Fragrance comparison

Real vs Puredistance No. 12

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 221 ratings analysed

Real

American Eagle · 2006

4.5062 votes

Rank #30,604 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

24%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Puredistance No. 12

Puredistance

3.89159 votes

Rank #14,032 PowderyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Puredistance No. 12 takes 3 of 5 categories.

Real
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Puredistance No. 12
Choose it for a powdery and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Real2/5

Puredistance No. 123/5

Ratings & consensus: Real
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Puredistance No. 12
Sillage & projection: Puredistance No. 12
Value for money: Real
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Puredistance No. 12

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

RealAmerican Eagle

Puredistance No. 12Puredistance

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 62 votes

Have 19%Had 54%Want 28%

3.89/ 5 · 159 votes

Have 45%Had 11%Want 43%

Category winnerRealRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

64%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

39%Love

31%Like

15%Ok

10%Dislike

5%Hate

159 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityPuredistance No. 12

SillagePuredistance No. 12

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value23

Category winnerRealBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus92%

woody69%

warm spicy53%

powdery100%

floral92%

white floral84%

musky77%

woody69%

aromatic61%

Scent match24%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Green LeavesWatery NotesMandarin OrangeLemonBergamotSea Notes

Heart

CardamomRoseOrange BlossomLily-of-the-Valley

Base

AmberVetiverSandalwoodMossResinsPatchouli

Top20-30 mins

NarcissusYlang-YlangBergamotCardamomMandarin OrangeCoriander

Heart3-5 hrs

Orris RootHedioneLily-of-the-ValleyHeliotropeGeraniumJasmineOrange BlossomRose

Base8-12 hrs

MuskAmbroxanPatchouliSandalwoodAmbrette (Musk Mallow)VetiverOakmossVanilla

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Bergamot, Cardamom and Rose. Durations are only published for Puredistance No. 12, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night75

Spring100

Summer49

Fall0

Winter68

Day100

Night87

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men0

Unisex28

Women72

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,604

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2006

Reviews0

Overall rank#14,032

PerfumerNathalie Feisthauer

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Real by American Eagle is an approachable woody spicy fragrance for men. It opens with a crisp, refreshing blend of green leaves and citrus notes before moving into a warm heart of cardamom and rose. The base of sandalwood and amber provides a clean, reliable finish that is perfect for daily office or casual wear thro…

Reviews →

Puredistance No. 12 is a rich floral chypre that feels like slipping into a fine cashmere sweater. Nathalie Feisthauer crafted this 25 percent extrait to deliver seamless luxury. The scent opens with a sharp burst of bergamot, mandarin orange, and crushed coriander seeds. This energetic citrus spark softens quickly as…

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, Real or Puredistance No. 12?

Puredistance No. 12 takes 3 of 5 categories. Real is rated 4.50/5 from 62 votes; Puredistance No. 12 is rated 3.89/5 from 159 votes. Choose Real for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Puredistance No. 12 for a powdery and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Real or Puredistance No. 12?

Puredistance No. 12 lasts longest (Puredistance No. 12 72/100, Real 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Real or Puredistance No. 12?

Puredistance No. 12 projects furthest (Puredistance No. 12 56/100, Real 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Real and Puredistance No. 12 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 24% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Bergamot, Cardamom and Rose.

Is Real or Puredistance No. 12 better for summer or winter?

Real suits daytime wear; Puredistance No. 12 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Real and Puredistance No. 12?

Real has top notes of Green Leaves, Watery Notes, Mandarin Orange and Lemon, heart notes of Cardamom, Rose, Orange Blossom and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Amber, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Moss. Puredistance No. 12 has top notes of Narcissus, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of Orris Root, Hedione, Lily-of-the-Valley and Heliotrope, a base of Musk, Ambroxan, Patchouli and Sandalwood.