Fragrance comparison

The Gold vs The Smell of Freedom

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 299 ratings analysed

The Gold

The Sum

4.1225 votes

Rank #47,583 Warm SpicyEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

The Smell of Freedom

Lush

3.80274 votes

Rank #13,676 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 6 categories split 3–3.

The Gold
Choose it for a warm spicy and earthy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
The Smell of Freedom
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

The Gold3/6

The Smell of Freedom3/6

Ratings & consensus: The Gold
Community sentiment: The Smell of Freedom
Longevity: The Gold
Sillage & projection: The Smell of Freedom
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: The Gold
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Smell of Freedom

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

The GoldThe Sum

The Smell of FreedomLush

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.12/ 5 · 25 votes

Have 29%Had 19%Want 52%

3.80/ 5 · 274 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

Category winnerThe GoldRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

52%Love

28%Like

0%Ok

20%Dislike

0%Hate

25 votes

27%Love

52%Like

4%Ok

17%Dislike

0%Hate

233 votes

Category winnerThe Smell of FreedomMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityThe Gold

SillageThe Smell of Freedom

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value55

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

earthy83%

woody65%

white floral48%

powdery30%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

citrus84%

fresh spicy77%

white floral69%

oud61%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Earthy NotesSandalwoodCloveJasmine

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

LemongrassWoodsy NotesNeroliGingerJasmineAgarwood (Oud)SandalwoodPepperCloveOrris Root

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesSandalwood, Clove and Jasmine. 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

Summer75

Fall100

Winter75

Day44

Night100

Spring85

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerThe GoldMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men9

Unisex85

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#47,583

PerfumerJosh Meyer

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#13,676

PerfumerSimon Constantine

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerThe Smell of FreedomHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The Gold by The Sum opens with an immediate crackle of warm clove oil and dusty earth notes. Perfumer Josh Meyer anchors this composition on dry sandalwood, giving the blend an unpolished timber texture. As the heat builds, soft Arabian jasmine floats up through the spice, keeping the profile from turning overly dense…

Reviews →

The Smell of Freedom is a sharp, textured spicy wood with a bright lemongrass lift and an earthy oud heart. It opens citrusy and peppery, then settles into something warmer, drier, and slightly powdery with floral edges from neroli, jasmine, and orris. It usually suits wearers who like bold unisex scents with contrast…

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 Gold or The Smell of Freedom?

No clear winner: the 6 categories split 3–3. The Gold is rated 4.12/5 from 25 votes; The Smell of Freedom is rated 3.80/5 from 274 votes. Choose The Gold for a warm spicy and earthy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose The Smell of Freedom for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, The Gold or The Smell of Freedom?

The Gold lasts longest (The Gold 73/100, The Smell of Freedom 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, The Gold or The Smell of Freedom?

Projection is very close: The Smell of Freedom 61/100, The Gold 60/100 for sillage.

Do The Gold and The Smell of Freedom smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and white floral accords. Common notes include Sandalwood, Clove and Jasmine.

Is The Gold or The Smell of Freedom better for summer or winter?

For summer, The Gold is the stronger pick. For winter, The Smell of Freedom is the stronger pick. The Gold suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.