Fragrance comparison

Sad Cypress vs Scarlet Oud

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 97 ratings analysed

Sad Cypress

Ikiryō

4.333 votes

Rank #61,173 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

2 wins

Scarlet Oud

Illuminum

3.6394 votes

Rank #14,990 OudWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Scarlet Oud takes 2 of 3 categories.

Sad Cypress
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Scarlet Oud
Choose it for a oud and woody character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Sad Cypress1/3

Scarlet Oud2/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Scarlet Oud
Sillage & projection: Sad Cypress
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Scarlet Oud

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Sad CypressIkiryō

Scarlet OudIlluminum

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 5%Had 1%Want 94%

3.63/ 5 · 94 votes

Have 33%Had 19%Want 48%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

67%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

38%Love

38%Like

3%Ok

20%Dislike

1%Hate

69 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity52

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityScarlet Oud

SillageSad Cypress

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value40

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

sweet84%

floral77%

amber69%

honey61%

oud100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

leather77%

musky69%

animalic61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

HoneyAgarwood (Oud)NeroliCypressPeru BalsamMahoganyIso E SuperMagnoliaCreme BruleeCastoreumArtemisiaMartini

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Black PepperHoney

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)VetiverResins

Base

CastoreumCivet

InformationalShared notesHoney, Agarwood (Oud) and Castoreum. Durations are only published for Sad Cypress, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring60

Summer40

Fall60

Winter100

Day60

Night100

Spring67

Summer42

Fall100

Winter92

Day92

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men31

Unisex62

Women8

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,173

PerfumerVincent of Dreamhouse

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#14,990

PerfumerMichael Boadi

Launched—

Reviews16

Category winnerScarlet OudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Sad Cypress by Ikiryō is an unconventional woody fragrance that balances crisp greenery with deep gourmand warmth. Created by perfumer Vincent of Dreamhouse in 2016, it brings together aromatic cypress needles, herbal artemisia, and a chilled martini note right at the start. As it develops, thick honey and sweet creme…

Reviews →

Scarlet Oud is a stripped back, wearable oud built around peppered honey up top, then earthy vetiver and smoky resins as it settles. On skin it often reads woody, slightly leathery, and gently animalic rather than loud or medicinal. Some wearers call it an “oud for non-oud lovers” because it can stay close, while othe…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Sad Cypress or Scarlet Oud?

Scarlet Oud takes 2 of 3 categories. Sad Cypress is rated 4.33/5 from 3 votes; Scarlet Oud is rated 3.63/5 from 94 votes. Choose Sad Cypress for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Scarlet Oud for a oud and woody character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Sad Cypress or Scarlet Oud?

Scarlet Oud lasts longest (Scarlet Oud 67/100, Sad Cypress 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Sad Cypress or Scarlet Oud?

Sad Cypress projects furthest (Sad Cypress 65/100, Scarlet Oud 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Sad Cypress and Scarlet Oud smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Honey, Agarwood (Oud) and Castoreum.

Is Sad Cypress or Scarlet Oud better for summer or winter?

Sad Cypress suits evening wear; Scarlet Oud suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Sad Cypress and Scarlet Oud?

Sad Cypress features Honey, Agarwood (Oud), Neroli, Cypress and Peru Balsam. Scarlet Oud has top notes of Black Pepper and Honey, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Vetiver and Resins, a base of Castoreum and Civet.