Smoky Soul vs Nanban
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
19%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Nanban takes 4 of 7 categories.
Smoky SoulChoose it for a floral and woody character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
NanbanChoose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Smoky Soul3/7
Nanban4/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Nanban
- Community sentiment
- Nanban
- Longevity
- Nanban
- Sillage & projection
- Nanban
- Value for money
- Smoky Soul
- Versatility
- Smoky Soul
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Smoky Soul
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
Smoky SoulOlfactive StudioNanbanArquisteWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.80/ 5 · 98 votes
Have 81%Had 19%Want 0%
4.00/ 5 · 464 votes
Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%
Category winnerNanbanRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate35%Love
38%Like
7%Ok
13%Dislike
7%Hate
98 votes
42%Love
33%Like
11%Ok
13%Dislike
2%Hate
464 votes
Category winnerNanbanMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityNanban
SillageNanban
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerSmoky SoulBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothfloral100%
woody92%
aromatic84%
green77%
fruity69%
earthy61%
warm spicy100%
amber91%
woody83%
balsamic74%
leather65%
fresh spicy56%
Scent match19%Clearly different · both woody
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
Chinese OsmanthusBlack Pepper
Heart
Black TeaIndian JasmineTurkish Rose
Base
Java vetiver oilIndonesian Patchouli LeafSeaweed
Top
SaffronBlack TeaBlack Pepper
Heart
MyrhhLeatherCoffeeChinese Osmanthus
Base
OlibanumCopaiba balmSandalwoodStyraxJuniper Berries
InformationalShared notesChinese Osmanthus, Black Pepper and Black Tea. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring66
Summer39
Fall100
Winter50
Day100
Night80
Spring26
Summer14
Fall95
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerSmoky SoulMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#16,068
PerfumerMarc-Antoine Corticchiato
Launched—
Reviews8
Overall rank#27,943
PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux, Yann Vasnier
Launched—
Reviews0
Category winnerSmoky SoulHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotSmoky Soul by Olfactive Studio starts with a wet, pulpy blast of Chinese osmanthus and black pepper. It quickly shifts from apricoty floral sweetness to a dry, savory heart dominated by black tea and Turkish rose. On skin, the dry-down reveals a strong, almost salty undercurrent of Java vetiver oil and seaweed, steeri…
Reviews →Arquiste Nanban opens with bitter black tea and crackling black pepper before grounding into heavy myrrh and dark coffee. Smooth leather and olibanum wrap around the dry down, giving it a dense, smoky feel tailored for crisp autumn evenings and dark wool coats. It wears with heavy presence without feeling overly sweet…
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.
Guided comparison
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Smoky Soul or Nanban?
Nanban takes 4 of 7 categories. Smoky Soul is rated 3.80/5 from 98 votes; Nanban is rated 4.00/5 from 464 votes. Choose Smoky Soul for a floral and woody character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Nanban for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Which lasts longer, Smoky Soul or Nanban?
They last about the same: Nanban 73/100, Smoky Soul 71/100 for longevity in community votes.
Which projects more, Smoky Soul or Nanban?
Projection is very close: Nanban 63/100, Smoky Soul 62/100 for sillage.
Do Smoky Soul and Nanban smell similar?
Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Chinese Osmanthus, Black Pepper and Black Tea.
Is Smoky Soul or Nanban better for summer or winter?
For summer, Smoky Soul is the stronger pick. For winter, Nanban is the stronger pick. Smoky Soul suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Smoky Soul and Nanban?
Smoky Soul has top notes of Chinese Osmanthus and Black Pepper, heart notes of Black Tea, Indian Jasmine and Turkish Rose, a base of Java vetiver oil, Indonesian Patchouli Leaf and Seaweed. Nanban has top notes of Saffron, Black Tea and Black Pepper, heart notes of Myrhh, Leather, Coffee and Chinese Osmanthus, a base of Olibanum, Copaiba balm, Sandalwood and Styrax.
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