Fragrance comparison

Sombre Douceur vs CA Man

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 32 ratings analysed

Sombre Douceur

Elysian

3.6913 votes

Rank #25,070 IrisAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

19%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

CA Man

Chris Adams

3.7919 votes

Rank #42,884 FruityFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

CA Man takes 4 of 6 categories.

Sombre Douceur
Choose it for a iris and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
CA Man
Choose it for a fruity and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Sombre Douceur2/6

CA Man4/6

Ratings & consensus: CA Man
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: CA Man
Sillage & projection: Sombre Douceur
Value for money: CA Man
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): CA Man
Fragranxe ranking: Sombre Douceur

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Sombre DouceurElysian

CA ManChris Adams

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.69/ 5 · 13 votes

Have 23%Had 5%Want 72%

3.79/ 5 · 19 votes

Have 36%Had 20%Want 44%

Category winnerCA ManRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

15%Love

46%Like

31%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

13 votes · too few to score

21%Love

53%Like

11%Ok

16%Dislike

0%Hate

19 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityCA Man

SillageSombre Douceur

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value40

¤ Price value75

Category winnerCA ManBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

iris100%

amber92%

woody84%

powdery77%

fruity69%

violet61%

fruity100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

aromatic77%

sweet69%

floral61%

Scent match19%Clearly different · both fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

FigPink GrapefruitBlack CurrantNeroliApple

Heart2 to 3 hours

IrisJasmine SambacBlack PepperFreesiaOrchid

Base4 to 6 hours

Siam BenzoinBlack TeaAmberwoodVanillaCedar

Top15-30 mins

PeachPineappleStrawberryBergamotBlack PepperNutmegGreen NotesApple

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonRoseFreesiaIrisJasmineCyclamenGardenia

Base6-8+ hrs

CedarSandalwoodVanillaWhite Musk

Category winnerCA ManLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer25

Fall100

Winter75

Day75

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall89

Winter22

Day100

Night70

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men13

Unisex38

Women50

Men80

Unisex20

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,070

PerfumerJessi Park

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#42,884

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerSombre DouceurHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Sombre Douceur by Elysian is an oriental floral fragrance built around a pairing of ripe fruit, powdery florals, and dark woods. It opens with juicy fig, tart black currant, and bright pink grapefruit, lifted by a touch of neroli and crisp apple. The heart shifts toward dry iris, velvety jasmine sambac, and a prickle …

Reviews →

Chris Adams CA Man opens with an unapologetic burst of candied fruit. You smell sharp pineapple, sweet strawberry, and tart bergamot right away. It hits fast and loud. Within ten minutes, the initial solvent rush burns off, revealing ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and clean white florals like jasmine and rose. The base sett…

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, Sombre Douceur or CA Man?

CA Man takes 4 of 6 categories. Sombre Douceur is rated 3.69/5 from 13 votes; CA Man is rated 3.79/5 from 19 votes. Choose Sombre Douceur for a iris and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose CA Man for a fruity and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Sombre Douceur or CA Man?

They last about the same: CA Man 65/100, Sombre Douceur 64/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Sombre Douceur or CA Man?

Sombre Douceur projects furthest (Sombre Douceur 58/100, CA Man 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Sombre Douceur and CA Man smell similar?

Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity accords. Common notes include Apple, Iris, Black Pepper and Freesia.

Is Sombre Douceur or CA Man better for summer or winter?

Sombre Douceur suits evening wear; CA Man suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Sombre Douceur and CA Man?

Sombre Douceur has top notes of Fig, Pink Grapefruit, Black Currant and Neroli, heart notes of Iris, Jasmine Sambac, Black Pepper and Freesia, a base of Siam Benzoin, Black Tea, Amberwood and Vanilla. CA Man has top notes of Peach, Pineapple, Strawberry and Bergamot, heart notes of Cinnamon, Rose, Freesia and Iris, a base of Cedar, Sandalwood, Vanilla and White Musk.