Fragrance comparison

Complex 2020 vs Complex

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 679 ratings analysed

Complex 2020

Boadicea the Victorious

3.3030 votes

Rank #21,744 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

73%scent match

Closely related

6 wins

Complex

Boadicea the Victorious

3.80649 votes

Rank #1,891 AmberLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Complex takes 6 of 7 categories.

Complex 2020
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Complex
Choose it for a amber and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Complex 20201/7

Complex6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Complex 2020Boadicea the Victorious

ComplexBoadicea the Victorious

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.30/ 5 · 30 votes

Have 57%Had 14%Want 29%

3.80/ 5 · 649 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerComplexRating 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

41%Love

28%Like

6%Ok

20%Dislike

5%Hate

649 votes

Category winnerComplexMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity86

〰 Sillage79

♥ Love / hate58

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage81

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityComplex

SillageComplex

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value20

¤ Price value36

Category winnerComplexBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

amber84%

herbal77%

oud69%

leather61%

amber100%

leather92%

smoky84%

aromatic77%

fresh spicy69%

balsamic61%

Scent match73%Closely related · both amber, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SageBasil

Heart

OlibanumViolet

Base

LeatherAgarwood (Oud)Musk

Notes

LeatherIncenseSageResinOlibanumAgarwood (Oud)BasilVioletMusk

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesSage, Basil, Olibanum and Violet. 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

Spring29

Summer18

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerComplex 2020Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men90

Unisex10

Women0

Men76

Unisex19

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,744

PerfumerJohn Stephen

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#1,891

PerfumerJohn Stephen

Launched—

Reviews99

Category winnerComplexHigher 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 →

Complex opens with a sharp burst of bitter sage and raw herbal basil that hits your nose with immediate herbal energy. As the initial green snap clears, heavy smoky olibanum incense and dense agarwood oud rise up to transform the profile into something dark, resinous, and unapologetically earthy. A thick layer of weat…

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 Complex?

Complex takes 6 of 7 categories. Complex 2020 is rated 3.30/5 from 30 votes; Complex is rated 3.80/5 from 649 votes. Choose Complex 2020 for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Complex for a amber and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Complex 2020 or Complex?

They last about the same: Complex 88/100, Complex 2020 86/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Complex 2020 or Complex?

Projection is very close: Complex 81/100, Complex 2020 79/100 for sillage.

Do Complex 2020 and Complex smell similar?

Closely related: a 73% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Sage, Basil, Olibanum and Violet.

Is Complex 2020 or Complex better for summer or winter?

For summer, Complex 2020 is the stronger pick. For winter, Complex 2020 is the stronger pick. Complex 2020 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Complex 2020 and Complex?

Complex 2020 has top notes of Sage and Basil, heart notes of Olibanum and Violet, a base of Leather, Agarwood (Oud) and Musk. Complex features Leather, Incense, Sage, Resin and Olibanum.