Fragrance comparison

Red African vs Desire for a Woman

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 430 ratings analysed

6 wins

Red African

Al Haramain Perfumes

4.5439 votes

Rank #12,338 Fresh SpicyCaramel

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

Desire for a Woman

Alfred Dunhill

4.19391 votes

Rank #24,240 CitrusSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Red African takes 6 of 7 categories.

Red African
Choose it for a fresh spicy and caramel character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Desire for a Woman
Choose it for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Red African6/7

Desire for a Woman1/7

Ratings & consensus: Red African
Community sentiment: Red African
Longevity: Red African
Sillage & projection: Desire for a Woman
Value for money: Red African
Versatility: Red African
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Red African

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Red AfricanAl Haramain Perfumes

Desire for a WomanAlfred Dunhill

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.54/ 5 · 39 votes

Have 42%Had 7%Want 51%

4.19/ 5 · 391 votes

Have 41%Had 59%Want 0%

Category winnerRed AfricanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

62%Love

31%Like

8%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

39 votes

46%Love

41%Like

1%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

391 votes

Category winnerRed AfricanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityRed African

SillageDesire for a Woman

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value72

¤ Price value50

Category winnerRed AfricanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

caramel91%

sweet83%

vanilla74%

balsamic65%

woody56%

citrus100%

sweet92%

floral84%

white floral77%

soft spicy69%

woody61%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both sweet and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Brazilian Rosewood

Heart

NutmegCaramel

Base

VanillaAmbergrisMusk

Top

LimeOrangeMagnoliaBrazilian RosewoodBergamotGreen LeavesMyrtle

Heart

LicoriceTiare FlowerFreesiaGardeniaRose

Base

CaramelVanillaSandalwoodAmberMusk

InformationalShared notesBrazilian Rosewood, Caramel, Vanilla and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring36

Summer29

Fall93

Winter100

Day100

Night71

Spring65

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerRed AfricanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men8

Unisex46

Women46

Men0

Unisex8

Women92

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,338

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#24,240

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerRed AfricanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Red African is a cosy, edible gourmand that wears like caramel vanilla drizzled over warm spice and soft woods. Several wearers describe a bakery vibe, with chocolate and coffee facets showing up on skin, especially in cooler weather. Expect a bold, sweet opening that can turn more intimate later. Some people also not…

Reviews →

Desire for a Woman by Alfred Dunhill is a Oriental Floral fragrance for women. Desire for a Woman was launched in 2001. The nose behind this fragrance is Maurice Roucel. Top notes are Lime, Orange, Magnolia, Brazilian Rosewood, Bergamot, Green Leaves and Myrtle; middle notes are Licorice, Tiare Flower, Freesia, Garden…

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, Red African or Desire for a Woman?

Red African takes 6 of 7 categories. Red African is rated 4.54/5 from 39 votes; Desire for a Woman is rated 4.19/5 from 391 votes. Choose Red African for a fresh spicy and caramel character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Desire for a Woman for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Red African or Desire for a Woman?

Red African lasts longest (Red African 71/100, Desire for a Woman 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Red African or Desire for a Woman?

Desire for a Woman projects furthest (Desire for a Woman 64/100, Red African 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Red African and Desire for a Woman smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and woody accords. Common notes include Brazilian Rosewood, Caramel, Vanilla and Musk.

Is Red African or Desire for a Woman better for summer or winter?

For summer, Red African is the stronger pick. For winter, Red African is the stronger pick. Red African suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Red African and Desire for a Woman?

Red African has top notes of Brazilian Rosewood, heart notes of Nutmeg and Caramel, a base of Vanilla, Ambergris and Musk. Desire for a Woman has top notes of Lime, Orange, Magnolia and Brazilian Rosewood, heart notes of Licorice, Tiare Flower, Freesia and Gardenia, a base of Caramel, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Amber.