Fragrance comparison

Winter Sun vs Raffinee

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 320 ratings analysed

Winter Sun

Vartan Perfumes

4.001 votes

Rank #61,763 WoodyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Raffinee

Houbigant

4.04319 votes

Rank #25,576 Warm SpicyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Raffinee takes 2 of 2 categories.

Winter Sun
Choose it for a woody and floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Raffinee
Choose it for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on note pyramid duration and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Winter Sun0/2

Raffinee2/2

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Winter SunVartan Perfumes

RaffineeHoubigant

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

4.04/ 5 · 319 votes

Have 59%Had 41%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

40%Love

42%Like

2%Ok

15%Dislike

2%Hate

319 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value59

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

floral92%

warm spicy84%

yellow floral77%

patchouli69%

vanilla61%

warm spicy100%

floral92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

powdery69%

sweet61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both floral, warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CarnationYlang-Ylang

Heart2-4 hrs

Osmanthus

Base6-8+ hrs

PatchouliSandalwoodVanilla

Top15-30 mins

CarnationPlumClary SageOrange BlossomBergamotRoseJasmineLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

Orris RootTonka BeanMimosaTuberoseYlang-YlangHiacynthOrchidOsmanthus

Base8-12 hrs

SpicesCinnamonIncenseSandalwoodVanillaMuskCypressVetiver

Category winnerRaffineeLongest dry-down: 8-12 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night79

Spring35

Summer19

Fall0

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Casual 34%Work 31%Date 26%Party 9%

Men3

Unisex20

Women77

Date 38%Party 36%Casual 15%Work 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,763

PerfumerKristen Vartan

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#25,576

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerRaffineeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Winter Sun by Vartan Perfumes cuts through chilly air with bright, unexpected warmth. A quick burst of spicy carnation meets lush ylang-ylang right at the nozzle. It feels golden. Within ten minutes, the initial floral sharpness softens into velvety apricot osmanthus, balanced by dry patchouli and smooth sandalwood. T…

Reviews →

Raffinee by Houbigant is an unapologetic powerhouse from 1982 that captures the bold theatrical spirit of early eighties perfumery. The spray opens with a punchy burst of dark stewed plum, sharp clary sage, and clove-like carnation. You get a brief alcoholic sting for two minutes before the dense oils grip the skin. O…

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, Winter Sun or Raffinee?

Raffinee takes 2 of 2 categories. Winter Sun is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes; Raffinee is rated 4.04/5 from 319 votes. Choose Winter Sun for a woody and floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Raffinee for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on note pyramid duration and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Do Winter Sun and Raffinee smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Osmanthus and Sandalwood.

Is Winter Sun or Raffinee better for summer or winter?

Winter Sun suits daytime wear; Raffinee suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Winter Sun and Raffinee?

Winter Sun has top notes of Carnation and Ylang-Ylang, heart notes of Osmanthus, a base of Patchouli, Sandalwood and Vanilla. Raffinee has top notes of Carnation, Plum, Clary Sage and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Orris Root, Tonka Bean, Mimosa and Tuberose, a base of Spices, Cinnamon, Incense and Sandalwood.