Fragrance comparison

Red African vs Odyssey Black Forest

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 87 ratings analysed

4 wins

Red African

Al Haramain Perfumes

4.5439 votes

Rank #12,338 Fresh SpicyCaramel

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

Odyssey Black Forest

Armaf

4.0048 votes

Rank #12,564 SweetVanilla

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 versatility. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Odyssey Black Forest
Choose it for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Red African4/7

Odyssey Black Forest2/7

Ratings & consensus: Red African
Community sentiment: Red African
Longevity: Odyssey Black Forest
Sillage & projection: Odyssey Black Forest
Value for money: Tie
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

Odyssey Black ForestArmaf

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.54/ 5 · 39 votes

Have 42%Had 7%Want 51%

4.00/ 5 · 48 votes

Have 21%Had 2%Want 77%

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

35%Like

15%Ok

6%Dislike

4%Hate

48 votes

Category winnerRed AfricanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityOdyssey Black Forest

SillageOdyssey Black Forest

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value72

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

caramel91%

sweet83%

vanilla74%

balsamic65%

woody56%

sweet100%

vanilla86%

caramel72%

cherry58%

cinnamon44%

warm spicy30%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both sweet, caramel 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

CaramelCherryCinnamonLactonesWhite Blossom

Heart

DatesHoneyNutmeg

Base

PralineVanillaTonka BeanMuskWoody Notes

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

Spring45

Summer3

Fall86

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Category winnerRed AfricanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men8

Unisex46

Women46

Men10

Unisex68

Women23

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,338

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#12,564

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

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 →

Armaf Odyssey Black Forest lands on the skin with a heavy, thick sweetness that immediately conjures up a fresh slice of cherry chocolate cake. The fragrance opens with a sticky caramel and a medicinal cherry note, wrapped in lactonic warmth that mimics steamed milk. As the scent settles, the initial fruitiness pulls …

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 Odyssey Black Forest?

Red African takes 4 of 7 categories. Red African is rated 4.54/5 from 39 votes; Odyssey Black Forest is rated 4.00/5 from 48 votes. Choose Red African for a fresh spicy and caramel character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Odyssey Black Forest for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Red African or Odyssey Black Forest?

They last about the same: Odyssey Black Forest 73/100, Red African 71/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Red African or Odyssey Black Forest?

Projection is very close: Odyssey Black Forest 59/100, Red African 58/100 for sillage.

Do Red African and Odyssey Black Forest smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, caramel and vanilla accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Caramel, Vanilla and Musk.

Is Red African or Odyssey Black Forest 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; Odyssey Black Forest suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Red African and Odyssey Black Forest?

Red African has top notes of Brazilian Rosewood, heart notes of Nutmeg and Caramel, a base of Vanilla, Ambergris and Musk. Odyssey Black Forest has top notes of Caramel, Cherry, Cinnamon and Lactones, heart notes of Dates, Honey and Nutmeg, a base of Praline, Vanilla, Tonka Bean and Musk.