Fragrance comparison

Red Santal vs Boston

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 110 ratings analysed

2 wins

Red Santal

Abel

3.57110 votes

Rank #13,712 Fresh SpicyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

61%scent match

Closely related

Boston

Guy Bouchara

—0 votes

Rank #65,519 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Red Santal takes 2 of 2 categories.

Red Santal
Choose it for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Boston
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character.

Red Santal2/2

Boston0/2

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Red SantalAbel

BostonGuy Bouchara

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.57/ 5 · 110 votes

Have 44%Had 22%Want 35%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

27%Love

32%Like

17%Ok

20%Dislike

4%Hate

81 votes

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity60

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityRed Santal

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value37

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

warm spicy86%

woody72%

aromatic58%

citrus44%

powdery30%

aromatic100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

warm spicy77%

citrus69%

herbal61%

Scent match61%Closely related · both fresh spicy, woody and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

ClovesBlack and Pink Pepper

Heart

GingerThymeBergamot

Base

SandalwoodAustralian Sandalwood

Top15-30 mins

GrapefruitBergamotBasilThymeMint

Heart2-4 hrs

ClovesPine needlesGreen AppleGeraniumSageJasmineLavender

Base6-8 hrs

Balsam FirSandalwoodCedarPatchouliMuskVetiverSuede

InformationalShared notesCloves, Thyme, Bergamot and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Boston, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring68

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day100

Night39

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men34

Unisex62

Women3

Not enough votes yet

Work 40%Casual 36%Date 15%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,712

PerfumerIsaac Sinclair

Launched—

Reviews25

Overall rank#65,519

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerRed SantalHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Red Santal is a close-wearing, spice-forward sandalwood that reads more like an aromatherapy blend than a glossy designer woody. It opens peppery and clove-heavy, then warms into ginger, herbs and a soft, slightly powdery sandalwood dry-down. If you want a subtle, naturalistic spice cabinet scent with a clean, soapy e…

Reviews →

Boston by Guy Bouchara delivers a crisp, traditional aromatic fougere built around forest greenery, culinary herbs, and dry woods. The scent opens with a sharp burst of bitter grapefruit, bergamot, and crushed mint leaves, paired with savory culinary cuts of garden thyme and sweet basil. Within twenty minutes, the bri…

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 lasts longer, Red Santal or Boston?

They last about the same: Red Santal 62/100, Boston 60/100 for longevity in community votes.

Do Red Santal and Boston smell similar?

Closely related: a 61% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cloves, Thyme, Bergamot and Sandalwood.

Is Red Santal or Boston better for summer or winter?

Boston suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Red Santal and Boston?

Red Santal has top notes of Cloves and Black and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Ginger, Thyme and Bergamot, a base of Sandalwood and Australian Sandalwood. Boston has top notes of Grapefruit, Bergamot, Basil and Thyme, heart notes of Cloves, Pine needles, Green Apple and Geranium, a base of Balsam Fir, Sandalwood, Cedar and Patchouli.