Fragrance comparison

SOS vs Karma

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 3,961 ratings analysed

SOS

Lush

3.888 votes

Rank #42,579 PatchouliWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Karma

Lush · 2025

3.933,953 votes

Rank #1,019 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Karma takes 3 of 4 categories.

SOS
Choose it for a patchouli and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Karma
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

SOS1/4

Karma3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

SOSLush

KarmaLush

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.88/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 27%Had 4%Want 69%

3.93/ 5 · 3,953 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

25%Like

25%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

43%Love

39%Like

5%Ok

11%Dislike

2%Hate

3,632 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityKarma

SillageSOS

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value64

Category winnerKarmaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

patchouli100%

woody86%

warm spicy72%

citrus58%

earthy44%

balsamic30%

citrus100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

patchouli77%

fresh spicy69%

conifer61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both woody, patchouli and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

PatchouliBrazilian Orange

No top / heart / base split published

Top

OrangeLemongrassLavender

Heart

Pine TreeLemonCassis

Base

PatchouliFir ResinelemiCinnamon

InformationalShared notesPatchouli and Brazilian Orange. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer50

Fall50

Winter50

Day100

Night100

Spring79

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night75

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Men4

Unisex66

Women30

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,579

PerfumerSimon Constantine

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#1,019

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2025

Reviews129

Category winnerKarmaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Lush SOS centres on patchouli and Brazilian orange, giving it a dry, earthy citrus opening before the scent settles into a woody, warm spicy base. It wears with a bold patchouli signature throughout. This looks best suited to someone who enjoys natural-smelling, slightly rugged fragrances rather than polished sweetnes…

Reviews →

Karma opens with a bright orange and lemongrass flash before patchouli, pine, and resin pull it into drier, earthier territory. It wears woody, aromatic, and slightly balsamic rather than sweet, with a distinctly retro, bohemian feel. This suits patchouli fans who want citrus at the top and real depth underneath. It u…

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, SOS or Karma?

Karma takes 3 of 4 categories. SOS is rated 3.88/5 from 8 votes; Karma is rated 3.93/5 from 3,953 votes. Choose SOS for a patchouli and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Karma for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, SOS or Karma?

Karma lasts longest (Karma 71/100, SOS 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, SOS or Karma?

SOS projects furthest (SOS 80/100, Karma 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do SOS and Karma smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, patchouli and citrus accords. Common notes include Patchouli and Brazilian Orange.

Is SOS or Karma better for summer or winter?

SOS suits day or night wear; Karma suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in SOS and Karma?

SOS features Patchouli and Brazilian Orange. Karma has top notes of Orange, Lemongrass and Lavender, heart notes of Pine Tree, Lemon and Cassis, a base of Patchouli, Fir Resin, elemi and Cinnamon.