Fragrance comparison

Side Effect vs Tiangou

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 9,183 ratings analysed

4 wins

Side Effect

Initio Parfums Prives · 2016

4.359,127 votes

Rank #200 Warm SpicyTobacco

Full profile Similar & dupes

50%scent match

Some overlap

Tiangou

Boadicea the Victorious

4.0456 votes

Rank #13,007 Warm SpicyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Side Effect takes 4 of 7 categories.

Side Effect
Choose it for a warm spicy and tobacco character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.
Tiangou
Choose it for a warm spicy and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Side Effect4/7

Tiangou3/7

Ratings & consensus: Side Effect
Community sentiment: Side Effect
Longevity: Tiangou
Sillage & projection: Tiangou
Value for money: Side Effect
Versatility: Tiangou
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Side Effect

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Side EffectInitio Parfums Prives

TiangouBoadicea the Victorious

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.35/ 5 · 9,127 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

4.04/ 5 · 56 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

Category winnerSide EffectRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

61%Love

23%Like

9%Ok

6%Dislike

2%Hate

8,536 votes

48%Love

30%Like

5%Ok

9%Dislike

7%Hate

56 votes

Category winnerSide EffectMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityTiangou

SillageTiangou

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value34

¤ Price value20

Category winnerSide EffectBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

tobacco88%

rum84%

cinnamon77%

woody71%

sweet67%

warm spicy100%

leather92%

tobacco84%

vanilla77%

rum69%

woody61%

Scent match50%Some overlap · both warm spicy, tobacco and rum

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

RumTobaccoCinnamonSaffronSandalwoodHedione

No top / heart / base split published

Top

RumClovesCinnamonCardamomSaffron

Heart

Damask RoseHeliotropeGeranium

Base

TobaccoLeatherAmberVanillaPatchouliCastoreumMossMusk

InformationalShared notesRum, Tobacco, Cinnamon and Saffron. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring29

Summer11

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring36

Summer23

Fall100

Winter82

Day67

Night100

Category winnerTiangouMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men46

Unisex46

Women9

Men56

Unisex32

Women12

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#200

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2016

Reviews209

Overall rank#13,007

PerfumerChristian Provenzano

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerSide EffectHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Side Effect by Initio Parfums Prives is a warm, spicy fragrance that centers on a dominant, boozy rum accord blended with tobacco and cinnamon. It projects a rich, sophisticated profile ideal for cool weather and evening wear, balancing sweetness with deep woods. This unisex scent behaves like a warm embrace on the sk…

Reviews →

Boadicea the Victorious Tiangou launches with an immediate burst of dark rum, ground cinnamon, and sharp cloves. The opening feels thick and heavy on skin, quickly pulling in dry saffron and a dusty cardamom spike. As the top notes settle, a dark tobacco leaf and resinous amber warm up the background, anchored by a di…

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, Side Effect or Tiangou?

Side Effect takes 4 of 7 categories. Side Effect is rated 4.35/5 from 9,127 votes; Tiangou is rated 4.04/5 from 56 votes. Choose Side Effect for a warm spicy and tobacco character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Tiangou for a warm spicy and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Side Effect or Tiangou?

Tiangou lasts longest (Tiangou 83/100, Side Effect 79/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Side Effect or Tiangou?

Tiangou projects furthest (Tiangou 78/100, Side Effect 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Side Effect and Tiangou smell similar?

Some overlap: a 50% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, tobacco and rum accords. Common notes include Rum, Tobacco, Cinnamon and Saffron.

Is Side Effect or Tiangou better for summer or winter?

For summer, Tiangou is the stronger pick. For winter, Side Effect is the stronger pick. Tiangou suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Side Effect and Tiangou?

Side Effect features Rum, Tobacco, Cinnamon, Saffron and Sandalwood. Tiangou has top notes of Rum, Cloves, Cinnamon and Cardamom, heart notes of Damask Rose, Heliotrope and Geranium, a base of Tobacco, Leather, Amber and Vanilla.