Fragrance comparison

Red African vs Note Secrète

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 42 ratings analysed

Red African

Al Haramain Perfumes

4.5439 votes

Rank #12,338 Fresh SpicyCaramel

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Note Secrète

In Senso

5.003 votes

Rank #38,161 CitrusVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Note Secrète takes 3 of 4 categories.

Red African
Choose it for a fresh spicy and caramel character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Note Secrète
Choose it for a citrus and vanilla character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, evening wear.

Red African1/4

Note Secrète3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Note Secrète
Sillage & projection: Note Secrète
Value for money: Note Secrète
Versatility: Not scored
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

Note SecrèteIn Senso

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.54/ 5 · 39 votes

Have 42%Had 7%Want 51%

5.00/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 38%Had 0%Want 63%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityNote Secrète

SillageNote Secrète

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value72

¤ Price value75

Category winnerNote SecrèteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

caramel91%

sweet83%

vanilla74%

balsamic65%

woody56%

citrus100%

vanilla86%

powdery72%

fresh spicy58%

violet44%

sweet30%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both vanilla, fresh spicy and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Brazilian Rosewood

Heart

NutmegCaramel

Base

VanillaAmbergrisMusk

Top

MandarinLemonCoconutCaramel

Heart

VioletPepperNutmeg

Base

VanillaAmberMusk

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, 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

Spring0

Summer100

Fall0

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men8

Unisex46

Women46

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,338

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#38,161

PerfumerAlexis Bessy, Emna Doghri

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 →

Note Secrète pairs bright citrus with creamy coconut, caramel, and a soft vanilla-amber base. It opens sunny and slightly candied, then settles into a powdery, musky gourmand with a light spicy twist from pepper and nutmeg. This reads as a comfort scent with a polished edge. It may suit anyone who likes sweet fragranc…

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 Note Secrète?

Note Secrète takes 3 of 4 categories. Red African is rated 4.54/5 from 39 votes; Note Secrète is rated 5.00/5 from 3 votes. Choose Red African for a fresh spicy and caramel character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Note Secrète for a citrus and vanilla character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Red African or Note Secrète?

Note Secrète lasts longest (Note Secrète 80/100, Red African 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Red African or Note Secrète?

Note Secrète projects furthest (Note Secrète 75/100, Red African 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Red African and Note Secrète smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla, fresh spicy and sweet accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Caramel, Vanilla and Musk.

Is Red African or Note Secrète better for summer or winter?

Red African suits daytime wear; Note Secrète suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Red African and Note Secrète?

Red African has top notes of Brazilian Rosewood, heart notes of Nutmeg and Caramel, a base of Vanilla, Ambergris and Musk. Note Secrète has top notes of Mandarin, Lemon, Coconut and Caramel, heart notes of Violet, Pepper and Nutmeg, a base of Vanilla, Amber and Musk.