Fragrance comparison

Mon Santal vs Red African

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 111 ratings analysed

Mon Santal

Astrophil & Stella

4.1472 votes

Rank #27,311 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Red African

Al Haramain Perfumes

4.5439 votes

Rank #12,338 Fresh SpicyCaramel

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Red African takes 5 of 7 categories.

Mon Santal
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Red African
Choose it for a fresh spicy and caramel character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Mon Santal2/7

Red African5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Mon SantalAstrophil & Stella

Red AfricanAl Haramain Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.14/ 5 · 72 votes

Have 25%Had 4%Want 70%

4.54/ 5 · 39 votes

Have 42%Had 7%Want 51%

Category winnerRed AfricanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

46%Love

35%Like

11%Ok

4%Dislike

4%Hate

72 votes

62%Love

31%Like

8%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

39 votes

Category winnerRed AfricanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityMon Santal

SillageMon Santal

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value72

Category winnerRed AfricanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

sweet84%

powdery77%

caramel69%

vanilla61%

fresh spicy100%

caramel91%

sweet83%

vanilla74%

balsamic65%

woody56%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both sweet, caramel and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

RiceCardamomPink PepperNutmegGrapefruitRhubarbBergamot

Heart

LactonesPalo SantoFrankincense

Base

Australian SandalwoodCaramelVanillaMuskAmbroxan

Top

Brazilian Rosewood

Heart

NutmegCaramel

Base

VanillaAmbergrisMusk

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Caramel, Vanilla and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring46

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring36

Summer29

Fall93

Winter100

Day100

Night71

Category winnerRed AfricanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men17

Unisex58

Women25

Men8

Unisex46

Women46

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,311

PerfumerMargaux Le Paih Guérin

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#12,338

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerRed AfricanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Astrophil & Stella Mon Santal opens with a distinct steamed rice note paired with sharp cardamom and pink pepper. As the sharp citrus of grapefruit and bergamot recedes, the heart introduces milky lactones alongside smoky palo santo and frankincense. The base settles into creamy Australian sandalwood, warm caramel, an…

Reviews →

Red African is a cosy, edible gourmand that wears like caramel vanilla drizzled over warm spice and soft woods. Several wearers describe a bakery vibe, with chocolate and coffee facets showing up on skin, especially in cooler weather. Expect a bold, sweet opening that can turn more intimate later. Some people also not…

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, Mon Santal or Red African?

Red African takes 5 of 7 categories. Mon Santal is rated 4.14/5 from 72 votes; Red African is rated 4.54/5 from 39 votes. Choose Mon Santal for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Red African for a fresh spicy and caramel character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Mon Santal or Red African?

They last about the same: Mon Santal 73/100, Red African 71/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Mon Santal or Red African?

Mon Santal projects furthest (Mon Santal 65/100, Red African 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Mon Santal and Red African smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, caramel and woody accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Caramel, Vanilla and Musk.

Is Mon Santal or Red African better for summer or winter?

For summer, Red African is the stronger pick. For winter, Mon Santal is the stronger pick. Red African suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Mon Santal and Red African?

Mon Santal has top notes of Rice, Cardamom, Pink Pepper and Nutmeg, heart notes of Lactones, Palo Santo and Frankincense, a base of Australian Sandalwood, Caramel, Vanilla and Musk. Red African has top notes of Brazilian Rosewood, heart notes of Nutmeg and Caramel, a base of Vanilla, Ambergris and Musk.