Fragrance comparison

Formidable vs Incense Oudh

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 318 ratings analysed

3 wins

Formidable

Kesling · 1944

3.92317 votes

Rank #12,370 CoffeeCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

Incense Oudh

Parfum de Mahzen

5.001 votes

Rank #46,280 AmberOud

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Formidable takes 3 of 4 categories.

Formidable
Choose it for a coffee and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Incense Oudh
Choose it for a amber and oud character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Formidable3/4

Incense Oudh1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FormidableKesling

Incense OudhParfum de Mahzen

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.92/ 5 · 317 votes

Have 33%Had 9%Want 58%

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 15%Had 0%Want 85%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

11%Love

67%Like

22%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityIncense Oudh

SillageFormidable

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value71

¤ Price value38

Category winnerFormidableBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

coffee100%

citrus91%

warm spicy83%

woody74%

fresh spicy65%

powdery56%

amber100%

oud88%

smoky77%

warm spicy65%

balsamic53%

tobacco42%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

VerbenaMandarin OrangeGrapefruitBergamot

Heart

CoffeeNutmegJasmineLily-of-the-Valley

Base

ResinsPrecious WoodsVanillaSandalwoodPatchouliMusk

Top15-30 mins

CardamomMandarin OrangeGreen NotescannabisSaffronNutmegNeroli

Heart2-4 hrs

TobaccoResinsOrange BlossomCoffeeWoodsy NotesJasmineRose

Base8-10 hrs

AgarwoodIncenseSandalwoodVanillaAmber

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Coffee, Nutmeg and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Incense Oudh, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,370

PerfumerNot listed

Launched1944

Reviews5

Overall rank#46,280

PerfumerEren Öğütcü, Özge Öğütcü

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerFormidableHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Formidable by Kesling is a traditional oriental-fougere blend that hinges on a dense, resinous structure. Peach and bergamot provide an initial fruit-forward opening, while a heart of coffee and jasmine settles into a deep, woody base of sandalwood and vanilla. It is a persistent composition ideal for chilly autumn ev…

Reviews →

Incense Oudh by Parfum de Mahzen hits the air with a bold burst of green herbs, warm cardamom, and tart mandarin orange before diving straight into rich wood smoke. At its core, roasted coffee beans and dry pipe tobacco intertwine with resinous wood and subtle white floral petals. As the scent settles, it radiates a c…

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, Formidable or Incense Oudh?

Formidable takes 3 of 4 categories. Formidable is rated 3.92/5 from 317 votes; Incense Oudh is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Formidable for a coffee and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Incense Oudh for a amber and oud character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Formidable or Incense Oudh?

Incense Oudh lasts longest (Incense Oudh 80/100, Formidable 77/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Formidable or Incense Oudh?

Formidable projects furthest (Formidable 73/100, Incense Oudh 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Formidable and Incense Oudh smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Coffee, Nutmeg and Jasmine.

Is Formidable or Incense Oudh better for summer or winter?

Formidable suits evening wear; Incense Oudh suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Formidable and Incense Oudh?

Formidable has top notes of Verbena, Mandarin Orange, Grapefruit and Bergamot, heart notes of Coffee, Nutmeg, Jasmine and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Resins, Precious Woods, Vanilla and Sandalwood. Incense Oudh has top notes of Cardamom, Mandarin Orange, Green Notes and cannabis, heart notes of Tobacco, Resins, Orange Blossom and Coffee, a base of Agarwood, Incense, Sandalwood and Vanilla.