Fragrance comparison

Patchouli Absolu vs Suma Oriental

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 1,919 ratings analysed

Patchouli Absolu

Tom Ford

4.111,134 votes

Rank #24,124 WoodyPatchouli

Full profile Similar & dupes

62%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Suma Oriental

Une Nuit Nomade

4.10785 votes

Rank #3,900 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Suma Oriental takes 4 of 7 categories.

Patchouli Absolu
Choose it for a woody and patchouli character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Suma Oriental
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Patchouli Absolu3/7

Suma Oriental4/7

Ratings & consensus: Patchouli Absolu
Community sentiment: Suma Oriental
Longevity: Patchouli Absolu
Sillage & projection: Patchouli Absolu
Value for money: Suma Oriental
Versatility: Suma Oriental
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Suma Oriental

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Patchouli AbsoluTom Ford

Suma OrientalUne Nuit Nomade

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.11/ 5 · 1,134 votes

Have 78%Had 22%Want 0%

4.10/ 5 · 785 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerPatchouli AbsoluRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

49%Love

30%Like

4%Ok

15%Dislike

1%Hate

1,134 votes

43%Love

35%Like

13%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

785 votes

Category winnerSuma OrientalMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityPatchouli Absolu

SillagePatchouli Absolu

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value35

¤ Price value51

Category winnerSuma OrientalBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

patchouli92%

earthy84%

warm spicy77%

leather69%

fresh spicy61%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

patchouli84%

cacao77%

rum69%

earthy61%

Scent match62%Closely related · both woody, patchouli and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

PatchouliLeatherMossCypriol Oil or NagarmothaGuaiac WoodBay LeafRosemaryCashmere WoodAmberMuskTonka Bean

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

Cacao PodRumCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Heart2-4 hrs

Patchouli

Base6-10 hrs

Tonka BeanGuaiac WoodSandalwoodCashmere WoodMusk

InformationalShared notesPatchouli, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Guaiac Wood and Cashmere Wood. Durations are only published for Suma Oriental, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring20

Summer10

Fall100

Winter95

Day53

Night100

Category winnerSuma OrientalMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men68

Unisex30

Women2

Men26

Unisex61

Women14

Date 38%Casual 23%Party 21%Work 17%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,124

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#3,900

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews74

Category winnerSuma OrientalHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Tom Ford Patchouli Absolu departs from the sweet, clean patchouli styles common in modern department stores. It opens with a bracing, medicinal wave of dark patchouli and sharp rosemary, offering an immediate sense of damp earth and herbal bitterness. As it warms on the skin, a dry cypriol oil and smoky guaiac wood em…

Reviews →

Suma Oriental by Une Nuit Nomade delivers a lush, dark gourmand profile without drowning in sugar. The first spray releases dark cacao pod, boozy dark rum, and earthy nagarmotha. It feels dense immediately. Soon, a rich heart of Indonesian patchouli takes over the scent bubble, backed by creamy sandalwood and warm ton…

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, Patchouli Absolu or Suma Oriental?

Suma Oriental takes 4 of 7 categories. Patchouli Absolu is rated 4.11/5 from 1,134 votes; Suma Oriental is rated 4.10/5 from 785 votes. Choose Patchouli Absolu for a woody and patchouli character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Suma Oriental for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Patchouli Absolu or Suma Oriental?

Patchouli Absolu lasts longest (Patchouli Absolu 79/100, Suma Oriental 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Patchouli Absolu or Suma Oriental?

Patchouli Absolu projects furthest (Patchouli Absolu 71/100, Suma Oriental 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Patchouli Absolu and Suma Oriental smell similar?

Closely related: a 62% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, patchouli and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Patchouli, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Guaiac Wood and Cashmere Wood.

Is Patchouli Absolu or Suma Oriental better for summer or winter?

For summer, Suma Oriental is the stronger pick. For winter, Patchouli Absolu is the stronger pick. Suma Oriental suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Patchouli Absolu and Suma Oriental?

Patchouli Absolu features Patchouli, Leather, Moss, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha and Guaiac Wood. Suma Oriental has top notes of Cacao Pod, Rum and Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, heart notes of Patchouli, a base of Tonka Bean, Guaiac Wood, Sandalwood and Cashmere Wood.