Fragrance comparison

Scarlet Sands vs Akigala Mandarino

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 871 ratings analysed

Scarlet Sands

Ex Nihilo

4.2836 votes

Rank #13,717 White FloralCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Akigala Mandarino

New Notes

4.18835 votes

Rank #159 FruityOud

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Akigala Mandarino takes 6 of 7 categories.

Scarlet Sands
Choose it for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Akigala Mandarino
Choose it for a fruity and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Scarlet Sands1/7

Akigala Mandarino6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Scarlet SandsEx Nihilo

Akigala MandarinoNew Notes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.28/ 5 · 36 votes

Have 88%Had 12%Want 0%

4.18/ 5 · 835 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

Category winnerAkigala MandarinoRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

64%Love

14%Like

11%Ok

8%Dislike

3%Hate

36 votes

58%Love

21%Like

12%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

412 votes

Category winnerAkigala MandarinoMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityAkigala Mandarino

SillageAkigala Mandarino

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value24

¤ Price value62

Category winnerAkigala MandarinoBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

citrus92%

sweet84%

amber77%

fruity69%

oud61%

fruity100%

oud92%

woody84%

citrus77%

warm spicy69%

fresh61%

Scent match53%Some overlap · both citrus, fruity and oud

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

RaspberryMandarin

Heart2-4 hrs

Orange BlossomJasmineFreesia

Base6-10+ hrs

AmberAkigalawoodVanilla

Top

MandarinAppleRaspberry

Heart

FreesiaJasmineLily of the Valley

Base

AkigalawoodAmber

InformationalShared notesRaspberry, Mandarin, Jasmine and Freesia. Durations are only published for Scarlet Sands, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer60

Fall87

Winter60

Day100

Night67

Spring100

Summer79

Fall0

Winter61

Day–

Night–

Category winnerScarlet SandsMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men7

Unisex41

Women52

Men19

Unisex65

Women17

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,717

PerfumerJordi Fernández

Launched—

Reviews13

Overall rank#159

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews195

Category winnerAkigala MandarinoHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Scarlet Sands by Ex Nihilo opens with a bright splash of ripe raspberry and juicy mandarin, creating a sweet, sunlit introduction that feels playful yet polished. As the initial fruitiness settles on your skin, a lush bouquet of orange blossom, clean freesia, and jasmine unfolds with creamy floral warmth. The base anc…

Reviews →

Akigala Mandarino opens with a juicy mandarin and apple effect that many wearers find immediately appealing, then shifts into a fruity woody dry down built around akigalawood and amber. It smells modern, synthetic by design, and a little unusual. If you enjoy Ganymede style mineral woody scents but want something swee…

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, Scarlet Sands or Akigala Mandarino?

Akigala Mandarino takes 6 of 7 categories. Scarlet Sands is rated 4.28/5 from 36 votes; Akigala Mandarino is rated 4.18/5 from 835 votes. Choose Scarlet Sands for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Akigala Mandarino for a fruity and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Scarlet Sands or Akigala Mandarino?

Akigala Mandarino lasts longest (Akigala Mandarino 81/100, Scarlet Sands 74/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Scarlet Sands or Akigala Mandarino?

Akigala Mandarino projects furthest (Akigala Mandarino 71/100, Scarlet Sands 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Scarlet Sands and Akigala Mandarino smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, fruity and oud accords. Common notes include Raspberry, Mandarin, Jasmine and Freesia.

Is Scarlet Sands or Akigala Mandarino better for summer or winter?

For summer, Akigala Mandarino is the stronger pick. For winter, Akigala Mandarino is the stronger pick. Scarlet Sands suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Scarlet Sands and Akigala Mandarino?

Scarlet Sands has top notes of Raspberry and Mandarin, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Jasmine and Freesia, a base of Amber, Akigalawood and Vanilla. Akigala Mandarino has top notes of Mandarin, Apple and Raspberry, heart notes of Freesia, Jasmine and Lily of the Valley, a base of Akigalawood and Amber.