Fragrance comparison

Desire for a Woman vs Red African

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 430 ratings analysed

Desire for a Woman

Alfred Dunhill

4.19391 votes

Rank #24,240 CitrusSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

6 wins

Red African

Al Haramain Perfumes

4.5439 votes

Rank #12,338 Fresh SpicyCaramel

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Red African takes 6 of 7 categories.

Desire for a Woman
Choose it for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Red African
Choose it for a fresh spicy and caramel character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Desire for a Woman1/7

Red African6/7

Ratings & consensus: Red African
Community sentiment: Red African
Longevity: Red African
Sillage & projection: Desire for a Woman
Value for money: Red African
Versatility: Red African
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Red African

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Desire for a WomanAlfred Dunhill

Red AfricanAl Haramain Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.19/ 5 · 391 votes

Have 41%Had 59%Want 0%

4.54/ 5 · 39 votes

Have 42%Had 7%Want 51%

Category winnerRed AfricanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

46%Love

41%Like

1%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

391 votes

62%Love

31%Like

8%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

39 votes

Category winnerRed AfricanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityRed African

SillageDesire for a Woman

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value72

Category winnerRed AfricanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

sweet92%

floral84%

white floral77%

soft spicy69%

woody61%

fresh spicy100%

caramel91%

sweet83%

vanilla74%

balsamic65%

woody56%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both sweet and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LimeOrangeMagnoliaBrazilian RosewoodBergamotGreen LeavesMyrtle

Heart

LicoriceTiare FlowerFreesiaGardeniaRose

Base

CaramelVanillaSandalwoodAmberMusk

Top

Brazilian Rosewood

Heart

NutmegCaramel

Base

VanillaAmbergrisMusk

InformationalShared notesBrazilian Rosewood, Caramel, Vanilla and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring65

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring36

Summer29

Fall93

Winter100

Day100

Night71

Category winnerRed AfricanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex8

Women92

Men8

Unisex46

Women46

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,240

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#12,338

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerRed AfricanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Desire for a Woman by Alfred Dunhill is a Oriental Floral fragrance for women. Desire for a Woman was launched in 2001. The nose behind this fragrance is Maurice Roucel. Top notes are Lime, Orange, Magnolia, Brazilian Rosewood, Bergamot, Green Leaves and Myrtle; middle notes are Licorice, Tiare Flower, Freesia, Garden…

Reviews →

Red African is a cosy, edible gourmand that wears like caramel vanilla drizzled over warm spice and soft woods. Several wearers describe a bakery vibe, with chocolate and coffee facets showing up on skin, especially in cooler weather. Expect a bold, sweet opening that can turn more intimate later. Some people also not…

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, Desire for a Woman or Red African?

Red African takes 6 of 7 categories. Desire for a Woman is rated 4.19/5 from 391 votes; Red African is rated 4.54/5 from 39 votes. Choose Desire for a Woman for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Red African for a fresh spicy and caramel character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Desire for a Woman or Red African?

Red African lasts longest (Red African 71/100, Desire for a Woman 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Desire for a Woman or Red African?

Desire for a Woman projects furthest (Desire for a Woman 64/100, Red African 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Desire for a Woman and Red African smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and woody accords. Common notes include Brazilian Rosewood, Caramel, Vanilla and Musk.

Is Desire for a Woman or Red African better for summer or winter?

For summer, Red African is the stronger pick. For winter, Desire for a Woman is the stronger pick. Red African suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Desire for a Woman and Red African?

Desire for a Woman has top notes of Lime, Orange, Magnolia and Brazilian Rosewood, heart notes of Licorice, Tiare Flower, Freesia and Gardenia, a base of Caramel, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Amber. Red African has top notes of Brazilian Rosewood, heart notes of Nutmeg and Caramel, a base of Vanilla, Ambergris and Musk.