Fragrance comparison

Key of Life vs Oud Fumé

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 74 ratings analysed

7 wins

Key of Life

Alexandria Fragrances

4.1547 votes

Rank #23,917 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

65%scent match

Closely related

Oud Fumé

Chantecaille

3.6327 votes

Rank #59,543 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Key of Life takes 7 of 7 categories.

Key of Life
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.
Oud Fumé
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Key of Life7/7

Oud Fumé0/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Key of LifeAlexandria Fragrances

Oud FuméChantecaille

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 47 votes

Have 52%Had 9%Want 39%

3.63/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 45%Had 7%Want 47%

Category winnerKey of LifeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

55%Love

24%Like

3%Ok

14%Dislike

3%Hate

29 votes

26%Love

37%Like

15%Ok

19%Dislike

4%Hate

27 votes

Category winnerKey of LifeMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate66

Category winners

LongevityKey of Life

SillageKey of Life

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value40

Category winnerKey of LifeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fresh spicy92%

warm spicy84%

amber77%

aromatic69%

earthy61%

amber100%

woody90%

fresh spicy80%

aromatic70%

oud60%

warm spicy50%

Scent match65%Closely related · both woody, amber and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

ArtemisiaBergamot

Heart

ClovesRoseJasmineCassisYlang-YlangGeraniumLabdanum

Base

MuskBenzoinAgarwood (Oud)Cypriol Oil or NagarmothaOlibanumOakmossCuminPatchouli

Top20-30 mins

ThymeBergamotHyssopRosemary

Heart2-4 hrs

CedarYlang-YlangPatchouliGeranium

Base6-10 hrs

OlibanumLabdanumAgarwood (Oud)LeatherSandalwood

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Ylang-Ylang, Geranium and Labdanum. Durations are only published for Oud Fumé, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer25

Fall100

Winter92

Day82

Night100

Spring14

Summer14

Fall100

Winter93

Day44

Night100

Category winnerKey of LifeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Date 41%Casual 26%Work 22%Party 12%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,917

PerfumerHany Hafez

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#59,543

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerKey of LifeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Key of Life is a dense woody amber with a sharp herbal opening, a floral heart, and a dark resinous base. Bergamot and artemisia keep the start brisk, then rose, jasmine, and clove add texture before oud, benzoin, patchouli, and musk take over. It reads rich, spicy, and assertive rather than easygoing. Strong projecti…

Reviews →

Chantecaille Oud Fumé takes a dry, aromatic path through dark resins. It avoids the heavy rose syrup typical of eastern blends. Instead, crisp bergamot and dry thyme cut through the first spray with immediate herbal snap. The heart shifts toward dry cedarwood and earthy patchouli within thirty minutes. Soon after, fra…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Key of Life or Oud Fumé?

Key of Life takes 7 of 7 categories. Key of Life is rated 4.15/5 from 47 votes; Oud Fumé is rated 3.63/5 from 27 votes. Choose Key of Life for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Oud Fumé for a amber and woody character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Key of Life or Oud Fumé?

Key of Life lasts longest (Key of Life 91/100, Oud Fumé 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Key of Life or Oud Fumé?

Key of Life projects furthest (Key of Life 78/100, Oud Fumé 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Key of Life and Oud Fumé smell similar?

Closely related: a 65% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Ylang-Ylang, Geranium and Labdanum.

Is Key of Life or Oud Fumé better for summer or winter?

For summer, Key of Life is the stronger pick. For winter, Oud Fumé is the stronger pick. Key of Life suits evening wear; Oud Fumé suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Key of Life and Oud Fumé?

Key of Life has top notes of Artemisia and Bergamot, heart notes of Cloves, Rose, Jasmine and Cassis, a base of Musk, Benzoin, Agarwood (Oud) and Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha. Oud Fumé has top notes of Thyme, Bergamot, Hyssop and Rosemary, heart notes of Cedar, Ylang-Ylang, Patchouli and Geranium, a base of Olibanum, Labdanum, Agarwood (Oud) and Leather.