Fragrance comparison

War of the Roses vs First Date

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

Updated 13 Oct 2026 134 ratings analysed

War of the Roses

The Fragrance Kitchen

3.8239 votes

Rank #18,902 Warm SpicyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

6 wins

First Date

Sphinx Fragrances

4.1795 votes

Rank #9,264 AmberVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

First Date takes 6 of 7 categories.

War of the Roses
Choose it for a warm spicy and white floral character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
First Date
Choose it for a amber and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, evening wear.

War of the Roses1/7

First Date6/7

Ratings & consensus: First Date
Community sentiment: First Date
Longevity: First Date
Sillage & projection: War of the Roses
Value for money: First Date
Versatility: First Date
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: First Date

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

War of the RosesThe Fragrance Kitchen

First DateSphinx Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.82/ 5 · 39 votes

Have 45%Had 20%Want 36%

4.17/ 5 · 95 votes

Have 90%Had 10%Want 0%

Category winnerFirst DateRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

41%Love

26%Like

8%Ok

26%Dislike

0%Hate

39 votes

52%Love

25%Like

15%Ok

5%Dislike

3%Hate

95 votes

Category winnerFirst DateMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityFirst Date

SillageWar of the Roses

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value39

¤ Price value64

Category winnerFirst DateBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

white floral92%

musky84%

powdery77%

woody69%

fresh61%

amber100%

vanilla92%

sweet84%

woody77%

coconut69%

powdery61%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both woody and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SaffronOrange

Heart

Lily-of-the-ValleyRose

Base

MuskSandalwoodAmber

Top15-30 mins

CoconutAlmondBay LeafThymeOrangeLimeAmalfi Lemon

Heart2-4 hrs

Cashmere WoodSaffronSea SaltJasmineSandalwoodVirginia CedarCedarRose

Base6-8+ hrs

VanillaAmbergrisCaramelAmberMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Orange, Rose and Musk. Durations are only published for First Date, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring83

Summer83

Fall67

Winter100

Day70

Night100

Spring100

Summer95

Fall98

Winter95

Day85

Night100

Category winnerFirst DateMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex33

Women33

Men30

Unisex56

Women14

Date 34%Casual 32%Work 18%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,902

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#9,264

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerFirst DateHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

War of the Roses by The Fragrance Kitchen opens with a sharp spray of metallic saffron and bitter orange zest before revealing a dense heart of lily-of-the-valley and powdery rose. As the top notes fade over the first half hour, warm amber, dry sandalwood, and heavy musk form a rich, lingering base on skin. Built spec…

Reviews →

First Date by Sphinx Fragrances opens with a surprising splash of lime, sweet orange, and creamy coconut, backed immediately by an aromatic snap of crushed thyme and bay leaf. As the bright citrus settles, the scent turns into a smooth mix of warm amber, creamy almond, and cozy cashmere wood, with salted vanilla risin…

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, War of the Roses or First Date?

First Date takes 6 of 7 categories. War of the Roses is rated 3.82/5 from 39 votes; First Date is rated 4.17/5 from 95 votes. Choose War of the Roses for a warm spicy and white floral character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose First Date for a amber and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, War of the Roses or First Date?

First Date lasts longest (First Date 78/100, War of the Roses 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, War of the Roses or First Date?

War of the Roses projects furthest (War of the Roses 71/100, First Date 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do War of the Roses and First Date smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Saffron, Orange, Rose and Musk.

Is War of the Roses or First Date better for summer or winter?

For summer, First Date is the stronger pick. For winter, War of the Roses is the stronger pick. War of the Roses suits evening wear; First Date suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in War of the Roses and First Date?

War of the Roses has top notes of Saffron and Orange, heart notes of Lily-of-the-Valley and Rose, a base of Musk, Sandalwood and Amber. First Date has top notes of Coconut, Almond, Bay Leaf and Thyme, heart notes of Cashmere Wood, Saffron, Sea Salt and Jasmine, a base of Vanilla, Ambergris, Caramel and Amber.