Fragrance comparison

American Novelist vs Wilcox's Potting Shed

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

Updated 26 Oct 2026 47 ratings analysed

American Novelist

Michael Malul London

4.2941 votes

Rank #30,404 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

Wilcox's Potting Shed

Solstice Scents

3.176 votes

Rank #64,870 EarthyMossy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

American Novelist
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Wilcox's Potting Shed
Choose it for a earthy and mossy character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

American Novelist2/4

Wilcox's Potting Shed2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: American Novelist
Sillage & projection: Wilcox's Potting Shed
Value for money: Wilcox's Potting Shed
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: American Novelist

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

American NovelistMichael Malul London

Wilcox's Potting ShedSolstice Scents

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.29/ 5 · 41 votes

Have 47%Had 3%Want 50%

3.17/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 18%Had 5%Want 77%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

49%Love

41%Like

5%Ok

0%Dislike

5%Hate

41 votes

17%Love

33%Like

17%Ok

17%Dislike

17%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate54

Category winners

LongevityAmerican Novelist

SillageWilcox's Potting Shed

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value53

¤ Price value75

Category winnerWilcox's Potting ShedBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody91%

leather83%

fresh spicy74%

green65%

mossy56%

earthy100%

mossy77%

mineral53%

woody30%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both mossy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

MintBergamotJuniper

Heart

LeatherClary SageBasil

Base

MossPineCedar

Notes

StoneMushroomTerracottaCobblestoneEarthy NotesMossWoodsy NotesGreen LeavesBasil

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBasil and Moss. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter91

Day–

Night–

Spring50

Summer100

Fall50

Winter0

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men97

Unisex3

Women0

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,404

PerfumerAlexis Grugeon, Honorine Blanc

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#64,870

PerfumerAngela St.John

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAmerican NovelistHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

American Novelist opens with mint, bergamot, and juniper, then moves into a dry leather and herbal heart before settling into cedar, pine, and moss. It reads fresh first, then greener, woodsier, and more textured as it dries. This is a masculine-leaning aromatic woody scent that should suit spring especially well, wit…

Reviews →

Wilcox's Potting Shed by Solstice Scents is an atmospheric unisex fragrance that captures the authentic smell of a damp garden shed. Perfumer Angela St.John opens the composition with wet soil, cold cobblestone, green leaves, and a lively burst of crushed basil. As the scent settles on skin, mossy terracotta and wild …

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, American Novelist or Wilcox's Potting Shed?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. American Novelist is rated 4.29/5 from 41 votes; Wilcox's Potting Shed is rated 3.17/5 from 6 votes. Choose American Novelist for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Wilcox's Potting Shed for a earthy and mossy character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, American Novelist or Wilcox's Potting Shed?

American Novelist lasts longest (American Novelist 68/100, Wilcox's Potting Shed 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, American Novelist or Wilcox's Potting Shed?

Wilcox's Potting Shed projects furthest (Wilcox's Potting Shed 58/100, American Novelist 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do American Novelist and Wilcox's Potting Shed smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share mossy and woody accords. Common notes include Basil and Moss.

Is American Novelist or Wilcox's Potting Shed better for summer or winter?

Wilcox's Potting Shed suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in American Novelist and Wilcox's Potting Shed?

American Novelist has top notes of Mint, Bergamot and Juniper, heart notes of Leather, Clary Sage and Basil, a base of Moss, Pine and Cedar. Wilcox's Potting Shed features Stone, Mushroom, Terracotta, Cobblestone and Earthy Notes.