Fragrance comparison

The Red vs Santal Extreme

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 39 ratings analysed

The Red

The Sum

3.4937 votes

Rank #56,243 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Santal Extreme

A La Lune

4.502 votes

Rank #51,633 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Santal Extreme takes 2 of 3 categories.

The Red
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Santal Extreme
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

The Red0/3

Santal Extreme2/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

The RedThe Sum

Santal ExtremeA La Lune

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.49/ 5 · 37 votes

Have 22%Had 16%Want 62%

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 17%Had 0%Want 83%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

24%Love

35%Like

5%Ok

35%Dislike

0%Hate

37 votes

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate62

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageSantal Extreme

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value88

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber83%

metallic65%

leather48%

tobacco30%

amber100%

warm spicy83%

musky65%

oud48%

powdery30%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

SaffronAmber

No top / heart / base split published

Top

AngelicaSaffron

Heart

AmberOlibanum

Base

AgarwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesSaffron and Amber. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring31

Summer23

Fall100

Winter85

Day100

Night89

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter0

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#56,243

PerfumerJosh Meyer

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#51,633

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerSantal ExtremeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The Red by The Sum opens with a distinct burst of bitter saffron and dry smoke, setting an atmospheric tone right from the first spray. Created by perfumer Josh Meyer in 2016, this Eau de Parfum centers around warm spicy accords, dark leather undertones, and a resinous amber base. A cool metallic tang runs through the…

Reviews →

Santal Extreme is an amber-forward, warm spicy scent built around saffron, resinous incense, and a darker oud-benzoin base. It opens herbal and slightly sharp with angelica, then turns smoother and more glowing as amber and olibanum settle in. If you like bold oriental woods with a smoky, musky edge and a touch of pow…

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 Red or Santal Extreme?

Santal Extreme takes 2 of 3 categories. The Red is rated 3.49/5 from 37 votes; Santal Extreme is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose The Red for a warm spicy and amber character. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Santal Extreme for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, The Red or Santal Extreme?

They last about the same: The Red 80/100, Santal Extreme 80/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, The Red or Santal Extreme?

Santal Extreme projects furthest (Santal Extreme 100/100, The Red 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do The Red and Santal Extreme smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Saffron and Amber.

Is The Red or Santal Extreme better for summer or winter?

The Red suits daytime wear; Santal Extreme suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in The Red and Santal Extreme?

The Red features Saffron and Amber. Santal Extreme has top notes of Angelica and Saffron, heart notes of Amber and Olibanum, a base of Agarwood and Benzoin.