Fragrance comparison

Red African vs To Be Bad Guy

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 263 ratings analysed

5 wins

Red African

Al Haramain Perfumes

4.5439 votes

Rank #12,338 Fresh SpicyCaramel

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

To Be Bad Guy

Police

3.91224 votes

Rank #10,615 GreenAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Red African takes 5 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.
To Be Bad Guy
Choose it for a green and aromatic character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Red African5/7

To Be Bad Guy2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Red AfricanAl Haramain Perfumes

To Be Bad GuyPolice

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.54/ 5 · 39 votes

Have 42%Had 7%Want 51%

3.91/ 5 · 224 votes

Have 57%Had 14%Want 29%

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

30%Love

42%Like

18%Ok

7%Dislike

3%Hate

224 votes

Category winnerRed AfricanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityRed African

SillageRed African

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value72

¤ Price value74

Category winnerTo Be Bad GuyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

caramel91%

sweet83%

vanilla74%

balsamic65%

woody56%

green100%

aromatic92%

fresh spicy84%

fruity77%

sweet69%

caramel61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both fresh spicy, caramel 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

MintBlood OrangeGreen NotesNutmegRed Thyme

Heart

Green AppleGeraniumSorbetWhite Flowers

Base

CaramelVetiverTonka BeanMuskVanilla

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

Spring100

Summer59

Fall0

Winter57

Day–

Night–

Category winnerRed AfricanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men8

Unisex46

Women46

Men86

Unisex12

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,338

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#10,615

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews21

Category winnerTo Be Bad GuyHigher 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 →

Police To Be Bad Guy opens with a brisk snap of peppermint, blood orange, and thyme over crisp green apple. As the bright top settles, warm caramel, tonka bean, and vanilla emerge to create a contrast between herbal freshness and creamy sweetness. It sits on a quiet vetiver and musk base for casual wear.

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 To Be Bad Guy?

Red African takes 5 of 7 categories. Red African is rated 4.54/5 from 39 votes; To Be Bad Guy is rated 3.91/5 from 224 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 To Be Bad Guy for a green and aromatic character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Red African or To Be Bad Guy?

Red African lasts longest (Red African 71/100, To Be Bad Guy 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Red African or To Be Bad Guy?

Red African projects furthest (Red African 58/100, To Be Bad Guy 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Red African and To Be Bad Guy smell similar?

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

Is Red African or To Be Bad Guy better for summer or winter?

For summer, To Be Bad Guy 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 To Be Bad Guy?

Red African has top notes of Brazilian Rosewood, heart notes of Nutmeg and Caramel, a base of Vanilla, Ambergris and Musk. To Be Bad Guy has top notes of Mint, Blood Orange, Green Notes and Nutmeg, heart notes of Green Apple, Geranium, Sorbet and White Flowers, a base of Caramel, Vetiver, Tonka Bean and Musk.