Fragrance comparison

Saffron vs Samarkand

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 30 ratings analysed

5 wins

Saffron

TRNP

4.1619 votes

Rank #31,446 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

Samarkand

DSH Perfumes

4.0911 votes

Rank #36,977 WoodyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Saffron takes 5 of 5 categories.

Saffron
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Samarkand
Choose it for a woody and floral character. Best in fall.

Saffron5/5

Samarkand0/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

SaffronTRNP

SamarkandDSH Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 19 votes

Have 53%Had 8%Want 39%

4.09/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 17%Had 3%Want 79%

Category winnerSaffronRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

63%Love

11%Like

11%Ok

11%Dislike

5%Hate

19 votes · too few to score

45%Love

36%Like

9%Ok

0%Dislike

9%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage38

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevitySaffron

SillageSaffron

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value88

¤ Price value38

Category winnerSaffronBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

floral77%

sweet69%

balsamic61%

woody100%

floral92%

citrus84%

fruity77%

amber69%

balsamic61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both woody, amber and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Bitter OrangeMay RoseBulgarian RoseNeroli

Heart

SaffronChampacaJasmineAmyrisAmbrette (Musk Mallow)CardamomVanillaMimosa

Base

OpoponaxOlibanumAtlas Cedar

Notes

Himalayan CedarOsmanthusAmyrisApricotAustralian SandalwoodBergamotBitter OrangeBlack TeaBulgarian RoseRose de MaiSandalwoodNeroli

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBitter Orange, Bulgarian Rose, Neroli and Amyris. Durations are only published for Samarkand, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer80

Fall80

Winter20

Day100

Night75

Spring50

Summer0

Fall100

Winter50

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex60

Women40

Men0

Unisex88

Women13

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,446

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#36,977

PerfumerDawn Spencer Hurwitz

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerSaffronHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

TRNP Saffron opens with a sharp flash of bitter orange and dark Bulgarian rose before settling into its resinous heart. Saffron takes center stage alongside spicy cardamom and creamy champaca flowers, giving the blend a medicinal, golden warmth. As hours pass on skin, opoponax resin and Atlas cedar create a dry, smoky…

Reviews →

Samarkand by DSH Perfumes is an all-botanical fragrance built around rose, smoky tea, and dark oud. Created by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, it opens with a sharp burst of bergamot, bitter orange, and neroli before revealing rich floral layers of Turkish rose, Bulgarian rose, and jasmine. As it develops, black tea and smoky l…

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, Saffron or Samarkand?

Saffron takes 5 of 5 categories. Saffron is rated 4.16/5 from 19 votes; Samarkand is rated 4.09/5 from 11 votes. Choose Saffron for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Samarkand for a woody and floral character. Best in fall.

Which lasts longer, Saffron or Samarkand?

Saffron lasts longest (Saffron 80/100, Samarkand 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Saffron or Samarkand?

Saffron projects furthest (Saffron 70/100, Samarkand 38/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Saffron and Samarkand smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and floral accords. Common notes include Bitter Orange, Bulgarian Rose, Neroli and Amyris.

Is Saffron or Samarkand better for summer or winter?

Saffron suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Saffron and Samarkand?

Saffron has top notes of Bitter Orange, May Rose, Bulgarian Rose and Neroli, heart notes of Saffron, Champaca, Jasmine and Amyris, a base of Opoponax, Olibanum and Atlas Cedar. Samarkand features Himalayan Cedar, Osmanthus, Amyris, Apricot and Australian Sandalwood.