Fragrance comparison

Pioneer vs Smolderose

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 100 ratings analysed

4 wins

Pioneer

Boadicea the Victorious

4.1128 votes

Rank #17,650 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

Smolderose

January Scent Project

3.7572 votes

Rank #14,774 SmokyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Pioneer takes 4 of 7 categories.

Pioneer
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Smolderose
Choose it for a smoky and citrus character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Pioneer4/7

Smolderose3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PioneerBoadicea the Victorious

SmolderoseJanuary Scent Project

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.11/ 5 · 28 votes

Have 25%Had 6%Want 69%

3.75/ 5 · 72 votes

Have 34%Had 17%Want 49%

Category winnerPioneerRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

29%Like

7%Ok

11%Dislike

4%Hate

28 votes

35%Love

33%Like

8%Ok

19%Dislike

4%Hate

72 votes

Category winnerPioneerMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage83

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevitySmolderose

SillagePioneer

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value53

¤ Price value68

Category winnerSmolderoseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody86%

oud72%

fresh spicy58%

aromatic44%

green30%

smoky100%

citrus92%

amber84%

woody77%

fresh spicy69%

rose61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both citrus, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

OrangeBergamot

Heart

Galbanum

Base

CedarAgarwood (Oud)Labdanum

Top

LemongrassMandarin OrangeOrange

Heart

Bourbon RoseRose GeraniumBlack PepperAngelicaCorianderHoneyGalbanum

Base

SmokeLabdanumCastoreumBirchAgarwood (Oud)TobaccoPatchouliBenzoin

InformationalShared notesOrange, Galbanum, Agarwood (Oud) and Labdanum. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer80

Fall80

Winter80

Day100

Night50

Spring26

Summer11

Fall100

Winter100

Day35

Night100

Category winnerPioneerMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men82

Unisex9

Women9

Men13

Unisex63

Women25

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,650

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#14,774

PerfumerJohn Biebel

Launched—

Reviews12

Category winnerSmolderoseHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Boadicea the Victorious Pioneer opens with a tart bite of orange peel and sharp bergamot. The citrus avoids sweet juice, leaning into a dry green bitterness fueled by a heavy dose of galbanum in the heart. As the initial sharpness settles, cedar wood and resinous labdanum ground the fragrance with an earthy, outdoorsy…

Reviews →

Smolderose opens with an unexpected spike of tart lemongrass and juicy mandarin orange before rapidly pivoting into a dark, resinous floral heart. Bourbon rose absolute and rose geranium provide a lush botanical core, but they are immediately spiked with crushed black pepper, herbal angelica, and sticky honey. Rather …

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, Pioneer or Smolderose?

Pioneer takes 4 of 7 categories. Pioneer is rated 4.11/5 from 28 votes; Smolderose is rated 3.75/5 from 72 votes. Choose Pioneer for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Smolderose for a smoky and citrus character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Pioneer or Smolderose?

They last about the same: Smolderose 79/100, Pioneer 78/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Pioneer or Smolderose?

Pioneer projects furthest (Pioneer 83/100, Smolderose 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Pioneer and Smolderose smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Orange, Galbanum, Agarwood (Oud) and Labdanum.

Is Pioneer or Smolderose better for summer or winter?

For summer, Pioneer is the stronger pick. For winter, Smolderose is the stronger pick. Pioneer suits daytime wear; Smolderose suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Pioneer and Smolderose?

Pioneer has top notes of Orange and Bergamot, heart notes of Galbanum, a base of Cedar, Agarwood (Oud) and Labdanum. Smolderose has top notes of Lemongrass, Mandarin Orange and Orange, heart notes of Bourbon Rose, Rose Geranium, Black Pepper and Angelica, a base of Smoke, Labdanum, Castoreum and Birch.