Romulus vs Purple Stain
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
47%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Purple Stain takes 5 of 5 categories.
RomulusChoose it for a leather and woody character. Best in winter, evening wear.
Purple StainChoose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Romulus0/5
Purple Stain5/5
- Ratings & consensus
- Purple Stain
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- Purple Stain
- Sillage & projection
- Purple Stain
- Value for money
- Purple Stain
- Versatility
- Not scored
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Purple Stain
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
RomulusBenjamin BarberPurple StainBORNTOSTANDOUT®Winner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split2.95/ 5 · 47 votes
Have 23%Had 12%Want 65%
4.12/ 5 · 405 votes
Have 30%Had 2%Want 68%
Category winnerPurple StainRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate33%Love
19%Like
10%Ok
5%Dislike
33%Hate
21 votes · too few to score
44%Love
30%Like
13%Ok
6%Dislike
6%Hate
208 votes
Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityPurple Stain
SillagePurple Stain
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerPurple StainBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothleather100%
woody92%
oud84%
vanilla77%
warm spicy69%
amber61%
warm spicy100%
woody92%
oud84%
amber77%
citrus69%
balsamic61%
Scent match47%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and oud
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
LeatherSaffronCinnamon
Heart
OrrisLorenoxHeliotrope
Base
OudWoody NotesTonka BeanVanilla AbsoluteCypriol
Top
SaffronCinnamonMandarinBergamotGingerNutmegBark
Heart
Orange BlossomVanillaPeru BalsamCaramel
Base
OudAkigalawoodLabdanumPatchouliCypriolAmbrofix™Concrete
InformationalShared notesSaffron, Cinnamon, Oud and Cypriol. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring50
Summer0
Fall88
Winter100
Day29
Night100
Spring49
Summer17
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#21,326
PerfumerMathieu Nardin
Launched—
Reviews9
Overall rank#909
PerfumerJordi Fernández
Launched—
Reviews58
Category winnerPurple StainHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotRomulus by Benjamin Barber is a challenging leather fragrance built for those who prefer dark, animalic profiles. It opens with sharp, spicy saffron and cinnamon, eventually shifting into a base of rich oud and creamy vanilla. This bold scent is designed for cold weather wearers who appreciate a robust, long-lasting p…
Reviews →Purple Stain is a dense spicy oud with a bright citrus lift at the top, then a sweeter core of orange blossom, caramel, vanilla, and balsamic warmth. It opens vivid and textured, then settles into something darker, smokier, and more resinous. This looks best suited to cool weather, evening wear, and people who enjoy b…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
Recent comparisons
Head-to-head activity from live history
BohemeSegreti di LuccaRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
Soir de LuneSisleyWINNER
Orange FlowerOscar de la RentaRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
Ti AmoRoja DoveWINNER
Eau de BruxellesLibertin Louison Technique IndiscreteRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
Private ClubJeanne ArthesWINNER
PatchouliJouriRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
al03biehl parfumkunstwerkeWINNER
Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Romulus or Purple Stain?
Purple Stain takes 5 of 5 categories. Romulus is rated 2.95/5 from 47 votes; Purple Stain is rated 4.12/5 from 405 votes. Choose Romulus for a leather and woody character. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Purple Stain for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Which lasts longer, Romulus or Purple Stain?
Purple Stain lasts longest (Purple Stain 94/100, Romulus 77/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Romulus or Purple Stain?
Purple Stain projects furthest (Purple Stain 89/100, Romulus 71/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Romulus and Purple Stain smell similar?
Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and oud accords. Common notes include Saffron, Cinnamon, Oud and Cypriol.
Is Romulus or Purple Stain better for summer or winter?
Romulus suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Romulus and Purple Stain?
Romulus has top notes of Leather, Saffron and Cinnamon, heart notes of Orris, Lorenox and Heliotrope, a base of Oud, Woody Notes, Tonka Bean and Vanilla Absolute. Purple Stain has top notes of Saffron, Cinnamon, Mandarin and Bergamot, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Vanilla, Peru Balsam and Caramel, a base of Oud, Akigalawood, Labdanum and Patchouli.
Popular fragrance comparisons
The matchups people have compared most on Fragranxe.
vs
Sauvage vs Bleu de Chanel
Dior · Chanel · 36 comparisons
vs
Paco Rabanne Pour Homme Rabanne for men vs Shiyaaka Shadow
Rabanne · Khadlaj Perfumes · 30 comparisons
vs
Baccarat Rouge 540 vs Khamrah
Maison Francis Kurkdjian · Lattafa Perfumes · 21 comparisons
vs
Birth of Venus vs Brioni Eau de Parfum Intense
Argos · Brioni · 17 comparisons
vs
Supremacy Not Only Intense vs Arabians Tonka
Afnan · Montale · 14 comparisons
vs
Secret De Venus Eau de Parfum vs # What Matters is Inside - Italy
Weil · Jovoy Paris · 14 comparisons