Complex 2020 vs Elixir de Esmeralda
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
47%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Complex 2020 takes 3 of 5 categories.
Complex 2020Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Elixir de EsmeraldaChoose it for a amber and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Complex 20203/5
Elixir de Esmeralda2/5
- Ratings & consensus
- Elixir de Esmeralda
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- Complex 2020
- Sillage & projection
- Complex 2020
- Value for money
- Elixir de Esmeralda
- 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 VictoriousElixir de EsmeraldaArtal PerfumesWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.30/ 5 · 30 votes
Have 57%Had 14%Want 29%
4.25/ 5 · 12 votes
Have 33%Had 2%Want 65%
Category winnerElixir de EsmeraldaRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate30%Love
27%Like
10%Ok
10%Dislike
23%Hate
30 votes
67%Love
17%Like
0%Ok
8%Dislike
8%Hate
12 votes · too few to score
Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityComplex 2020
SillageComplex 2020
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerElixir de EsmeraldaBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by botharomatic100%
fresh spicy92%
amber84%
herbal77%
oud69%
leather61%
amber100%
oud92%
smoky84%
fresh spicy77%
warm spicy69%
balsamic61%
Scent match47%Some overlap · both amber, fresh spicy and oud
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
SageBasil
Heart
OlibanumViolet
Base
LeatherAgarwood (Oud)Musk
Top
SaffronBlack CurrantBergamotGrapefruit
Heart
IncenseAgarwood (Oud)VioletLeather
Base
OlibanumIndian OudMuskAmbergris
InformationalShared notesOlibanum, Violet, Leather and Agarwood (Oud). Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring40
Summer40
Fall90
Winter100
Day56
Night100
Spring90
Summer20
Fall70
Winter100
Day38
Night100
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#21,600
PerfumerJohn Stephen
Launched—
Reviews8
Overall rank#39,066
PerfumerShadi Samra
Launched—
Reviews1
Category winnerComplex 2020Higher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotBoadicea 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 →Elixir de Esmeralda leans into a dark, resinous oud style with saffron up top, then incense, leather and violet moving through the heart. It reads smoky, ambery and slightly animalic rather than bright or easygoing. On skin, it seems built for cooler weather and evening wear. The dry-down is the real draw here, with a…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Complex 2020 or Elixir de Esmeralda?
Complex 2020 takes 3 of 5 categories. Complex 2020 is rated 3.30/5 from 30 votes; Elixir de Esmeralda is rated 4.25/5 from 12 votes. Choose Complex 2020 for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Elixir de Esmeralda for a amber and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Which lasts longer, Complex 2020 or Elixir de Esmeralda?
Complex 2020 lasts longest (Complex 2020 86/100, Elixir de Esmeralda 78/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Complex 2020 or Elixir de Esmeralda?
Complex 2020 projects furthest (Complex 2020 79/100, Elixir de Esmeralda 72/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Complex 2020 and Elixir de Esmeralda smell similar?
Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, fresh spicy and oud accords. Common notes include Olibanum, Violet, Leather and Agarwood (Oud).
Is Complex 2020 or Elixir de Esmeralda better for summer or winter?
Complex 2020 suits evening wear; Elixir de Esmeralda suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Complex 2020 and Elixir de Esmeralda?
Complex 2020 has top notes of Sage and Basil, heart notes of Olibanum and Violet, a base of Leather, Agarwood (Oud) and Musk. Elixir de Esmeralda has top notes of Saffron, Black Currant, Bergamot and Grapefruit, heart notes of Incense, Agarwood (Oud), Violet and Leather, a base of Olibanum, Indian Oud, Musk and Ambergris.
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