Fragrance comparison

Substance vs Reasons

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 474 ratings analysed

3 wins

Substance

Synesthesie

4.502 votes

Rank #57,709 SweetWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

Reasons

Amouage

3.59472 votes

Rank #37,213 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Substance takes 3 of 4 categories.

Substance
Choose it for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Reasons
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Substance3/4

Reasons1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

SubstanceSynesthesie

ReasonsAmouage

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 10%Had 0%Want 90%

3.59/ 5 · 472 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

33%Love

25%Like

22%Ok

10%Dislike

11%Hate

472 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevitySubstance

SillageSubstance

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value19

Category winnerSubstanceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

warm spicy92%

amber84%

vanilla77%

cinnamon69%

musky61%

woody100%

warm spicy86%

amber72%

aromatic58%

balsamic44%

powdery30%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

HazelnutCognac

Heart

Tonka BeanCinnamonAmbergrisOakmossSugar

Base

White MuskVanillaMyrrhSandalwoodPraline

Top

Pink PepperCardamomCinnamonHazelnut

Heart

PineDavanaCypriolCashmeranWhite AmberPatchouli

Base

Palo SantoMyrrhSandalwoodBenzoinCedarwoodOakmossMuskVetiver

InformationalShared notesHazelnut, Cinnamon, Oakmoss and Myrrh. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Spring73

Summer38

Fall100

Winter92

Day100

Night98

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Men34

Unisex48

Women18

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#57,709

PerfumerFrancesco Perini

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#37,213

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerReasonsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Substance opens with a boozy cognac kick and a distinct hazelnut crunch. It is a dense gourmand experience that settles into a thick layer of praline and vanilla. This is a heavy hitter for cold nights when you want to feel wrapped in something warm and resinous. It avoids being a simple sugar bomb thanks to a salty a…

Reviews →

Reasons by Amouage blends dry cedarwood and green pine needles with a soft hazelnut opening. Designed by Bertrand Duchaufour, this 2024 release shifts from a spicy, warm start into a quiet, meditative woody base. It suits collectors looking for a low-projection, contemplative skin scent for cool autumn days and quiet …

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Super CedarByredoRUNNER-UP vs

NorthMendittorosaWINNER

1 person compared this today

BohemeSegreti di LuccaRUNNER-UP vs

Soir de LuneSisleyWINNER

1 person compared this today

Orange FlowerOscar de la RentaRUNNER-UP vs

Ti AmoRoja DoveWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Substance or Reasons?

Substance takes 3 of 4 categories. Substance is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes; Reasons is rated 3.59/5 from 472 votes. Choose Substance for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Reasons for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Substance or Reasons?

Substance lasts longest (Substance 100/100, Reasons 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Substance or Reasons?

Substance projects furthest (Substance 100/100, Reasons 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Substance and Reasons smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Hazelnut, Cinnamon, Oakmoss and Myrrh.

Is Substance or Reasons better for summer or winter?

Substance suits evening wear; Reasons suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Substance and Reasons?

Substance has top notes of Hazelnut and Cognac, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Cinnamon, Ambergris and Oakmoss, a base of White Musk, Vanilla, Myrrh and Sandalwood. Reasons has top notes of Pink Pepper, Cardamom, Cinnamon and Hazelnut, heart notes of Pine, Davana, Cypriol and Cashmeran, a base of Palo Santo, Myrrh, Sandalwood and Benzoin.