Fragrance comparison

Red African vs Filthy Musk

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 347 ratings analysed

4 wins

Red African

Al Haramain Perfumes

4.5439 votes

Rank #12,338 Fresh SpicyCaramel

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

Filthy Musk

BORNTOSTANDOUT®

3.77308 votes

Rank #8,712 MuskySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Red African takes 4 of 7 categories.

Red African
Choose it for a fresh spicy and caramel character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Filthy Musk
Choose it for a musky and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Red African4/7

Filthy Musk3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Red AfricanAl Haramain Perfumes

Filthy MuskBORNTOSTANDOUT®

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.54/ 5 · 39 votes

Have 42%Had 7%Want 51%

3.77/ 5 · 308 votes

Have 82%Had 18%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

40%Love

26%Like

11%Ok

8%Dislike

15%Hate

245 votes

Category winnerRed AfricanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityFilthy Musk

SillageFilthy Musk

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value72

¤ Price value43

Category winnerRed AfricanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

caramel91%

sweet83%

vanilla74%

balsamic65%

woody56%

musky100%

sweet91%

powdery83%

animalic74%

amber65%

vanilla56%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both sweet and vanilla

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Brazilian Rosewood

Heart

NutmegCaramel

Base

VanillaAmbergrisMusk

Top

MuskHoneyPineapple

Heart

JasmineNutmegPatchouli

Base

CivetVanillaCaramelTonkaAmbergrisAmbroxanRum

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Caramel, Vanilla and Ambergris. 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

Spring52

Summer27

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerRed AfricanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men8

Unisex46

Women46

Men10

Unisex64

Women26

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,338

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#8,712

PerfumerMargaux Le Paih Guérin

Launched—

Reviews23

Category winnerFilthy MuskHigher 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 →

Filthy Musk leans into sweet, animalic musk from the first spray, with honey and pineapple giving the opening a sticky, almost fermented glow before patchouli, nutmeg, and jasmine pull it into dirtier territory. The dry down turns warmer and creamier with vanilla, caramel, tonka, rum, and civet, so it suits wearers wh…

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 Filthy Musk?

Red African takes 4 of 7 categories. Red African is rated 4.54/5 from 39 votes; Filthy Musk is rated 3.77/5 from 308 votes. Choose Red African for a fresh spicy and caramel character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Filthy Musk for a musky and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Red African or Filthy Musk?

Filthy Musk lasts longest (Filthy Musk 78/100, Red African 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Red African or Filthy Musk?

Filthy Musk projects furthest (Filthy Musk 67/100, Red African 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Red African and Filthy Musk smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and vanilla accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Caramel, Vanilla and Ambergris.

Is Red African or Filthy Musk 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 Filthy Musk?

Red African has top notes of Brazilian Rosewood, heart notes of Nutmeg and Caramel, a base of Vanilla, Ambergris and Musk. Filthy Musk has top notes of Musk, Honey and Pineapple, heart notes of Jasmine, Nutmeg and Patchouli, a base of Civet, Vanilla, Caramel and Tonka.