Fragrance comparison

Perfect Absolute vs Red

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 677 ratings analysed

4 wins

Perfect Absolute

Marc Jacobs

3.97502 votes

Rank #5,380 CaramelSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

Red

Sora Dora

3.95175 votes

Rank #6,690 WoodySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Perfect Absolute takes 4 of 7 categories.

Perfect Absolute
Choose it for a caramel and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Red
Choose it for a woody and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter.

Perfect Absolute4/7

Red3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Perfect AbsoluteMarc Jacobs

RedSora Dora

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.97/ 5 · 502 votes

Have 92%Had 8%Want 0%

3.95/ 5 · 175 votes

Have 85%Had 15%Want 0%

Category winnerPerfect AbsoluteRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

32%Like

16%Ok

9%Dislike

3%Hate

502 votes

47%Love

21%Like

17%Ok

7%Dislike

7%Hate

175 votes

Category winnerPerfect AbsoluteMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityRed

SillageRed

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value44

¤ Price value35

Category winnerPerfect AbsoluteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

caramel100%

sweet86%

fruity72%

amber58%

white floral44%

woody30%

woody100%

sweet92%

citrus84%

nutty77%

warm spicy69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both sweet and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

FigCaramel

Heart2-4 hrs

Jasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

Amber

Top

CoconutCardamomPink PepperMandarin OrangeClementineBergamot

Heart

HazelnutNutmegFigFrangipaniIrisTiare FlowerYlang-YlangClove

Base

CaramelSandalwoodWoody NotesMusk

InformationalShared notesFig and Caramel. Durations are only published for Perfect Absolute, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring38

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day41

Night100

Spring73

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerRedMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex16

Women82

Date 40%Party 31%Casual 17%Work 11%

Men9

Unisex64

Women28

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,380

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews88

Overall rank#6,690

PerfumerMargaux Le Paih Guérin

Launched—

Reviews29

Category winnerPerfect AbsoluteHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Jacobs Perfect Absolute takes the bright floral core of the original line and submerges it in molten burnt sugar. Do not expect a fresh garden scent. The opening hits with thick, jammy black fig coated in caramelized sugar syrup, producing a dense gourmand warmth that radiates heavily. Within twenty minutes, swee…

Reviews →

Red by Sora Dora is a Floral Fruity Gourmand fragrance for women and men. This is a new fragrance. Red was launched in 2024. The nose behind this fragrance is Margaux Le Paih Guérin. Top notes are Coconut, Cardamom, Pink Pepper, Mandarin Orange, Clementine and Bergamot; middle notes are Hazelnut, Nutmeg, Fig, Frangipa…

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, Perfect Absolute or Red?

Perfect Absolute takes 4 of 7 categories. Perfect Absolute is rated 3.97/5 from 502 votes; Red is rated 3.95/5 from 175 votes. Choose Perfect Absolute for a caramel and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Red for a woody and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Perfect Absolute or Red?

Red lasts longest (Red 73/100, Perfect Absolute 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Perfect Absolute or Red?

Red projects furthest (Red 61/100, Perfect Absolute 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Perfect Absolute and Red smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and woody accords. Common notes include Fig and Caramel.

Is Perfect Absolute or Red better for summer or winter?

For summer, Perfect Absolute is the stronger pick. For winter, Perfect Absolute is the stronger pick. Perfect Absolute suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Perfect Absolute and Red?

Perfect Absolute has top notes of Fig and Caramel, heart notes of Jasmine, a base of Amber. Red has top notes of Coconut, Cardamom, Pink Pepper and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Hazelnut, Nutmeg, Fig and Frangipani, a base of Caramel, Sandalwood, Woody Notes and Musk.