Fragrance comparison

War of the Roses vs Rafia Gold

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

Updated 13 Oct 2026 76 ratings analysed

War of the Roses

The Fragrance Kitchen

3.8239 votes

Rank #18,902 Warm SpicyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Rafia Gold

Al Haramain Perfumes

3.9237 votes

Rank #16,375 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Rafia Gold takes 5 of 7 categories.

War of the Roses
Choose it for a warm spicy and white floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Rafia Gold
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, evening wear.

War of the Roses2/7

Rafia Gold5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

War of the RosesThe Fragrance Kitchen

Rafia GoldAl Haramain Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.82/ 5 · 39 votes

Have 45%Had 20%Want 36%

3.92/ 5 · 37 votes

Have 49%Had 10%Want 41%

Category winnerRafia GoldRating 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

22%Love

59%Like

8%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

37 votes

Category winnerRafia GoldMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityRafia Gold

SillageWar of the Roses

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value39

¤ Price value78

Category winnerRafia GoldBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

white floral92%

musky84%

powdery77%

woody69%

fresh61%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

rose84%

aromatic77%

fresh spicy69%

powdery61%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both warm spicy, 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

Top

SaffronGeraniumLemonWhite Flowers

Heart

SandalwoodRoseAldehydesCedarLily-of-the-Valley

Base

AmberPatchouliMuskAmyris

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Lily-of-the-Valley, Rose and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring83

Summer83

Fall67

Winter100

Day70

Night100

Spring50

Summer100

Fall90

Winter90

Day77

Night100

Category winnerWar of the RosesMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex33

Women33

Men6

Unisex29

Women65

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,902

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#16,375

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerRafia GoldHigher 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 →

Rafia Gold is a saffron and rose fragrance with a classic aldehydic lift that can read clean, soapy, and bright once it settles. The opening can feel savoury and a little wet on some skin, then it moves into rosy woods and warm amber musk. Reviewers often like it most in hot weather, where it feels fresher and more ra…

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 Rafia Gold?

Rafia Gold takes 5 of 7 categories. War of the Roses is rated 3.82/5 from 39 votes; Rafia Gold is rated 3.92/5 from 37 votes. Choose War of the Roses for a warm spicy and white floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Rafia Gold for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, War of the Roses or Rafia Gold?

Rafia Gold lasts longest (Rafia Gold 76/100, War of the Roses 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, War of the Roses or Rafia Gold?

War of the Roses projects furthest (War of the Roses 71/100, Rafia Gold 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do War of the Roses and Rafia Gold smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Saffron, Lily-of-the-Valley, Rose and Musk.

Is War of the Roses or Rafia Gold better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in War of the Roses and Rafia Gold?

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. Rafia Gold has top notes of Saffron, Geranium, Lemon and White Flowers, heart notes of Sandalwood, Rose, Aldehydes and Cedar, a base of Amber, Patchouli, Musk and Amyris.