Fragrance comparison

Complex 2020 vs Brown

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 34 ratings analysed

Complex 2020

Boadicea the Victorious

3.3030 votes

Rank #21,744 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

12%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Brown

Ahmed Al Maghribi

4.254 votes

Rank #39,995 FruityPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Brown takes 3 of 4 categories.

Complex 2020
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Brown
Choose it for a fruity and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Complex 20201/4

Brown3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Brown
Sillage & projection: Brown
Value for money: Brown
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Complex 2020

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Complex 2020Boadicea the Victorious

BrownAhmed Al Maghribi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.30/ 5 · 30 votes

Have 57%Had 14%Want 29%

4.25/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 13%Had 4%Want 83%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

30%Love

27%Like

10%Ok

10%Dislike

23%Hate

30 votes

25%Love

75%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity86

〰 Sillage79

♥ Love / hate58

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage83

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityBrown

SillageBrown

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value20

¤ Price value67

Category winnerBrownBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

amber84%

herbal77%

oud69%

leather61%

fruity100%

powdery92%

fresh84%

floral77%

sweet69%

green61%

Scent match12%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SageBasil

Heart

OlibanumViolet

Base

LeatherAgarwood (Oud)Musk

Top

Green ApplePineappleTobaccoBasilNectarineClary Sage

Heart

FreesiaGardeniaVioletLeather

Base

VanillaSandalwoodOlibanumAgarwood (Oud)Patchouli

InformationalShared notesBasil, Olibanum, Violet and Leather. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring40

Summer40

Fall90

Winter100

Day56

Night100

Spring67

Summer33

Fall67

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men90

Unisex10

Women0

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,744

PerfumerJohn Stephen

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#39,995

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerComplex 2020Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Boadicea the Victorious Complex 2020 opens with an aggressive surge of bruised sage and bitter basil before setting into a dense wall of raw leather and heavy oud. John Stephen built this composition around an earthy core of olibanum incense and dry violet leaf. It projects aggressively from skin during damp autumn ev…

Reviews →

Brown opens fruity and green, with apple and pineapple up top, then turns softer and more textured as powdery violet, florals and leather come through. The dry-down looks warmer, with vanilla, sandalwood, incense, oud and patchouli adding depth. It reads like a bold unisex scent with a strong presence. If you enjoy sw…

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, Complex 2020 or Brown?

Brown takes 3 of 4 categories. Complex 2020 is rated 3.30/5 from 30 votes; Brown is rated 4.25/5 from 4 votes. Choose Complex 2020 for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Brown for a fruity and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Complex 2020 or Brown?

They last about the same: Brown 87/100, Complex 2020 86/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Complex 2020 or Brown?

Brown projects furthest (Brown 83/100, Complex 2020 79/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Complex 2020 and Brown smell similar?

Clearly different: a 12% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Basil, Olibanum, Violet and Leather.

Is Complex 2020 or Brown better for summer or winter?

Complex 2020 suits evening wear; Brown suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Complex 2020 and Brown?

Complex 2020 has top notes of Sage and Basil, heart notes of Olibanum and Violet, a base of Leather, Agarwood (Oud) and Musk. Brown has top notes of Green Apple, Pineapple, Tobacco and Basil, heart notes of Freesia, Gardenia, Violet and Leather, a base of Vanilla, Sandalwood, Olibanum and Agarwood (Oud).