Fragrance comparison

Formidable vs Royal Pikake

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

Updated 31 Oct 2026 320 ratings analysed

3 wins

Formidable

Kesling · 1944

3.92317 votes

Rank #11,819 CoffeeCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

Royal Pikake

Maoli

3.673 votes

Rank #66,207 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Formidable takes 3 of 3 categories.

Formidable
Choose it for a coffee and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Royal Pikake
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Formidable3/3

Royal Pikake0/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Formidable
Sillage & projection: Formidable
Value for money: Not scored
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

Royal PikakeMaoli

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.92/ 5 · 317 votes

Have 33%Had 9%Want 58%

3.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 11%Had 0%Want 89%

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

33%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

33%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityFormidable

SillageFormidable

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value71

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

coffee100%

citrus91%

warm spicy83%

woody74%

fresh spicy65%

powdery56%

woody100%

white floral83%

amber65%

balsamic48%

vanilla30%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both woody

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

Notes

Precious WoodsJasmineResinsVanilla

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesJasmine, Resins, Precious Woods and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Royal Pikake, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#11,819

PerfumerNot listed

Launched1944

Reviews5

Overall rank#66,207

PerfumerKai Hughes, Kalani Hughes

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 →

Royal Pikake by Maoli centers on a straightforward pairing of white floral sweetness and dry timber. The scent highlights pikake, a Hawaiian jasmine variety known for a rich, sweet floral profile without sharp edges. Underneath the floral canopy, unclassified precious woods provide a steady, grounded structure, preven…

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 Royal Pikake?

Formidable takes 3 of 3 categories. Formidable is rated 3.92/5 from 317 votes; Royal Pikake is rated 3.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Formidable for a coffee and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Royal Pikake for a woody and white floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Formidable or Royal Pikake?

Formidable lasts longest (Formidable 77/100, Royal Pikake 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Formidable or Royal Pikake?

Formidable projects furthest (Formidable 73/100, Royal Pikake 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Formidable and Royal Pikake smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Jasmine, Resins, Precious Woods and Vanilla.

Is Formidable or Royal Pikake better for summer or winter?

Formidable suits evening wear; Royal Pikake suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Formidable and Royal Pikake?

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. Royal Pikake features Precious Woods, Jasmine, Resins and Vanilla.