Fragrance comparison

Cross River Gorilla vs The Opening

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 70 ratings analysed

4 wins

Cross River Gorilla

Sanctuary

4.0427 votes

Rank #23,784 AromaticWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

The Opening

NEH

3.6043 votes

Rank #20,722 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cross River Gorilla takes 4 of 7 categories.

Cross River Gorilla
Choose it for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
The Opening
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Cross River Gorilla4/7

The Opening3/7

Ratings & consensus: Cross River Gorilla
Community sentiment: Cross River Gorilla
Longevity: The Opening
Sillage & projection: Cross River Gorilla
Value for money: Cross River Gorilla
Versatility: The Opening
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Opening

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Cross River GorillaSanctuary

The OpeningNEH

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.04/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 53%Had 5%Want 42%

3.60/ 5 · 43 votes

Have 43%Had 9%Want 48%

Category winnerCross River GorillaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

26%Like

19%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

27 votes

35%Love

23%Like

19%Ok

14%Dislike

9%Hate

43 votes

Category winnerCross River GorillaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityThe Opening

SillageCross River Gorilla

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value59

¤ Price value47

Category winnerCross River GorillaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

fruity77%

green69%

earthy61%

woody100%

aromatic88%

warm spicy77%

powdery65%

balsamic53%

soft spicy42%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Green AppleCardamomSage

Heart

Violet LeavesCypresselemi

Base

VetiverRed SandalwoodLeatherSmoke

Top

elemiPink PepperCardamom

Heart

LavenderVioletOrris

Base

SandalwoodCedarwoodVetiverPapyrusGaiacSage

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Sage, elemi and Vetiver. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer69

Fall56

Winter25

Day100

Night54

Spring87

Summer67

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night86

Category winnerThe OpeningMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men88

Unisex12

Women0

Men34

Unisex50

Women16

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,784

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#20,722

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerThe OpeningHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Sanctuary opens Cross River Gorilla with a sharp burst of tart green apple, warm cardamom, and herbaceous sage. As the bright fruitiness settles, crisp cypress and violet leaves introduce an airy green atmosphere, softened by resinous elemi. The fragrance eventually dries down into earthy vetiver, red sandalwood, and …

Reviews →

The Opening by NEH is a woody aromatic fragrance built around cardamom, violet, and dry cedarwood. It opens with a crisp pop of pink pepper and resinous elemi before settling into a cool, powdery heart of orris. Suited for crisp autumn mornings, professional office wear, and quiet evenings, it stays close to the skin …

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, Cross River Gorilla or The Opening?

Cross River Gorilla takes 4 of 7 categories. Cross River Gorilla is rated 4.04/5 from 27 votes; The Opening is rated 3.60/5 from 43 votes. Choose Cross River Gorilla for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose The Opening for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Cross River Gorilla or The Opening?

The Opening lasts longest (The Opening 67/100, Cross River Gorilla 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cross River Gorilla or The Opening?

Projection is very close: Cross River Gorilla 52/100, The Opening 51/100 for sillage.

Do Cross River Gorilla and The Opening smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Sage, elemi and Vetiver.

Is Cross River Gorilla or The Opening better for summer or winter?

For summer, Cross River Gorilla is the stronger pick. For winter, The Opening is the stronger pick. Cross River Gorilla suits daytime wear; The Opening suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cross River Gorilla and The Opening?

Cross River Gorilla has top notes of Green Apple, Cardamom and Sage, heart notes of Violet Leaves, Cypress and elemi, a base of Vetiver, Red Sandalwood, Leather and Smoke. The Opening has top notes of elemi, Pink Pepper and Cardamom, heart notes of Lavender, Violet and Orris, a base of Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Vetiver and Papyrus.