Fragrance comparison

Balafre vs Dawn

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

Updated 17 Oct 2026 138 ratings analysed

Balafre

Lancôme

4.00134 votes

Rank #7,852 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Dawn

Mar Galliti

3.754 votes

Rank #53,611 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dawn takes 2 of 3 categories.

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

Balafre1/3

Dawn2/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BalafreLancôme

DawnMar Galliti

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 134 votes

Have 37%Had 18%Want 45%

3.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 2%Had 0%Want 98%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

21%Love

61%Like

4%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

70 votes

25%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityDawn

SillageDawn

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody91%

green83%

fresh spicy74%

mossy65%

citrus56%

aromatic100%

woody92%

citrus84%

fresh spicy77%

herbal69%

earthy61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Green NotesLimeCypressChamomileLavenderNeroli

Heart

Pine needlesClary SageGeraniumCarnationCedar

Base

OakmossVetiverLeatherMuskAmber

Top20-30 mins

LimeDillPink Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

Lemon BalmSageChamomileTulsi

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossVetiverCognacLabdanum

InformationalShared notesLime, Chamomile, Oakmoss and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Dawn, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer72

Fall67

Winter39

Day100

Night42

Spring100

Summer33

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night47

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men85

Unisex5

Women10

Men50

Unisex0

Women50

Casual 46%Work 31%Date 15%Party 8%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,852

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews25

Overall rank#53,611

PerfumerZita Gyurokovics

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerBalafreHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Balafre reads as a green, aromatic woody chypre with a brisk lime and herbal opening, then settles into pine, cedar, oakmoss and vetiver. Reviews point to a fresh, sparkling feel rather than anything sweet or heavy. It suits shoppers who enjoy classic masculine structure, foresty textures and a cleaner old-school styl…

Reviews →

Mar Galliti Dawn smells like stepping into a cold, misty herb garden right as the sun breaks over the tree line. The initial spray hits with a brisk snap of sour lime, crushed green dill, and a prickle of pink pepper. It is sharp and medicinal for the first three minutes before settling down. As your skin warms the oi…

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, Balafre or Dawn?

Dawn takes 2 of 3 categories. Balafre is rated 4.00/5 from 134 votes; Dawn is rated 3.75/5 from 4 votes. Choose Balafre for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Dawn for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Balafre or Dawn?

Dawn lasts longest (Dawn 90/100, Balafre 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Balafre or Dawn?

Dawn projects furthest (Dawn 75/100, Balafre 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Balafre and Dawn smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Lime, Chamomile, Oakmoss and Vetiver.

Is Balafre or Dawn better for summer or winter?

Balafre suits daytime wear; Dawn suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Balafre and Dawn?

Balafre has top notes of Green Notes, Lime, Cypress and Chamomile, heart notes of Pine needles, Clary Sage, Geranium and Carnation, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Leather and Musk. Dawn has top notes of Lime, Dill and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Lemon Balm, Sage, Chamomile and Tulsi, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Cognac and Labdanum.