Fragrance comparison

Heliaca vs Santal

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 384 ratings analysed

Heliaca

Le Couvent Maison de Parfum

4.07269 votes

Rank #10,355 Fresh SpicyOud

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Santal

Ajmal

4.13115 votes

Rank #6,783 WoodyOud

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Santal takes 6 of 7 categories.

Heliaca
Choose it for a fresh spicy and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Santal
Choose it for a woody and oud character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Heliaca1/7

Santal6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

HeliacaLe Couvent Maison de Parfum

SantalAjmal

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 269 votes

Have 57%Had 11%Want 32%

4.13/ 5 · 115 votes

Have 43%Had 8%Want 49%

Category winnerHeliacaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

48%Like

12%Ok

6%Dislike

1%Hate

269 votes

57%Love

29%Like

7%Ok

4%Dislike

2%Hate

82 votes

Category winnerSantalMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevitySantal

SillageSantal

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value65

¤ Price value68

Category winnerSantalBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

oud83%

fresh65%

citrus48%

fruity30%

woody100%

oud88%

fresh spicy77%

powdery65%

warm spicy53%

amber42%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both fresh spicy and oud

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

GingerAgarwood (Oud)

No top / heart / base split published

Top

SaffronNutmegGinger

Heart

Gurjan balsamSandalwoodCedar

Base

Agarwood (Oud)White AmberMusk

InformationalShared notesGinger and Agarwood (Oud). Durations are only published for Heliaca, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring56

Summer27

Fall100

Winter87

Day100

Night79

Spring75

Summer28

Fall100

Winter97

Day91

Night100

Category winnerSantalMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men43

Unisex52

Women5

Men45

Unisex51

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,355

PerfumerJean-Claude Ellena

Launched—

Reviews25

Overall rank#6,783

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerSantalHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Heliaca by Le Couvent Maison de Parfum is a clean, spicy wood fragrance built around a sharp contrast of brisk ginger and dry agarwood. Rather than a dense or smoky Middle Eastern oud, this scent takes an airy, transparent direction. It opens with a zesty, fresh spicy burst that brings to mind chilled ginger ale, supp…

Reviews →

Ajmal Santal is a dry, spicy woody scent built around sandalwood, cedar and an oud style base, with saffron, ginger and nutmeg giving the opening a warm, aromatic bite. As it settles, it can feel gently powdery and musky, with a smooth amber glow rather than heavy sweetness. It usually suits cooler weather and evening…

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, Heliaca or Santal?

Santal takes 6 of 7 categories. Heliaca is rated 4.07/5 from 269 votes; Santal is rated 4.13/5 from 115 votes. Choose Heliaca for a fresh spicy and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Santal for a woody and oud character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Heliaca or Santal?

Santal lasts longest (Santal 84/100, Heliaca 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Heliaca or Santal?

Santal projects furthest (Santal 72/100, Heliaca 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Heliaca and Santal smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy and oud accords. Common notes include Ginger and Agarwood (Oud).

Is Heliaca or Santal better for summer or winter?

For summer, Santal is the stronger pick. For winter, Santal is the stronger pick. Heliaca suits daytime wear; Santal suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Heliaca and Santal?

Heliaca features Ginger and Agarwood (Oud). Santal has top notes of Saffron, Nutmeg and Ginger, heart notes of Gurjan balsam, Sandalwood and Cedar, a base of Agarwood (Oud), White Amber and Musk.