Fragrance comparison

Samba for Men vs Arabian Wood

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 787 ratings analysed

Samba for Men

Perfumer's Workshop

3.78122 votes

Rank #8,992 LavenderFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Arabian Wood

Tom Ford

4.11665 votes

Rank #25,205 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Arabian Wood takes 4 of 7 categories.

Samba for Men
Choose it for a lavender and floral character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Arabian Wood
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Samba for Men3/7

Arabian Wood4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Samba for MenPerfumer's Workshop

Arabian WoodTom Ford

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.78/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 34%Had 66%Want 0%

4.11/ 5 · 665 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerArabian WoodRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

55%Like

6%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

113 votes

40%Love

45%Like

3%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

665 votes

Category winnerSamba for MenMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityArabian Wood

SillageArabian Wood

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price value33

Category winnerSamba for MenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

lavender100%

floral92%

woody84%

aromatic77%

citrus69%

fresh spicy61%

woody100%

white floral92%

floral84%

mossy77%

rose69%

earthy61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both woody and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LavenderBergamot

Heart

FreesiaYlang-Ylang

Base

CedarMusk

Notes

Woodsy NotesOakmossBulgarian RoseMay RoseGalbanumLavenderPatchouliHoneyJasmineCedarGardeniaBergamot

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesLavender, Bergamot and Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter33

Day–

Night–

Spring70

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerArabian WoodMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men83

Unisex18

Women0

Men38

Unisex49

Women13

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#8,992

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Overall rank#25,205

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerSamba for MenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Samba for Men is a fresh aromatic from 1990 with lavender, bergamot, airy florals, cedar, and musk. On skin it often reads clean, lightly woody, and spring friendly, with a soft floral lift rather than a heavy barbershop feel. Reviewers point to its understated character, good value, and easy compliments, while also …

Reviews →

Arabian Wood opens with a bright burst of bergamot and gardenia before settling into a deep, mossy green expanse. While the name suggests a dry oud, this bottle delivers a classic green chypre reminiscent of mid-century French perfumery. As it warms on the skin, the sharpness of galbanum gives way to a damp, soil-like…

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, Samba for Men or Arabian Wood?

Arabian Wood takes 4 of 7 categories. Samba for Men is rated 3.78/5 from 122 votes; Arabian Wood is rated 4.11/5 from 665 votes. Choose Samba for Men for a lavender and floral character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Arabian Wood for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Samba for Men or Arabian Wood?

Arabian Wood lasts longest (Arabian Wood 70/100, Samba for Men 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Samba for Men or Arabian Wood?

Arabian Wood projects furthest (Arabian Wood 65/100, Samba for Men 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Samba for Men and Arabian Wood smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and floral accords. Common notes include Lavender, Bergamot and Cedar.

Is Samba for Men or Arabian Wood better for summer or winter?

For summer, Samba for Men is the stronger pick. For winter, Arabian Wood is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Samba for Men and Arabian Wood?

Samba for Men has top notes of Lavender and Bergamot, heart notes of Freesia and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Cedar and Musk. Arabian Wood features Woodsy Notes, Oakmoss, Bulgarian Rose, May Rose and Galbanum.