Fragrance comparison

Back to the Roots vs Rebus

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 225 ratings analysed

Back to the Roots

Vilhelm Parfumerie

3.67153 votes

Rank #36,090 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Rebus

Bois 1920

3.4172 votes

Rank #17,653 PowderyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Rebus takes 5 of 7 categories.

Back to the Roots
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring.
Rebus
Choose it for a powdery and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Back to the Roots2/7

Rebus5/7

Ratings & consensus: Back to the Roots
Community sentiment: Back to the Roots
Longevity: Rebus
Sillage & projection: Rebus
Value for money: Rebus
Versatility: Rebus
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Rebus

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Back to the RootsVilhelm Parfumerie

RebusBois 1920

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.67/ 5 · 153 votes

Have 35%Had 11%Want 55%

3.41/ 5 · 72 votes

Have 29%Had 6%Want 65%

Category winnerBack to the RootsRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

22%Love

41%Like

22%Ok

14%Dislike

1%Hate

153 votes

36%Love

28%Like

10%Ok

14%Dislike

12%Hate

58 votes

Category winnerBack to the RootsMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityRebus

SillageRebus

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value49

Category winnerRebusBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

woody92%

green84%

musky77%

iris69%

aromatic61%

powdery100%

citrus92%

aromatic84%

oud77%

violet69%

woody61%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both powdery, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GalbanumAngelicaPetitgrainAmbrette (Musk Mallow)

Heart

Orris RootWhite TeaGingerViolet

Base

DriftwoodSandalwoodMusk

Top

BergamotGalbanumOrris RootLemon

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)VioletLavender

Base

SandalwoodMuskAmber

InformationalShared notesGalbanum, Orris Root, Violet and Sandalwood. 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

Summer62

Fall0

Winter41

Day–

Night–

Spring79

Summer58

Fall100

Winter100

Day47

Night100

Category winnerRebusMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men24

Unisex61

Women15

Men78

Unisex16

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#36,090

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#17,653

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerRebusHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Back to the Roots by Vilhelm Parfumerie is a crisp, bitter-green perfume that opens with the sharp herbal snap of galbanum and angelica. As it settles on the skin, the fragrance softens into an earthy heart of powdery orris root, violet leaf, and a clean note of white tea. It sits close to the body, developing a dry, …

Reviews →

Rebus opens bright and slightly sharp with bergamot, lemon and a green touch of galbanum, then settles into a powdery iris-violet haze over oud, sandalwood and soft amber. It wears like a polished woody aromatic with a dry, cosmetic texture. This reads unisex on paper, but it may lean masculine on skin for many wearer…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Back to the Roots or Rebus?

Rebus takes 5 of 7 categories. Back to the Roots is rated 3.67/5 from 153 votes; Rebus is rated 3.41/5 from 72 votes. Choose Back to the Roots for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring. Choose Rebus for a powdery and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Back to the Roots or Rebus?

Rebus lasts longest (Rebus 84/100, Back to the Roots 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Back to the Roots or Rebus?

Rebus projects furthest (Rebus 73/100, Back to the Roots 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Back to the Roots and Rebus smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Galbanum, Orris Root, Violet and Sandalwood.

Is Back to the Roots or Rebus better for summer or winter?

For summer, Back to the Roots is the stronger pick. For winter, Rebus is the stronger pick. Rebus suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Back to the Roots and Rebus?

Back to the Roots has top notes of Galbanum, Angelica, Petitgrain and Ambrette (Musk Mallow), heart notes of Orris Root, White Tea, Ginger and Violet, a base of Driftwood, Sandalwood and Musk. Rebus has top notes of Bergamot, Galbanum, Orris Root and Lemon, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Violet and Lavender, a base of Sandalwood, Musk and Amber.