Fragrance comparison

Substance vs Ruby

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 6 ratings analysed

Substance

Brocard

3.754 votes

Rank #59,989 AmberMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Ruby

Ahmed Al Maghribi

3.002 votes

Rank #61,138 MarineWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Substance
Choose it for a amber and musky character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Ruby
Choose it for a marine and white floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Substance2/4

Ruby2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

SubstanceBrocard

RubyAhmed Al Maghribi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 32%Had 5%Want 63%

3.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 64%Had 0%Want 36%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

25%Love

25%Like

50%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

50%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

50%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage38

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage42

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevitySubstance

SillageRuby

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value83

Category winnerRubyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

musky83%

woody65%

marine48%

aromatic30%

marine100%

white floral92%

citrus84%

aromatic77%

woody69%

musky61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both marine, musky and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

AmbroxanCedarSea Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Top

LilySicilian OrangeAppleJasmine

Heart

Sea NotesVanillaPowdery Notes

Base

CashmeranSandalwoodAmbroxanMusk

InformationalShared notesAmbroxan and Sea Notes. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex67

Women33

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#59,989

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#61,138

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerSubstanceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Substance by Brocard opens with a crisp wave of sea notes that carries a distinct salty kick. At its core, ambroxan delivers a warm, skin-like amber accord supported by dry cedar shavings. As the bright maritime opening settles, a smoky musky quality emerges, turning the salty breeze into a quiet mineral woodiness. Th…

Reviews →

Ruby by Ahmed Al Maghribi reads as a breezy floral musk with a salty marine twist. Citrus, apple and jasmine give it a bright opening, while powdery vanilla and soft woods pull it into a cleaner, slightly creamy dry-down. It looks suited to daytime wear and spring weather, but the limited wear feedback suggests modest…

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, Substance or Ruby?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Substance is rated 3.75/5 from 4 votes; Ruby is rated 3.00/5 from 2 votes. Choose Substance for a amber and musky character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Ruby for a marine and white floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Substance or Ruby?

Substance lasts longest (Substance 60/100, Ruby 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Substance or Ruby?

Ruby projects furthest (Ruby 42/100, Substance 38/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Substance and Ruby smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share marine, musky and woody accords. Common notes include Ambroxan and Sea Notes.

Is Substance or Ruby better for summer or winter?

Ruby suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Substance and Ruby?

Substance features Ambroxan, Cedar and Sea Notes. Ruby has top notes of Lily, Sicilian Orange, Apple and Jasmine, heart notes of Sea Notes, Vanilla and Powdery Notes, a base of Cashmeran, Sandalwood, Ambroxan and Musk.