClove

InformationalShared notesThyme, Raspberry, Saffron and Rose. Durations are only published for Charles Street, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring72

Summer56

Fall100

Winter84

Day92

Night100

Spring100

Summer14

Fall100

Winter71

Day25

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men80

Unisex20

Women0

Men29

Unisex43

Women29

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#9,808

PerfumerChristian Plesch

Launched—

Reviews23

Overall rank#50,107

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerCharles StreetHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Charles Street by Mark Birley is a woody spicy fragrance built around smooth leather, roasted coffee, and subtle fruit sweetness. Released in 2011 and composed by perfumer Christian Plesch, it takes an understated approach to traditional leather perfumery. The scent opens with an unexpected pairing of dark coffee, gra…

Reviews →

Risala Special Blend opens like a bright floral-fruity blend, with raspberry and citrus quickly meeting a dense bouquet of white florals, rose, and soft powder. As it settles, the scent turns warmer and smoother, bringing in leather, amber, sandalwood, and vanilla. It reads unisex with a slightly dressy feel, and it m…

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, Charles Street or Risala Special Blend?

Risala Special Blend takes 3 of 5 categories. Charles Street is rated 4.06/5 from 88 votes; Risala Special Blend is rated 4.08/5 from 12 votes. Choose Charles Street for a leather and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Risala Special Blend for a floral and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Charles Street or Risala Special Blend?

Risala Special Blend lasts longest (Risala Special Blend 71/100, Charles Street 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Charles Street or Risala Special Blend?

Risala Special Blend projects furthest (Risala Special Blend 64/100, Charles Street 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Charles Street and Risala Special Blend smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, powdery and white floral accords. Common notes include Thyme, Raspberry, Saffron and Rose.

Is Charles Street or Risala Special Blend better for summer or winter?

Charles Street suits evening wear; Risala Special Blend suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Charles Street and Risala Special Blend?

Charles Street has top notes of Coffee, Nutmeg, Angelica and Carrot Seeds, heart notes of Raspberry, Saffron, Rose and Iris, a base of Leather, Vanille, Amber and oak moss. Risala Special Blend has top notes of Raspberry, Lily-of-the-Valley, Thyme and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Jasmine, Peach, Ylang Ylang and Tuberose, a base of Leather, Iris, Amber and Sandalwood.