FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Suma Oriental vs Patchouli Absolu

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

Updated 1,919 ratings analysed
Closely related
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Suma Oriental takes 4 of 7 categories.

  • Suma Oriental

    Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

  • Patchouli Absolu

    Choose it for a woody and patchouli character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Suma Oriental4/7
Patchouli Absolu3/7
Ratings & consensus
Patchouli Absolu
Community sentiment
Suma Oriental
Longevity
Patchouli Absolu
Sillage & projection
Patchouli Absolu
Value for money
Suma Oriental
Versatility
Suma Oriental
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Suma Oriental

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
Suma OrientalUne Nuit Nomade
Patchouli AbsoluTom Ford
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
4.10/ 5 · 785 votes
Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%
4.11/ 5 · 1,134 votes
Have 78%Had 22%Want 0%
Category winnerPatchouli AbsoluRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
43%Love
35%Like
13%Ok
8%Dislike
1%Hate

785 votes

49%Love
30%Like
4%Ok
15%Dislike
1%Hate

1,134 votes

Category winnerSuma OrientalMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity71
〰 Sillage61
♥ Love / hate78
⏱ Longevity79
〰 Sillage71
♥ Love / hate78
Category winners

LongevityPatchouli Absolu

SillagePatchouli Absolu

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value51
¤ Price value35
Category winnerSuma OrientalBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
woody100%
warm spicy92%
patchouli84%
cacao77%
rum69%
earthy61%
woody100%
patchouli92%
earthy84%
warm spicy77%
leather69%
fresh spicy61%
Scent match62%Closely related · both woody, patchouli and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top15-30 mins
Cacao PodRumCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha
Heart2-4 hrs
Patchouli
Base6-10 hrs
Tonka BeanGuaiac WoodSandalwoodCashmere WoodMusk
Notes
PatchouliLeatherMossCypriol Oil or NagarmothaGuaiac WoodBay LeafRosemaryCashmere WoodAmberMuskTonka Bean

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Patchouli, Tonka Bean and Guaiac Wood. Durations are only published for Suma Oriental, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring20
Summer10
Fall100
Winter95
Day53
Night100
Spring50
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerSuma OrientalMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men26
Unisex61
Women14
Date 38%Casual 23%Party 21%Work 17%
Men68
Unisex30
Women2
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,900

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews74

Overall rank#24,124

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerSuma OrientalHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Suma Oriental by Une Nuit Nomade delivers a lush, dark gourmand profile without drowning in sugar. The first spray releases dark cacao pod, boozy dark rum, and earthy nagarmotha. It feels dense immediately. Soon, a rich heart of Indonesian patchouli takes over the scent bubble, backed by creamy sandalwood and warm ton…

Reviews →

Tom Ford Patchouli Absolu departs from the sweet, clean patchouli styles common in modern department stores. It opens with a bracing, medicinal wave of dark patchouli and sharp rosemary, offering an immediate sense of damp earth and herbal bitterness. As it warms on the skin, a dry cypriol oil and smoky guaiac wood em…

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, Suma Oriental or Patchouli Absolu?

Suma Oriental takes 4 of 7 categories. Suma Oriental is rated 4.10/5 from 785 votes; Patchouli Absolu is rated 4.11/5 from 1,134 votes. Choose Suma Oriental for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Patchouli Absolu for a woody and patchouli character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Suma Oriental or Patchouli Absolu?

Patchouli Absolu lasts longest (Patchouli Absolu 79/100, Suma Oriental 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Suma Oriental or Patchouli Absolu?

Patchouli Absolu projects furthest (Patchouli Absolu 71/100, Suma Oriental 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Suma Oriental and Patchouli Absolu smell similar?

Closely related: a 62% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, patchouli and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Patchouli, Tonka Bean and Guaiac Wood.

Is Suma Oriental or Patchouli Absolu better for summer or winter?

For summer, Suma Oriental is the stronger pick. For winter, Patchouli Absolu is the stronger pick. Suma Oriental suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Suma Oriental and Patchouli Absolu?

Suma Oriental has top notes of Cacao Pod, Rum and Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, heart notes of Patchouli, a base of Tonka Bean, Guaiac Wood, Sandalwood and Cashmere Wood. Patchouli Absolu features Patchouli, Leather, Moss, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha and Guaiac Wood.

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