Fragrance comparison

Northman vs Blow Up

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 155 ratings analysed

3 wins

Northman

Alexander

4.5016 votes

Rank #41,613 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

61%scent match

Closely related

Blow Up

Moth and Rabbit Perfumes

3.83139 votes

Rank #16,704 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Northman takes 3 of 5 categories.

Northman
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Blow Up
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Northman3/5

Blow Up2/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

NorthmanAlexander

Blow UpMoth and Rabbit Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 16 votes

Have 22%Had 4%Want 74%

3.83/ 5 · 139 votes

Have 33%Had 10%Want 57%

Category winnerNorthmanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

63%Love

25%Like

13%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

28%Love

39%Like

23%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

139 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity89

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage49

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityNorthman

SillageNorthman

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value44

¤ Price value45

Category winnerBlow UpBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

aromatic77%

balsamic69%

smoky61%

woody100%

amber91%

warm spicy83%

leather74%

smoky65%

aromatic56%

Scent match61%Closely related · both amber, woody and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AbsintheIncenseLime

Heart

SaffronPatchouliRose

Base

Woody NotesTolu BalsamLabdanumVanila

Top15-30 mins

AbsintheSaffronCassisCurrant budsCardamom

Heart2-4 hrs

IncenseCypriol Oil or NagarmothaMyrrhCedar NeedlesChinese Cedar

Base5-8 hrs

Woody NotesLeatherAmberLabdanumCivetBirch

InformationalShared notesAbsinthe, Incense, Saffron and Woody Notes. Durations are only published for Blow Up, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring27

Summer18

Fall100

Winter100

Day70

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter90

Day100

Night93

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men95

Unisex5

Women0

Men34

Unisex64

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#41,613

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#16,704

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerBlow UpHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Northman is a smoky amber woods scent with a sharp, herbal opening. You get absinthe and incense first, lifted by a squeeze of lime, then a warm heart of saffron with earthy patchouli and a darker rose tone. In the dry-down it turns resinous and cosy, with labdanum, balsams, woods and a soft vanilla glow. It often rea…

Reviews →

Blow Up by Moth and Rabbit Perfumes opens with a tart splash of green absinthe, blackcurrant cassis, and cracked cardamom pods. The bitter herbs hit your nose like a cold splash of herbal tonic before warming up into a deep, atmospheric heart of smoldering incense, piney cedar needles, and earthy cypriol oil. As it se…

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, Northman or Blow Up?

Northman takes 3 of 5 categories. Northman is rated 4.50/5 from 16 votes; Blow Up is rated 3.83/5 from 139 votes. Choose Northman for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Blow Up for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Northman or Blow Up?

Northman lasts longest (Northman 89/100, Blow Up 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Northman or Blow Up?

Northman projects furthest (Northman 75/100, Blow Up 49/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Northman and Blow Up smell similar?

Closely related: a 61% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Absinthe, Incense, Saffron and Woody Notes.

Is Northman or Blow Up better for summer or winter?

Northman suits evening wear; Blow Up suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Northman and Blow Up?

Northman has top notes of Absinthe, Incense and Lime, heart notes of Saffron, Patchouli and Rose, a base of Woody Notes, Tolu Balsam, Labdanum and Vanila. Blow Up has top notes of Absinthe, Saffron, Cassis and Currant buds, heart notes of Incense, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Myrrh and Cedar Needles, a base of Woody Notes, Leather, Amber and Labdanum.