Fragrance comparison

Reasons vs Substance

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 474 ratings analysed

Reasons

Amouage

3.59472 votes

Rank #37,213 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Substance

Synesthesie

4.502 votes

Rank #57,709 SweetWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Substance takes 3 of 4 categories.

Reasons
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Substance
Choose it for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Reasons1/4

Substance3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ReasonsAmouage

SubstanceSynesthesie

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.59/ 5 · 472 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 10%Had 0%Want 90%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

25%Like

22%Ok

10%Dislike

11%Hate

472 votes

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevitySubstance

SillageSubstance

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value19

¤ Price value100

Category winnerSubstanceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy86%

amber72%

aromatic58%

balsamic44%

powdery30%

sweet100%

warm spicy92%

amber84%

vanilla77%

cinnamon69%

musky61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Pink PepperCardamomCinnamonHazelnut

Heart

PineDavanaCypriolCashmeranWhite AmberPatchouli

Base

Palo SantoMyrrhSandalwoodBenzoinCedarwoodOakmossMuskVetiver

Top

HazelnutCognac

Heart

Tonka BeanCinnamonAmbergrisOakmossSugar

Base

White MuskVanillaMyrrhSandalwoodPraline

InformationalShared notesCinnamon, Hazelnut, Myrrh and Sandalwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring73

Summer38

Fall100

Winter92

Day100

Night98

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men34

Unisex48

Women18

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#37,213

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#57,709

PerfumerFrancesco Perini

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerReasonsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Reasons by Amouage blends dry cedarwood and green pine needles with a soft hazelnut opening. Designed by Bertrand Duchaufour, this 2024 release shifts from a spicy, warm start into a quiet, meditative woody base. It suits collectors looking for a low-projection, contemplative skin scent for cool autumn days and quiet …

Reviews →

Substance opens with a boozy cognac kick and a distinct hazelnut crunch. It is a dense gourmand experience that settles into a thick layer of praline and vanilla. This is a heavy hitter for cold nights when you want to feel wrapped in something warm and resinous. It avoids being a simple sugar bomb thanks to a salty a…

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, Reasons or Substance?

Substance takes 3 of 4 categories. Reasons is rated 3.59/5 from 472 votes; Substance is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose Reasons for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Substance for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Reasons or Substance?

Substance lasts longest (Substance 100/100, Reasons 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Reasons or Substance?

Substance projects furthest (Substance 100/100, Reasons 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Reasons and Substance smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Cinnamon, Hazelnut, Myrrh and Sandalwood.

Is Reasons or Substance better for summer or winter?

Reasons suits day or night wear; Substance suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Reasons and Substance?

Reasons has top notes of Pink Pepper, Cardamom, Cinnamon and Hazelnut, heart notes of Pine, Davana, Cypriol and Cashmeran, a base of Palo Santo, Myrrh, Sandalwood and Benzoin. Substance has top notes of Hazelnut and Cognac, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Cinnamon, Ambergris and Oakmoss, a base of White Musk, Vanilla, Myrrh and Sandalwood.