Fragrance comparison

Samba for Men vs Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 160 ratings analysed

Samba for Men

Perfumer's Workshop

3.78122 votes

Rank #8,992 LavenderFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood

Tom Ford

4.1138 votes

Rank #31,668 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3.

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

Samba for Men3/7

Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood3/7

Ratings & consensus: Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood
Community sentiment: Samba for Men
Longevity: Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Samba for Men
Versatility: Reserve Collection: 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

Reserve Collection: 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 · 38 votes

Have 34%Had 7%Want 59%

Category winnerReserve Collection: Arabian 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

50%Love

26%Like

11%Ok

11%Dislike

3%Hate

38 votes

Category winnerSamba for MenMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityReserve Collection: Arabian Wood

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price value11

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%

earthy84%

mossy77%

floral69%

rose61%

Scent match27%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

MossBulgarian RoseMay RoseGardeniaLavenderOrrisWoodsy NotesHoneyGalbanumNeroliBergamotJasmine

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesLavender and Bergamot. 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–

Spring20

Summer10

Fall60

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerReserve Collection: Arabian WoodMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men83

Unisex18

Women0

Men25

Unisex55

Women20

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#8,992

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Overall rank#31,668

PerfumerNot listed

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 →

Tom Ford Arabian Wood from the exclusive Reserve Collection opens with a sharp, green bite of galbanum and bergamot before settling into a dense, classical woody chypre. The fragrance leans heavily on an intricate structure of oakmoss and patchouli, softened slightly by gardenia and Bulgarian rose. Unlike modern minim…

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 Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3. Samba for Men is rated 3.78/5 from 122 votes; Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood is rated 4.11/5 from 38 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 Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Samba for Men or Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood?

Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood lasts longest (Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood 73/100, Samba for Men 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Samba for Men or Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood?

Projection is very close: Samba for Men 55/100, Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood 55/100 for sillage.

Do Samba for Men and Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and floral accords. Common notes include Lavender and Bergamot.

Is Samba for Men or Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood better for summer or winter?

For summer, Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood is the stronger pick. For winter, Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood is the stronger pick. Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Samba for Men and Reserve Collection: 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. Reserve Collection: Arabian Wood features Moss, Bulgarian Rose, May Rose, Gardenia and Lavender.