Fragrance comparison

The Cut vs Hugo

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 5,447 ratings analysed

5 wins

The Cut

Penhaligon's

3.96414 votes

Rank #3,076 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

63%scent match

Closely related

Hugo

Hugo Boss

3.855,033 votes

Rank #1,711 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The Cut takes 5 of 7 categories.

The Cut
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.
Hugo
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

The Cut5/7

Hugo2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

The CutPenhaligon's

HugoHugo Boss

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.96/ 5 · 414 votes

Have 91%Had 9%Want 0%

3.85/ 5 · 5,033 votes

Have 42%Had 58%Want 0%

Category winnerThe CutRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

53%Love

24%Like

15%Ok

4%Dislike

4%Hate

258 votes

24%Love

53%Like

8%Ok

14%Dislike

1%Hate

5,033 votes

Category winnerThe CutMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityThe Cut

SillageThe Cut

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value44

¤ Price value62

Category winnerHugoBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody86%

fresh spicy72%

lavender58%

soft spicy44%

green30%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy91%

green83%

woody74%

fresh65%

lavender56%

Scent match63%Closely related · both aromatic, fresh spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Clary SageCypressLavenderCedarwoodBasilMintFir

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Green AppleLavenderMintGrapefruitBasil

Heart

SageGeraniumCarnationJasmine

Base

FirCedarPatchouli

InformationalShared notesLavender, Basil, Mint and Fir. 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

Summer66

Fall0

Winter43

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter26

Day–

Night–

Category winnerThe CutMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men62

Unisex37

Women1

Men93

Unisex5

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,076

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews100

Overall rank#1,711

PerfumerBob Aliano

Launched—

Reviews205

Category winnerHugoHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The Cut opens with mint, basil and clary sage, giving it a crisp green fougere feel that reads polished rather than old-fashioned. Lavender and woods keep it smooth, clean and easy to wear. Most feedback points to a versatile, office-friendly scent with moderate projection. The main hesitation is value, because some w…

Reviews →

Hugo by Hugo Boss is a crisp aromatic green cologne built around an unmistakable bite of tart green apple, cooling mint, and herbal pine needle woods. Launched in 1995, it opens with an energizing splash of grapefruit and crushed basil leaves before settling into an airy heart of lavender, garden sage, and geranium. A…

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, The Cut or Hugo?

The Cut takes 5 of 7 categories. The Cut is rated 3.96/5 from 414 votes; Hugo is rated 3.85/5 from 5,033 votes. Choose The Cut for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring. Choose Hugo for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, The Cut or Hugo?

The Cut lasts longest (The Cut 71/100, Hugo 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, The Cut or Hugo?

The Cut projects furthest (The Cut 59/100, Hugo 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do The Cut and Hugo smell similar?

Closely related: a 63% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Lavender, Basil, Mint and Fir.

Is The Cut or Hugo better for summer or winter?

For summer, The Cut is the stronger pick. For winter, The Cut is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in The Cut and Hugo?

The Cut features Clary Sage, Cypress, Lavender, Cedarwood and Basil. Hugo has top notes of Green Apple, Lavender, Mint and Grapefruit, heart notes of Sage, Geranium, Carnation and Jasmine, a base of Fir, Cedar and Patchouli.