Fragrance comparison

Aqua vs Tsar

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 1,817 ratings analysed

2 wins

Aqua

Botanique

4.502 votes

Rank #46,987 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

60%scent match

Closely related

Tsar

Van Cleef & Arpels

4.191,815 votes

Rank #750 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Aqua takes 2 of 3 categories.

Aqua
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Tsar
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Aqua2/3

Tsar1/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AquaBotanique

TsarVan Cleef & Arpels

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

4.19/ 5 · 1,815 votes

Have 63%Had 38%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

45%Love

41%Like

3%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

1,815 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityAqua

SillageAqua

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value48

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

green77%

lavender69%

tobacco61%

aromatic100%

woody90%

fresh spicy80%

green70%

earthy60%

mossy50%

Scent match60%Closely related · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

MintLavenderSea waterRosemary

Heart

NeroliGeraniumCoriander

Base

SandalwoodTobaccoMuskCedar

Top20-30 mins

Green NotesLavenderArtemisiaRosemaryBergamotCorianderCinnamonNeroli

Heart2-4 hrs

Pine TreeJuniper BerriesCarnationTarragonGeraniumCarawayJasmineRose

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossLeatherCedarPatchouliVetiverSandalwoodMuskAmber

InformationalShared notesLavender, Rosemary, Neroli and Geranium. Durations are only published for Tsar, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer50

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night–

Spring91

Summer51

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night73

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men94

Unisex5

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#46,987

PerfumerArmando Alonzo

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#750

PerfumerPhilippe Bousseton

Launched—

Reviews204

Category winnerTsarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Aqua by Botanique opens with a brisk hit of mint, sharp lavender, and clean sea water, offering an immediate cooling wave. Fresh rosemary and neroli add an herbal snap, smoothing out the ozonic top before the composition shifts toward its warmer foundation. As the fragrance settles, dry tobacco leaf and sandalwood ba…

Reviews →

Van Cleef & Arpels Tsar is a quintessential green aromatic cologne that captures the crisp air of a dense pine forest. It opens with an invigorating rush of cool lavender, bitter artemisia, and crushed rosemary, creating the sensation of walking through morning woodland dew. As the scent settles, aromatic juniper berr…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Super CedarByredoRUNNER-UP vs

NorthMendittorosaWINNER

1 person compared this today

BohemeSegreti di LuccaRUNNER-UP vs

Soir de LuneSisleyWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Aqua or Tsar?

Aqua takes 2 of 3 categories. Aqua is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes; Tsar is rated 4.19/5 from 1,815 votes. Choose Aqua for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Tsar for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Aqua or Tsar?

Aqua lasts longest (Aqua 80/100, Tsar 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Aqua or Tsar?

Aqua projects furthest (Aqua 75/100, Tsar 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Aqua and Tsar smell similar?

Closely related: a 60% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Lavender, Rosemary, Neroli and Geranium.

Is Aqua or Tsar better for summer or winter?

Aqua suits daytime wear; Tsar suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Aqua and Tsar?

Aqua has top notes of Mint, Lavender, Sea water and Rosemary, heart notes of Neroli, Geranium and Coriander, a base of Sandalwood, Tobacco, Musk and Cedar. Tsar has top notes of Green Notes, Lavender, Artemisia and Rosemary, heart notes of Pine Tree, Juniper Berries, Carnation and Tarragon, a base of Oakmoss, Leather, Cedar and Patchouli.