Fragrance comparison

Artisan Forest vs Exquise

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 68 ratings analysed

7 wins

Artisan Forest

John Varvatos

3.9436 votes

Rank #17,900 AromaticGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

52%scent match

Some overlap

Exquise

Parfums de la Bastide

3.5932 votes

Rank #37,642 FruityGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Artisan Forest takes 7 of 8 categories.

Artisan Forest
Choose it for a aromatic and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Exquise
Choose it for a fruity and green character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Artisan Forest7/8

Exquise1/8

Ratings & consensus: Artisan Forest
Community sentiment: Artisan Forest
Longevity: Artisan Forest
Sillage & projection: Exquise
Value for money: Artisan Forest
Versatility: Artisan Forest
Note pyramid (duration): Artisan Forest
Fragranxe ranking: Artisan Forest

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Artisan ForestJohn Varvatos

ExquiseParfums de la Bastide

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.94/ 5 · 36 votes

Have 6%Had 2%Want 92%

3.59/ 5 · 32 votes

Have 39%Had 21%Want 39%

Category winnerArtisan ForestRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

31%Like

3%Ok

8%Dislike

11%Hate

36 votes

9%Love

56%Like

22%Ok

9%Dislike

3%Hate

32 votes

Category winnerArtisan ForestMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityArtisan Forest

SillageExquise

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value54

¤ Price value53

Category winnerArtisan ForestBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

green92%

woody84%

citrus77%

sweet69%

fruity61%

fruity100%

green92%

floral84%

citrus77%

woody69%

sweet61%

Scent match52%Some overlap · both green, fruity and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Fig LeafTangeloRosemaryGalbanum

Heart2-4 hrs

FigBuchu or AgathosmaViolet LeafArtemisia

Base5-7 hrs

CedarwoodAmberPatchouliVetiver

Notes

FigItalian MandarinPeach BlossomBlack CurrantGreen LeavesFig LeafArtemisiaBourbon VanillaCedar

No top / heart / base split published

Category winnerArtisan ForestLongest dry-down: 5-7 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring94

Summer100

Fall83

Winter39

Day100

Night35

Spring100

Summer75

Fall33

Winter8

Day100

Night31

Category winnerArtisan ForestMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men76

Unisex12

Women12

Casual 41%Work 33%Date 16%Party 9%

Men0

Unisex21

Women79

Casual 44%Work 31%Date 17%Party 7%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,900

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#37,642

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerArtisan ForestHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

John Varvatos Artisan Forest brings an earthy, botanical green profile that cuts right through stuffy city air. It opens with a snappy crack of bitter galbanum, crushed fig leaf, and juicy tangelo. The citrus sparks immediately. Within twenty minutes, the sharp herbal greenery softens into milky fig fruit, violet leaf…

Reviews →

Parfums de la Bastide Exquise delivers a sunlit snapshot of southern France. The opening hits crisp and green. Crushed fig leaf and tart Italian mandarin burst forward with brisk energy. Within fifteen minutes, sweet black currant nectar and soft peach blossom soften the grassy snap. The base settles into dry cedar an…

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, Artisan Forest or Exquise?

Artisan Forest takes 7 of 8 categories. Artisan Forest is rated 3.94/5 from 36 votes; Exquise is rated 3.59/5 from 32 votes. Choose Artisan Forest for a aromatic and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Exquise for a fruity and green character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Artisan Forest or Exquise?

They last about the same: Artisan Forest 59/100, Exquise 58/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Artisan Forest or Exquise?

Projection is very close: Exquise 52/100, Artisan Forest 51/100 for sillage.

Do Artisan Forest and Exquise smell similar?

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share green, fruity and citrus accords. Common notes include Fig Leaf, Fig and Artemisia.

Is Artisan Forest or Exquise better for summer or winter?

For summer, Artisan Forest is the stronger pick. For winter, Artisan Forest is the stronger pick. Artisan Forest suits daytime wear; Exquise suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Artisan Forest and Exquise?

Artisan Forest has top notes of Fig Leaf, Tangelo, Rosemary and Galbanum, heart notes of Fig, Buchu or Agathosma, Violet Leaf and Artemisia, a base of Cedarwood, Amber, Patchouli and Vetiver. Exquise features Fig, Italian Mandarin, Peach Blossom, Black Currant and Green Leaves.