Fragrance comparison

Nanban vs Smoky Soul

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 562 ratings analysed

4 wins

Nanban

Arquiste

4.00464 votes

Rank #27,943 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

19%scent match

Clearly different

Smoky Soul

Olfactive Studio

3.8098 votes

Rank #16,068 FloralWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Nanban takes 4 of 7 categories.

Nanban
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Smoky Soul
Choose it for a floral and woody character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Nanban4/7

Smoky Soul3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

NanbanArquiste

Smoky SoulOlfactive Studio

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 464 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

3.80/ 5 · 98 votes

Have 81%Had 19%Want 0%

Category winnerNanbanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

42%Love

33%Like

11%Ok

13%Dislike

2%Hate

464 votes

35%Love

38%Like

7%Ok

13%Dislike

7%Hate

98 votes

Category winnerNanbanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityNanban

SillageNanban

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value44

¤ Price value45

Category winnerSmoky SoulBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber91%

woody83%

balsamic74%

leather65%

fresh spicy56%

floral100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

green77%

fruity69%

earthy61%

Scent match19%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SaffronBlack TeaBlack Pepper

Heart

MyrhhLeatherCoffeeChinese Osmanthus

Base

OlibanumCopaiba balmSandalwoodStyraxJuniper Berries

Top

Chinese OsmanthusBlack Pepper

Heart

Black TeaIndian JasmineTurkish Rose

Base

Java vetiver oilIndonesian Patchouli LeafSeaweed

InformationalShared notesBlack Tea, Black Pepper and Chinese Osmanthus. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring26

Summer14

Fall95

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring66

Summer39

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night80

Category winnerSmoky SoulMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men44

Unisex53

Women4

Men17

Unisex68

Women15

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,943

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux, Yann Vasnier

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#16,068

PerfumerMarc-Antoine Corticchiato

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerSmoky SoulHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Arquiste Nanban opens with bitter black tea and crackling black pepper before grounding into heavy myrrh and dark coffee. Smooth leather and olibanum wrap around the dry down, giving it a dense, smoky feel tailored for crisp autumn evenings and dark wool coats. It wears with heavy presence without feeling overly sweet…

Reviews →

Smoky Soul by Olfactive Studio starts with a wet, pulpy blast of Chinese osmanthus and black pepper. It quickly shifts from apricoty floral sweetness to a dry, savory heart dominated by black tea and Turkish rose. On skin, the dry-down reveals a strong, almost salty undercurrent of Java vetiver oil and seaweed, steeri…

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, Nanban or Smoky Soul?

Nanban takes 4 of 7 categories. Nanban is rated 4.00/5 from 464 votes; Smoky Soul is rated 3.80/5 from 98 votes. Choose Nanban for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Smoky Soul for a floral and woody character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Nanban or Smoky Soul?

They last about the same: Nanban 73/100, Smoky Soul 71/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Nanban or Smoky Soul?

Projection is very close: Nanban 63/100, Smoky Soul 62/100 for sillage.

Do Nanban and Smoky Soul smell similar?

Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Black Tea, Black Pepper and Chinese Osmanthus.

Is Nanban or Smoky Soul better for summer or winter?

For summer, Smoky Soul is the stronger pick. For winter, Nanban is the stronger pick. Smoky Soul suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Nanban and Smoky Soul?

Nanban has top notes of Saffron, Black Tea and Black Pepper, heart notes of Myrhh, Leather, Coffee and Chinese Osmanthus, a base of Olibanum, Copaiba balm, Sandalwood and Styrax. Smoky Soul has top notes of Chinese Osmanthus and Black Pepper, heart notes of Black Tea, Indian Jasmine and Turkish Rose, a base of Java vetiver oil, Indonesian Patchouli Leaf and Seaweed.