Fragrance comparison

Why Not A Cologne vs Behind Closed Doors

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 121 ratings analysed

Why Not A Cologne

Mark Buxton

3.9042 votes

Rank #34,591 FruityWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

6%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Behind Closed Doors

A13

3.5479 votes

Rank #10,929 AmberAnimalic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Behind Closed Doors takes 5 of 7 categories.

Why Not A Cologne
Choose it for a fruity and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Behind Closed Doors
Choose it for a amber and animalic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Why Not A Cologne2/7

Behind Closed Doors5/7

Ratings & consensus: Why Not A Cologne
Community sentiment: Why Not A Cologne
Longevity: Behind Closed Doors
Sillage & projection: Behind Closed Doors
Value for money: Behind Closed Doors
Versatility: Behind Closed Doors
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Behind Closed Doors

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Why Not A CologneMark Buxton

Behind Closed DoorsA13

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.90/ 5 · 42 votes

Have 30%Had 14%Want 56%

3.54/ 5 · 79 votes

Have 23%Had 9%Want 68%

Category winnerWhy Not A CologneRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

24%Love

57%Like

7%Ok

10%Dislike

2%Hate

42 votes

33%Love

20%Like

10%Ok

18%Dislike

20%Hate

61 votes

Category winnerWhy Not A CologneMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage81

♥ Love / hate61

Category winners

LongevityBehind Closed Doors

SillageBehind Closed Doors

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value41

¤ Price value55

Category winnerBehind Closed DoorsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

fruity100%

woody90%

sweet80%

leather70%

floral60%

fresh50%

amber100%

animalic92%

fresh spicy84%

balsamic77%

citrus69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match6%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

Red ApplePineappleMagnolia

Heart1 to 2 hours

Floral Notes

Base3 to 4 hours

Teak WoodLeather

Top

Blood OrangePineappleMandarin OrangeBergamotMagnolia

Heart

CuminCinnamonWhite HoneyCardamomLeather

Base

CivetPeru BalsamAmberIncenseHoneyCedarPink PepperVanilla

InformationalShared notesPineapple, Magnolia and Leather. Durations are only published for Why Not A Cologne, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer88

Fall47

Winter12

Day100

Night53

Spring42

Summer19

Fall100

Winter88

Day37

Night100

Category winnerBehind Closed DoorsMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men76

Unisex24

Women0

Men43

Unisex46

Women11

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#34,591

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#10,929

PerfumerFlavius Calaj

Launched—

Reviews25

Category winnerBehind Closed DoorsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Why Not A Cologne by Mark Buxton offers an energetic burst of fresh fruit over a warm, structured foundation. Released in 2021, the scent opens with crisp red apple, sweet tropical pineapple, and a touch of light magnolia flower. As the bright initial burst softens, gentle floral notes settle into the heart before res…

Reviews →

Behind Closed Doors is a cumin driven, animalic chypre that leans deliberately sweaty, waxy, and intimate. The opening can read sharp and shocking, then it settles into honeyed spice with leather, incense, amber, and a civet hum that stays close to skin even when the scent cloud is loud. If you like skank done on purp…

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, Why Not A Cologne or Behind Closed Doors?

Behind Closed Doors takes 5 of 7 categories. Why Not A Cologne is rated 3.90/5 from 42 votes; Behind Closed Doors is rated 3.54/5 from 79 votes. Choose Why Not A Cologne for a fruity and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Behind Closed Doors for a amber and animalic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Why Not A Cologne or Behind Closed Doors?

Behind Closed Doors lasts longest (Behind Closed Doors 90/100, Why Not A Cologne 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Why Not A Cologne or Behind Closed Doors?

Behind Closed Doors projects furthest (Behind Closed Doors 81/100, Why Not A Cologne 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Why Not A Cologne and Behind Closed Doors smell similar?

Clearly different: a 6% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Pineapple, Magnolia and Leather.

Is Why Not A Cologne or Behind Closed Doors better for summer or winter?

For summer, Why Not A Cologne is the stronger pick. For winter, Behind Closed Doors is the stronger pick. Why Not A Cologne suits daytime wear; Behind Closed Doors suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Why Not A Cologne and Behind Closed Doors?

Why Not A Cologne has top notes of Red Apple, Pineapple and Magnolia, heart notes of Floral Notes, a base of Teak Wood and Leather. Behind Closed Doors has top notes of Blood Orange, Pineapple, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot, heart notes of Cumin, Cinnamon, White Honey and Cardamom, a base of Civet, Peru Balsam, Amber and Incense.