Fragrance comparison

Farah vs Side Effect

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 9,245 ratings analysed

Farah

PARIS CORNER

4.42118 votes

Rank #5,554 Warm SpicyTobacco

Full profile Similar & dupes

80%scent match

Very similar

4 wins

Side Effect

Initio Parfums Prives · 2016

4.359,127 votes

Rank #200 Warm SpicyTobacco

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Side Effect takes 4 of 7 categories.

Farah
Choose it for a warm spicy and tobacco character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Side Effect
Choose it for a warm spicy and tobacco character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Farah3/7

Side Effect4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FarahPARIS CORNER

Side EffectInitio Parfums Prives

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.42/ 5 · 118 votes

Have 37%Had 3%Want 60%

4.35/ 5 · 9,127 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

Category winnerSide EffectRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

69%Love

14%Like

10%Ok

3%Dislike

3%Hate

118 votes

61%Love

23%Like

9%Ok

6%Dislike

2%Hate

8,536 votes

Category winnerFarahMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate86

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevitySide Effect

SillageSide Effect

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value83

¤ Price value34

Category winnerFarahBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

tobacco91%

rum83%

cinnamon74%

sweet65%

woody56%

warm spicy100%

tobacco88%

rum84%

cinnamon77%

woody71%

sweet67%

Scent match80%Very similar · both warm spicy, tobacco and rum

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

SaffronRum

Heart2 to 4 hours

CinnamonCedar

Base5 to 8 hours

TobaccoVanilla

Notes

RumTobaccoCinnamonSaffronSandalwoodHedione

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Rum, Cinnamon and Tobacco. Durations are only published for Farah, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring38

Summer8

Fall91

Winter100

Day41

Night100

Spring29

Summer11

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerFarahMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men62

Unisex35

Women3

Men46

Unisex46

Women9

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,554

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews31

Overall rank#200

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2016

Reviews209

Category winnerSide EffectHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Farah by PARIS CORNER is a warm spicy oriental fragrance built around boozy sweetness, dry woods, and rich aromatics. The opening arrives with a punch of golden saffron and heady rum, delivering a spirited, slightly metallic warmth. As the fragrance settles, dry cinnamon bark and aromatic cedar take center stage, givi…

Reviews →

Side Effect by Initio Parfums Prives is a warm, spicy fragrance that centers on a dominant, boozy rum accord blended with tobacco and cinnamon. It projects a rich, sophisticated profile ideal for cool weather and evening wear, balancing sweetness with deep woods. This unisex scent behaves like a warm embrace on the sk…

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, Farah or Side Effect?

Side Effect takes 4 of 7 categories. Farah is rated 4.42/5 from 118 votes; Side Effect is rated 4.35/5 from 9,127 votes. Choose Farah for a warm spicy and tobacco character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Side Effect for a warm spicy and tobacco character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Farah or Side Effect?

Side Effect lasts longest (Side Effect 79/100, Farah 74/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Farah or Side Effect?

Side Effect projects furthest (Side Effect 70/100, Farah 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Farah and Side Effect smell similar?

Very similar: a 80% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, tobacco and rum accords. Common notes include Saffron, Rum, Cinnamon and Tobacco.

Is Farah or Side Effect better for summer or winter?

For summer, Side Effect is the stronger pick. For winter, Farah is the stronger pick. Farah suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Farah and Side Effect?

Farah has top notes of Saffron and Rum, heart notes of Cinnamon and Cedar, a base of Tobacco and Vanilla. Side Effect features Rum, Tobacco, Cinnamon, Saffron and Sandalwood.