Fragrance comparison

Truth For Men vs Real

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 1,364 ratings analysed

Truth For Men

Calvin Klein

3.971,302 votes

Rank #30,888 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Real

American Eagle · 2006

4.5062 votes

Rank #29,644 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Real takes 3 of 5 categories.

Truth For Men
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Real
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Truth For Men2/5

Real3/5

Ratings & consensus: Real
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Truth For Men
Sillage & projection: Real
Value for money: Truth For Men
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Real

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Truth For MenCalvin Klein

RealAmerican Eagle

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.97/ 5 · 1,302 votes

Have 46%Had 35%Want 20%

4.50/ 5 · 62 votes

Have 19%Had 54%Want 28%

Category winnerRealRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

28%Love

52%Like

9%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

1,302 votes

64%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityTruth For Men

SillageReal

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value68

¤ Price value58

Category winnerTruth For MenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy86%

green72%

woody58%

warm spicy44%

patchouli30%

citrus92%

woody69%

warm spicy53%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both woody and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

BasilCardamomGreen Leaves

Heart1 to 2 hours

FernResins

Base2 to 4 hours

Red CedarPatchouliExotic Woods

Top

Green LeavesWatery NotesMandarin OrangeLemonBergamotSea Notes

Heart

CardamomRoseOrange BlossomLily-of-the-Valley

Base

AmberVetiverSandalwoodMossResinsPatchouli

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Green Leaves, Resins and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Truth For Men, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring90

Summer100

Fall29

Winter11

Day100

Night18

Spring67

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night75

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men84

Unisex16

Women1

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,888

PerfumerGivaudan, Michel Almairac

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#29,644

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2006

Reviews0

Category winnerRealHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Truth For Men by Calvin Klein is a fresh aromatic fougere built around crisp greenery and dry woods. Released in 2002, this daytime fragrance opens with an herbal rush of basil, cardamom, and wet green leaves. The heart moves into an earthy, woodland character shaped by fern and warm resins, keeping the texture clean …

Reviews →

Real by American Eagle is an approachable woody spicy fragrance for men. It opens with a crisp, refreshing blend of green leaves and citrus notes before moving into a warm heart of cardamom and rose. The base of sandalwood and amber provides a clean, reliable finish that is perfect for daily office or casual wear thro…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Truth For Men or Real?

Real takes 3 of 5 categories. Truth For Men is rated 3.97/5 from 1,302 votes; Real is rated 4.50/5 from 62 votes. Choose Truth For Men for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Real for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Truth For Men or Real?

They last about the same: Truth For Men 57/100, Real 55/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Truth For Men or Real?

Projection is very close: Real 53/100, Truth For Men 51/100 for sillage.

Do Truth For Men and Real smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Green Leaves, Resins and Patchouli.

Is Truth For Men or Real better for summer or winter?

Truth For Men suits daytime wear; Real suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Truth For Men and Real?

Truth For Men has top notes of Basil, Cardamom and Green Leaves, heart notes of Fern and Resins, a base of Red Cedar, Patchouli and Exotic Woods. Real has top notes of Green Leaves, Watery Notes, Mandarin Orange and Lemon, heart notes of Cardamom, Rose, Orange Blossom and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Amber, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Moss.