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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Balafre vs Vetyver Absolute

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

Updated 144 ratings analysed
Some overlap
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Balafre takes 4 of 5 categories.

  • Balafre

    Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

  • Vetyver Absolute

    Choose it for a woody and nutty character. Wins on longevity. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Balafre4/5
Vetyver Absolute1/5
Ratings & consensus
Balafre
Community sentiment
Not scored
Longevity
Vetyver Absolute
Sillage & projection
Balafre
Value for money
Balafre
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
Vetyver AbsoluteThom Browne
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
4.00/ 5 · 134 votes
Have 37%Had 18%Want 45%
4.00/ 5 · 10 votes
Have 22%Had 4%Want 74%
Category winnerBalafreRating 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

60%Love
0%Like
20%Ok
20%Dislike
0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity64
〰 Sillage61
♥ Love / hate77
⏱ Longevity68
〰 Sillage60
♥ Love / hate75
Category winners

LongevityVetyver Absolute

SillageBalafre

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value31
¤ Price value19
Category winnerBalafreBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
aromatic100%
woody91%
green83%
fresh spicy74%
mossy65%
citrus56%
woody100%
nutty83%
earthy65%
aromatic48%
leather30%
Scent match35%Some overlap · both woody and aromatic

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
Top
HazelnutCypressEucalyptus
Heart
WalnutMesquite WoodOrris Root
Base
LeatherVetiverOakmoss
InformationalShared notesCypress, Oakmoss, Vetiver and Leather. 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
Summer72
Fall67
Winter39
Day100
Night42
Spring60
Summer20
Fall80
Winter100
Day100
Night100
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men85
Unisex5
Women10
Men67
Unisex33
Women0
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#8,681

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews25

Overall rank#41,146

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

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 →

Vetyver Absolute is a dry, polished vetiver built around woods, nuts, leather and moss. The opening brings hazelnut, cypress and eucalyptus before moving into walnut, mesquite and orris, with the base settling earthy, woody and slightly leathery. It suits shoppers who like refined vetiver fragrances with a darker, aro…

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

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Balafre or Vetyver Absolute?

Balafre takes 4 of 5 categories. Balafre is rated 4.00/5 from 134 votes; Vetyver Absolute is rated 4.00/5 from 10 votes. Choose Balafre for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Vetyver Absolute for a woody and nutty character. Wins on longevity. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Balafre or Vetyver Absolute?

Vetyver Absolute lasts longest (Vetyver Absolute 68/100, Balafre 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Balafre or Vetyver Absolute?

Projection is very close: Balafre 61/100, Vetyver Absolute 60/100 for sillage.

Do Balafre and Vetyver Absolute smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Cypress, Oakmoss, Vetiver and Leather.

Is Balafre or Vetyver Absolute better for summer or winter?

Balafre suits daytime wear; Vetyver Absolute suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Balafre and Vetyver Absolute?

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. Vetyver Absolute has top notes of Hazelnut, Cypress and Eucalyptus, heart notes of Walnut, Mesquite Wood and Orris Root, a base of Leather, Vetiver and Oakmoss.

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