Fragrance comparison

Cherry Smoke vs Trajan

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 2,702 ratings analysed

Cherry Smoke

Tom Ford

4.112,605 votes

Rank #27,277 CherrySmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Trajan

Nilafar du Nil

4.1997 votes

Rank #4,915 SweetTobacco

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Trajan takes 6 of 7 categories.

Cherry Smoke
Choose it for a cherry and smoky character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in winter.
Trajan
Choose it for a sweet and tobacco character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Cherry Smoke1/7

Trajan6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Cherry SmokeTom Ford

TrajanNilafar du Nil

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.11/ 5 · 2,605 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

4.19/ 5 · 97 votes

Have 27%Had 8%Want 65%

Category winnerCherry SmokeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

30%Like

12%Ok

8%Dislike

3%Hate

2,605 votes

67%Love

18%Like

8%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

87 votes

Category winnerTrajanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityTrajan

SillageTrajan

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value20

¤ Price value74

Category winnerTrajanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

cherry100%

smoky92%

woody84%

leather77%

sweet69%

fruity61%

sweet100%

tobacco92%

smoky84%

amber77%

cherry69%

honey61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both smoky, cherry and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Sour CherrySaffron

Heart

LeatherOliveChinese OsmanthusApricot

Base

SmokeWoody NotesCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Top

SmokeCinnamon

Heart

CherryHoneyIncenseApricotLicoriceSaffron

Base

TobaccoVanillaPeru BalsamIso E SuperAmber

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Apricot and Smoke. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring39

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring46

Summer12

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Category winnerTrajanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men18

Unisex52

Women30

Men63

Unisex37

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,277

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#4,915

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews18

Category winnerTrajanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cherry Smoke opens with a loud, sweet blast of dark cherry and warming saffron. On skin, it quickly drops the initial candy sweetness to reveal a dry, dark leather and olive note. It smells like a brand-new leather jacket left in a woodshop where cherry wood is drying. The dry-down settles into a soft, hazy cypriol oi…

Reviews →

Trajan by Nilafar du Nil is a warm, resinous fragrance for men that centers on a rich honeyed tobacco accord. Launched in 2019, it opens with a sharp burst of smoke and cinnamon before settling into a syrupy, cherry-tinged heart. This scent is well-suited for autumn evenings or cold winter days when you want something…

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, Cherry Smoke or Trajan?

Trajan takes 6 of 7 categories. Cherry Smoke is rated 4.11/5 from 2,605 votes; Trajan is rated 4.19/5 from 97 votes. Choose Cherry Smoke for a cherry and smoky character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in winter. Choose Trajan for a sweet and tobacco character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Cherry Smoke or Trajan?

Trajan lasts longest (Trajan 76/100, Cherry Smoke 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cherry Smoke or Trajan?

Trajan projects furthest (Trajan 71/100, Cherry Smoke 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cherry Smoke and Trajan smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share smoky, cherry and sweet accords. Common notes include Saffron, Apricot and Smoke.

Is Cherry Smoke or Trajan better for summer or winter?

For summer, Trajan is the stronger pick. For winter, Cherry Smoke is the stronger pick. Trajan suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cherry Smoke and Trajan?

Cherry Smoke has top notes of Sour Cherry and Saffron, heart notes of Leather, Olive, Chinese Osmanthus and Apricot, a base of Smoke, Woody Notes and Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha. Trajan has top notes of Smoke and Cinnamon, heart notes of Cherry, Honey, Incense and Apricot, a base of Tobacco, Vanilla, Peru Balsam and Iso E Super.