Fragrance comparison

AGUA DE SANTOS vs Balafre

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 217 ratings analysed

AGUA DE SANTOS

House of BŌ

4.1483 votes

Rank #28,032 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Balafre

Lancôme

4.00134 votes

Rank #8,285 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Balafre takes 5 of 7 categories.

AGUA DE SANTOS
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Balafre
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

AGUA DE SANTOS2/7

Balafre5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AGUA DE SANTOSHouse of BŌ

BalafreLancôme

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.14/ 5 · 83 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

4.00/ 5 · 134 votes

Have 37%Had 18%Want 45%

Category winnerAGUA DE SANTOSRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

39%Love

41%Like

17%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

83 votes

21%Love

61%Like

4%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

70 votes

Category winnerAGUA DE SANTOSMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityBalafre

SillageBalafre

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value22

¤ Price value31

Category winnerBalafreBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic91%

lavender83%

white floral74%

fresh spicy65%

fresh56%

aromatic100%

woody91%

green83%

fresh spicy74%

mossy65%

citrus56%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both aromatic, citrus and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

LavenderLimeAldehydes

Heart2-3 hrs

NeroliKumquatThyme

Base5-7 hrs

VetiverAngelicaCedar

Top

Green NotesLimeCypressChamomileLavenderNeroli

Heart

Pine needlesClary SageGeraniumCarnationCedar

Base

OakmossVetiverLeatherMuskAmber

InformationalShared notesLavender, Lime, Neroli and Vetiver. Durations are only published for AGUA DE SANTOS, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer100

Fall22

Winter11

Day100

Night26

Spring100

Summer72

Fall67

Winter39

Day100

Night42

Category winnerBalafreMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men14

Unisex46

Women41

Casual 40%Work 34%Date 17%Party 9%

Men85

Unisex5

Women10

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,032

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#8,285

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews25

Category winnerBalafreHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

AGUA DE SANTOS by House of BŌ delivers an invigorating splash of Mexican fresh water cologne reimagined as a modern eau de parfum. The fragrance snaps awake with tart lime zest and brisk French lavender, lifted by a fizzy burst of clean aldehydes that cut straight through heavy summer humidity. Within twenty minutes, …

Reviews →

Balafre reads as a green, aromatic woody chypre with a brisk lime and herbal opening, then settles into pine, cedar, oakmoss and vetiver. Reviews point to a fresh, sparkling feel rather than anything sweet or heavy. It suits shoppers who enjoy classic masculine structure, foresty textures and a cleaner old-school styl…

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, AGUA DE SANTOS or Balafre?

Balafre takes 5 of 7 categories. AGUA DE SANTOS is rated 4.14/5 from 83 votes; Balafre is rated 4.00/5 from 134 votes. Choose AGUA DE SANTOS for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Balafre for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, AGUA DE SANTOS or Balafre?

Balafre lasts longest (Balafre 64/100, AGUA DE SANTOS 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, AGUA DE SANTOS or Balafre?

Balafre projects furthest (Balafre 61/100, AGUA DE SANTOS 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do AGUA DE SANTOS and Balafre smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, citrus and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Lavender, Lime, Neroli and Vetiver.

Is AGUA DE SANTOS or Balafre better for summer or winter?

For summer, AGUA DE SANTOS is the stronger pick. For winter, Balafre is the stronger pick. AGUA DE SANTOS suits daytime wear; Balafre suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in AGUA DE SANTOS and Balafre?

AGUA DE SANTOS has top notes of Lavender, Lime and Aldehydes, heart notes of Neroli, Kumquat and Thyme, a base of Vetiver, Angelica and Cedar. Balafre has top notes of Green Notes, Lime, Cypress and Chamomile, heart notes of Pine needles, Clary Sage, Geranium and Carnation, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Leather and Musk.