Fragrance comparison

Sandal Ruby vs Madonna

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

Updated 17 Oct 2026 428 ratings analysed

5 wins

Sandal Ruby

Carolina Herrera

4.12261 votes

Rank #4,988 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

22%scent match

Clearly different

Madonna

Boadicea the Victorious

3.92167 votes

Rank #23,528 White FloralAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sandal Ruby takes 5 of 7 categories.

Sandal Ruby
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Madonna
Choose it for a white floral and aromatic character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring.

Sandal Ruby5/7

Madonna2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Sandal RubyCarolina Herrera

MadonnaBoadicea the Victorious

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.12/ 5 · 261 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.92/ 5 · 167 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerSandal RubyRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

49%Love

31%Like

6%Ok

8%Dislike

5%Hate

261 votes

38%Love

32%Like

18%Ok

8%Dislike

4%Hate

167 votes

Category winnerSandal RubyMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevitySandal Ruby

SillageSandal Ruby

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value35

Category winnerMadonnaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

cinnamon77%

tuberose69%

patchouli61%

white floral100%

aromatic92%

floral84%

fruity77%

green69%

woody61%

Scent match22%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

CinnamonBlack Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

TuberoseGeranium

Base6-10 hrs

SandalwoodPatchouliAtlas Cedar

Top

DavanaRumGeraniumSageNeroli

Heart

OsmanthusTuberoseJasmine SambacOrange Blossom

Base

AmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliBlack PepperHaitian Vetiver

InformationalShared notesBlack Pepper, Tuberose, Geranium and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Sandal Ruby, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring44

Summer20

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring100

Summer82

Fall0

Winter36

Day–

Night–

Category winnerMadonnaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex60

Women35

Date 41%Party 25%Work 19%Casual 14%

Men4

Unisex7

Women89

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,988

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews39

Overall rank#23,528

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerSandal RubyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Carolina Herrera Sandal Ruby is a rich, warm spicy fragrance that pairs dry cinnamon bark with buttery sandalwood and lush floral depth. The opening hits immediately with a sharp flash of black pepper before melting into a creamy heart of tuberose petals. Three sprays are plenty. Grounded by earthy patchouli and Atlas…

Reviews →

Boadicea the Victorious Madonna opens with a boozy splash of rum and dark davana before unrolling a heavy heart of osmanthus, tuberose, and jasmine sambac. A bitter green neroli cuts through the plush apricot fruitiness, while ambergris and sandalwood ground the base for cool spring evenings and formal autumn gatherin…

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, Sandal Ruby or Madonna?

Sandal Ruby takes 5 of 7 categories. Sandal Ruby is rated 4.12/5 from 261 votes; Madonna is rated 3.92/5 from 167 votes. Choose Sandal Ruby for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Madonna for a white floral and aromatic character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Sandal Ruby or Madonna?

Sandal Ruby lasts longest (Sandal Ruby 78/100, Madonna 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Sandal Ruby or Madonna?

Projection is very close: Sandal Ruby 68/100, Madonna 66/100 for sillage.

Do Sandal Ruby and Madonna smell similar?

Clearly different: a 22% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Black Pepper, Tuberose, Geranium and Sandalwood.

Is Sandal Ruby or Madonna better for summer or winter?

For summer, Madonna is the stronger pick. For winter, Sandal Ruby is the stronger pick. Sandal Ruby suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Sandal Ruby and Madonna?

Sandal Ruby has top notes of Cinnamon and Black Pepper, heart notes of Tuberose and Geranium, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli and Atlas Cedar. Madonna has top notes of Davana, Rum, Geranium and Sage, heart notes of Osmanthus, Tuberose, Jasmine Sambac and Orange Blossom, a base of Ambergris, Sandalwood, Patchouli and Black Pepper.