Fragrance comparison

Athunis vs Bal d'Afrique

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 18,921 ratings analysed

5 wins

Athunis

Sigilli

4.0054 votes

Rank #9,846 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

Bal d'Afrique

Byredo · 2009

4.1018,867 votes

Rank #1,383 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Athunis takes 5 of 7 categories.

Athunis
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Bal d'Afrique
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Athunis5/7

Bal d'Afrique2/7

Ratings & consensus: Bal d'Afrique
Community sentiment: Athunis
Longevity: Athunis
Sillage & projection: Athunis
Value for money: Athunis
Versatility: Athunis
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Bal d'Afrique

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AthunisSigilli

Bal d'AfriqueByredo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 54 votes

Have 30%Had 12%Want 58%

4.10/ 5 · 18,867 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

Category winnerBal d'AfriqueRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

37%Like

0%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

38 votes

44%Love

36%Like

11%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

16,124 votes

Category winnerAthunisMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage74

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityAthunis

SillageAthunis

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value36

Category winnerAthunisBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic83%

earthy65%

musky48%

powdery30%

aromatic100%

woody83%

floral65%

powdery61%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Virginia Cedar

Heart

Vetiver

Base

Woodsy NotesMusk

Top

Amalfi LemonMarigoldBergamotBlack CurrantAfrican Orange Flower

Heart

VioletCyclamenJasmine

Base

VetiverMuskAmberVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesVirginia Cedar, Vetiver and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring40

Summer10

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter30

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAthunisMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men91

Unisex9

Women0

Men4

Unisex47

Women49

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#9,846

PerfumerEnrico Buccella

Launched—

Reviews12

Overall rank#1,383

PerfumerJérôme Epinette

Launched2009

Reviews1,068

Category winnerBal d'AfriqueHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Athunis is a dark, smoky cedar and vetiver scent that wears dry, earthy, and unapologetically masculine. It opens with a wet cedar effect that quickly turns burnt, woody, and sharp, then settles into a musky vetiver dry-down with a slightly powdery edge. This is the kind of fragrance to sample before buying. It suits …

Reviews →

Bal d'Afrique by Byredo is a bright floral woody fragrance that captures a breezy, sun-drenched day. It features a lively mix of Amalfi lemon, African marigold, and bergamot, leading into a soft heart of violet and cyclamen. The base of vetiver and musk settles into a clean, skin-like finish that works comfortably for…

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, Athunis or Bal d'Afrique?

Athunis takes 5 of 7 categories. Athunis is rated 4.00/5 from 54 votes; Bal d'Afrique is rated 4.10/5 from 18,867 votes. Choose Athunis for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Bal d'Afrique for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Athunis or Bal d'Afrique?

Athunis lasts longest (Athunis 83/100, Bal d'Afrique 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Athunis or Bal d'Afrique?

Athunis projects furthest (Athunis 74/100, Bal d'Afrique 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Athunis and Bal d'Afrique smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and powdery accords. Common notes include Virginia Cedar, Vetiver and Musk.

Is Athunis or Bal d'Afrique better for summer or winter?

For summer, Athunis is the stronger pick. For winter, Athunis is the stronger pick. Athunis suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Athunis and Bal d'Afrique?

Athunis has top notes of Virginia Cedar, heart notes of Vetiver, a base of Woodsy Notes and Musk. Bal d'Afrique has top notes of Amalfi Lemon, Marigold, Bergamot and Black Currant, heart notes of Violet, Cyclamen and Jasmine, a base of Vetiver, Musk, Amber and Virginia Cedar.