Fragrance comparison

Joseph Sons vs Kyoto 京都

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

Updated 6 Nov 2026 22 ratings analysed

Joseph Sons

Negligé Perfume Lab

2.577 votes

Rank #67,900 SmokyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

62%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Kyoto 京都

Le Goût De Peau 肌肤之味

3.9315 votes

Rank #43,223 SmokyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Kyoto 京都 takes 3 of 4 categories.

Joseph Sons
Choose it for a smoky and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Kyoto 京都
Choose it for a smoky and amber character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Joseph Sons1/4

Kyoto 京都3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Kyoto 京都
Sillage & projection: Joseph Sons
Value for money: Kyoto 京都
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Kyoto 京都

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Joseph SonsNegligé Perfume Lab

Kyoto 京都Le Goût De Peau 肌肤之味

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

2.57/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 23%Had 17%Want 60%

3.93/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 13%Had 2%Want 84%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

14%Love

14%Like

0%Ok

57%Dislike

14%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

47%Love

27%Like

7%Ok

13%Dislike

7%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate39

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage33

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityKyoto 京都

SillageJoseph Sons

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value50

Category winnerKyoto 京都Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

smoky100%

woody88%

aromatic77%

amber65%

balsamic53%

oud42%

smoky100%

amber86%

woody72%

balsamic58%

warm spicy44%

aromatic30%

Scent match62%Closely related · both smoky, woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

IncenseLeatherSandCalamus

Heart

VetiverAgarwood (Oud)Sandalwood

Base

SmokePineGurjan balsamLicoriceWoody Notes

Top15 to 30 minutes

Weeping Cherry Blossom

Heart2 to 3 hours

PineFrankincenseDry Wood

Base3 to 4 hours

IncenseSmoke

InformationalShared notesIncense, Smoke and Pine. Durations are only published for Kyoto 京都, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter40

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

Men20

Unisex80

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#67,900

PerfumerMaria Chaikovskaya

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#43,223

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerKyoto 京都Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Joseph Sons opens with bitter calamus root, dry sand, and a sharp hit of raw incense smoke before settling into dense pine needles and resinous balsamic woods. Maria Chaikovskaya builds an earthy, unconventional profile around bitter herbal greens, dark leather, and dry agarwood. The scent wears close and austere on c…

Reviews →

Kyoto 京都 by Le Goût De Peau 肌肤之味 brings together crisp greenery and dry temple incense. It opens with a delicate touch of weeping cherry blossom before quickly settling into its resinous core. The heart highlights crisp pine, frankincense, and dry wood, creating an aromatic forest atmosphere that feels calm rath…

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, Joseph Sons or Kyoto 京都?

Kyoto 京都 takes 3 of 4 categories. Joseph Sons is rated 2.57/5 from 7 votes; Kyoto 京都 is rated 3.93/5 from 15 votes. Choose Joseph Sons for a smoky and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Kyoto 京都 for a smoky and amber character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Joseph Sons or Kyoto 京都?

Kyoto 京都 lasts longest (Kyoto 京都 60/100, Joseph Sons 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Joseph Sons or Kyoto 京都?

Joseph Sons projects furthest (Joseph Sons 50/100, Kyoto 京都 33/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Joseph Sons and Kyoto 京都 smell similar?

Closely related: a 62% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share smoky, woody and amber accords. Common notes include Incense, Smoke and Pine.

Is Joseph Sons or Kyoto 京都 better for summer or winter?

Joseph Sons suits daytime wear; Kyoto 京都 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Joseph Sons and Kyoto 京都?

Joseph Sons has top notes of Incense, Leather, Sand and Calamus, heart notes of Vetiver, Agarwood (Oud) and Sandalwood, a base of Smoke, Pine, Gurjan balsam and Licorice. Kyoto 京都 has top notes of Weeping Cherry Blossom, heart notes of Pine, Frankincense and Dry Wood, a base of Incense and Smoke.