Fragrance comparison

Powerful vs Scarlet Sands

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 89 ratings analysed

4 wins

Powerful

Judith Williams

4.0453 votes

Rank #8,843 Warm SpicySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

Scarlet Sands

Ex Nihilo

4.2836 votes

Rank #13,717 White FloralCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Powerful takes 4 of 5 categories.

Powerful
Choose it for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Scarlet Sands
Choose it for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Powerful4/5

Scarlet Sands1/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PowerfulJudith Williams

Scarlet SandsEx Nihilo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.04/ 5 · 53 votes

Have 75%Had 0%Want 25%

4.28/ 5 · 36 votes

Have 88%Had 12%Want 0%

Category winnerScarlet SandsRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

67%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

64%Love

14%Like

11%Ok

8%Dislike

3%Hate

36 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityPowerful

SillagePowerful

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value91

¤ Price value24

Category winnerPowerfulBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

sweet92%

white floral84%

powdery77%

vanilla69%

fruity61%

white floral100%

citrus92%

sweet84%

amber77%

fruity69%

oud61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both white floral, sweet and fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CardamomCinnamonFreesiaLychee

Heart

Orange BlossomJasmineOrris

Base

Dark ChocolateSandalwoodRaspberryVanillaCaramelTonkaMusk

Top15-30 mins

RaspberryMandarin

Heart2-4 hrs

Orange BlossomJasmineFreesia

Base6-10+ hrs

AmberAkigalawoodVanilla

InformationalShared notesFreesia, Orange Blossom, Jasmine and Raspberry. Durations are only published for Scarlet Sands, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Spring100

Summer60

Fall87

Winter60

Day100

Night67

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men7

Unisex41

Women52

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#8,843

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews25

Overall rank#13,717

PerfumerJordi Fernández

Launched—

Reviews13

Category winnerPowerfulHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Powerful by Judith Williams opens with a sharp burst of cardamom and cinnamon, quickly shifting into a heart of orange blossom and iris. As it settles, a rich base of dark chocolate, vanilla, and caramel dominates. This unisex scent feels like a warm, sweet embrace, making it a reliable pick for chilly autumn evenings…

Reviews →

Scarlet Sands by Ex Nihilo opens with a bright splash of ripe raspberry and juicy mandarin, creating a sweet, sunlit introduction that feels playful yet polished. As the initial fruitiness settles on your skin, a lush bouquet of orange blossom, clean freesia, and jasmine unfolds with creamy floral warmth. The base anc…

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, Powerful or Scarlet Sands?

Powerful takes 4 of 5 categories. Powerful is rated 4.04/5 from 53 votes; Scarlet Sands is rated 4.28/5 from 36 votes. Choose Powerful for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Scarlet Sands for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Powerful or Scarlet Sands?

They last about the same: Powerful 76/100, Scarlet Sands 74/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Powerful or Scarlet Sands?

Powerful projects furthest (Powerful 67/100, Scarlet Sands 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Powerful and Scarlet Sands smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, sweet and fruity accords. Common notes include Freesia, Orange Blossom, Jasmine and Raspberry.

Is Powerful or Scarlet Sands better for summer or winter?

Powerful suits daytime wear; Scarlet Sands suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Powerful and Scarlet Sands?

Powerful has top notes of Cardamom, Cinnamon, Freesia and Lychee, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Jasmine and Orris, a base of Dark Chocolate, Sandalwood, Raspberry and Vanilla. Scarlet Sands has top notes of Raspberry and Mandarin, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Jasmine and Freesia, a base of Amber, Akigalawood and Vanilla.