Fragrance comparison

Optimistic for Him vs Strictly For Night

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 86 ratings analysed

4 wins

Optimistic for Him

Paul Smith

3.8069 votes

Rank #14,408 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

Strictly For Night

Van Gils

3.7117 votes

Rank #39,936 AromaticWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Optimistic for Him takes 4 of 5 categories.

Optimistic for Him
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer.
Strictly For Night
Choose it for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Optimistic for Him4/5

Strictly For Night0/5

Ratings & consensus: Optimistic for Him
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Optimistic for Him
Sillage & projection: Optimistic for Him
Value for money: Tie
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Optimistic for Him

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Optimistic for HimPaul Smith

Strictly For NightVan Gils

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.80/ 5 · 69 votes

Have 50%Had 25%Want 25%

3.71/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 45%Had 21%Want 34%

Category winnerOptimistic for HimRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

25%Love

51%Like

4%Ok

20%Dislike

0%Hate

69 votes

18%Love

47%Like

24%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage46

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityOptimistic for Him

SillageOptimistic for Him

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value60

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy90%

citrus80%

herbal70%

warm spicy60%

woody50%

aromatic100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

sweet77%

fruity69%

cacao61%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both aromatic, fresh spicy and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CitrusesPepperMandarin OrangeCardamom

Heart

SageGeraniumSea Notes

Base

VetiverVirginia CedarAmber

Top15-30 mins

PlumCardamomBlood GrapefruitPepper

Heart2-4 hrs

TobaccoGeraniumGingerSage

Base5-8 hrs

Cacao PodVanillaWhite WoodsVetiver

InformationalShared notesPepper, Cardamom, Sage and Geranium. Durations are only published for Strictly For Night, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring93

Summer100

Fall35

Winter16

Day–

Night–

Spring31

Summer8

Fall100

Winter77

Day39

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

Date 35%Casual 26%Party 23%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,408

PerfumerNathalie Feisthauer

Launched—

Reviews16

Overall rank#39,936

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerOptimistic for HimHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Optimistic for Him opens with bright citrus, light pepper, and a clean blue freshness that reads easy, airy, and office-friendly. As it settles, sage, a slightly salty marine touch, soft vetiver, cedar, and amber keep it dry and discreet. It suits spring and summer best. Sample first if you dislike synthetic citrus or…

Reviews →

Strictly For Night by Van Gils delivers an easygoing, dark-leaning scent profile centered around ripe plum, spicy cardamom, and unsweetened cacao pod. The fragrance opens with a brief burst of tangy blood grapefruit dusted in cracked black pepper, preventing the dark fruit from turning heavy or overly syrupy. Within t…

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, Optimistic for Him or Strictly For Night?

Optimistic for Him takes 4 of 5 categories. Optimistic for Him is rated 3.80/5 from 69 votes; Strictly For Night is rated 3.71/5 from 17 votes. Choose Optimistic for Him for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer. Choose Strictly For Night for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Optimistic for Him or Strictly For Night?

Optimistic for Him lasts longest (Optimistic for Him 67/100, Strictly For Night 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Optimistic for Him or Strictly For Night?

Optimistic for Him projects furthest (Optimistic for Him 55/100, Strictly For Night 46/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Optimistic for Him and Strictly For Night smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Pepper, Cardamom, Sage and Geranium.

Is Optimistic for Him or Strictly For Night better for summer or winter?

Strictly For Night suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Optimistic for Him and Strictly For Night?

Optimistic for Him has top notes of Citruses, Pepper, Mandarin Orange and Cardamom, heart notes of Sage, Geranium and Sea Notes, a base of Vetiver, Virginia Cedar and Amber. Strictly For Night has top notes of Plum, Cardamom, Blood Grapefruit and Pepper, heart notes of Tobacco, Geranium, Ginger and Sage, a base of Cacao Pod, Vanilla, White Woods and Vetiver.