Fragrance comparison

Ciao vs Winter Sun

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 25 ratings analysed

2 wins

Ciao

Houbigant

4.2524 votes

Rank #43,381 WoodyGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

Winter Sun

Vartan Perfumes

4.001 votes

Rank #61,763 WoodyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ciao takes 2 of 2 categories.

Ciao
Choose it for a woody and green character. Wins on note pyramid duration and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Winter Sun
Choose it for a woody and floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Ciao2/2

Winter Sun0/2

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CiaoHoubigant

Winter SunVartan Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.25/ 5 · 24 votes

Have 35%Had 17%Want 48%

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

33%Like

8%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity93

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

green92%

earthy84%

floral77%

fresh spicy69%

aromatic61%

woody100%

floral92%

warm spicy84%

yellow floral77%

patchouli69%

vanilla61%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both woody and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

FruitsCuminGreen NotesLemonPalisander RosewoodBasilOsmanthus

Heart2-4 hrs

Orris RootRoseHyacinthJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyCarnationYlang-YlangCassis

Base8-10+ hrs

OakmossLeatherSandalwoodAmberVetiverPatchouliMuskBenzoin

Top15-30 mins

CarnationYlang-Ylang

Heart2-4 hrs

Osmanthus

Base6-8+ hrs

PatchouliSandalwoodVanilla

Category winnerCiaoLongest dry-down: 8-10+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night64

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night79

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex17

Women83

Casual 39%Work 30%Date 18%Party 12%

Not enough votes yet

Casual 34%Work 31%Date 26%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#43,381

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#61,763

PerfumerKristen Vartan

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerCiaoHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Houbigant Ciao launches with a sharp crack of green basil, bitter lemon, and pungent cumin. It does not apologize for its vintage power. Give it five minutes to settle past the initial alcohol lift. Soon, a rich bouquet of spicy carnation, hyacinth, and powdery orris root blooms across your skin. The sweetness is mini…

Reviews →

Winter Sun by Vartan Perfumes cuts through chilly air with bright, unexpected warmth. A quick burst of spicy carnation meets lush ylang-ylang right at the nozzle. It feels golden. Within ten minutes, the initial floral sharpness softens into velvety apricot osmanthus, balanced by dry patchouli and smooth sandalwood. T…

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, Ciao or Winter Sun?

Ciao takes 2 of 2 categories. Ciao is rated 4.25/5 from 24 votes; Winter Sun is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Ciao for a woody and green character. Wins on note pyramid duration and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Winter Sun for a woody and floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Do Ciao and Winter Sun smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and floral accords. Common notes include Osmanthus, Carnation, Ylang-Ylang and Sandalwood.

Is Ciao or Winter Sun better for summer or winter?

Ciao suits daytime wear; Winter Sun suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ciao and Winter Sun?

Ciao has top notes of Fruits, Cumin, Green Notes and Lemon, heart notes of Orris Root, Rose, Hyacinth and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Leather, Sandalwood and Amber. Winter Sun has top notes of Carnation and Ylang-Ylang, heart notes of Osmanthus, a base of Patchouli, Sandalwood and Vanilla.