Fragrance comparison

Santa Noir vs Smuggler's Notch

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 31 ratings analysed

Santa Noir

House of Mammoth

4.506 votes

Rank #45,020 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

Smuggler's Notch

Folkwinds

3.2025 votes

Rank #22,674 GreenWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Santa Noir
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Smuggler's Notch
Choose it for a green and woody character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Santa Noir2/4

Smuggler's Notch2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Smuggler's Notch
Sillage & projection: Santa Noir
Value for money: Santa Noir
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Smuggler's Notch

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Santa NoirHouse of Mammoth

Smuggler's NotchFolkwinds

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 12%Had 4%Want 84%

3.20/ 5 · 25 votes

Have 9%Had 9%Want 83%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

36%Love

16%Like

4%Ok

20%Dislike

24%Hate

25 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate55

Category winners

LongevitySmuggler's Notch

SillageSanta Noir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value35

Category winnerSanta NoirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

green84%

honey77%

fresh69%

fresh spicy61%

green100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

musky77%

aromatic69%

fruity61%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both woody, green and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Black SpruceCassisHoneyBalsam FirAgarwood (Oud)MuskBlack hemlock or TsugaJasmineOakmossLeatherBalsamic NotesPatchouli

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

HayFlouveNatural MuskAppleOakAgarwood (Oud)ClovesTobaccoSandalwoodPine tarBalsam FirCassis

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCassis, Balsam Fir and Agarwood (Oud). Durations are only published for Santa Noir, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall60

Winter100

Day79

Night100

Spring20

Summer10

Fall100

Winter80

Day88

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

Casual 33%Date 31%Party 21%Work 15%

Men58

Unisex33

Women8

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#45,020

PerfumerBenjamin Esposito

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#22,674

PerfumerJono Bornstein

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerSmuggler's NotchHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Santa Noir by House of Mammoth trades sugary holiday clichés for a moody winter pine forest soaked in dark nectar. It hits the skin with a sharp needle blast of black spruce and crisp balsam fir. That initial pine sting softens quickly as rich, animalic honey oozes across bitter cassis berries. Deep woody undertones t…

Reviews →

Smuggler's Notch by Folkwinds opens with a sharp flash of tart apple and bruised green flouve grass before heavy forest resin takes control. Perfumer Jono Bornstein pairs crisp orchard fruit with dark pine tar, wet hay, and earthy agarwood, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of northern Vermont woods after autumn rain…

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, Santa Noir or Smuggler's Notch?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Santa Noir is rated 4.50/5 from 6 votes; Smuggler's Notch is rated 3.20/5 from 25 votes. Choose Santa Noir for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Smuggler's Notch for a green and woody character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Santa Noir or Smuggler's Notch?

Smuggler's Notch lasts longest (Smuggler's Notch 77/100, Santa Noir 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Santa Noir or Smuggler's Notch?

Santa Noir projects furthest (Santa Noir 63/100, Smuggler's Notch 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Santa Noir and Smuggler's Notch smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, green and aromatic accords. Common notes include Cassis, Balsam Fir and Agarwood (Oud).