Fragrance comparison

Balu vs Bombay Nights

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 11 ratings analysed

Balu

Gabar

3.2010 votes

Rank #23,117 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Bombay Nights

Monkoku

5.001 votes

Rank #48,213 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bombay Nights takes 3 of 4 categories.

Balu
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Bombay Nights
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money.

Balu1/4

Bombay Nights3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BaluGabar

Bombay NightsMonkoku

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.20/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 8%Had 1%Want 90%

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

0%Like

20%Ok

20%Dislike

20%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage43

♥ Love / hate55

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityBombay Nights

SillageBombay Nights

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value100

Category winnerBombay NightsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

sweet90%

cacao80%

soft spicy70%

vanilla60%

warm spicy50%

citrus100%

aromatic92%

fruity84%

sweet77%

fresh spicy69%

green61%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both fruity and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

BlackcurrantDates

Heart2-4 hrs

CocoaCondensed MilkMolasses

Base6-8+ hrs

VanillaTonka Bean

Top

OrangeCitronLemon

Heart

BlackcurrantPeppermintCorianderApricotBasilFigDates

Base

May RoseAmbretteCarrot Seeds

InformationalShared notesBlackcurrant and Dates. Durations are only published for Balu, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring25

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day39

Night100

No season votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Date 40%Casual 30%Party 20%Work 10%

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,117

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#48,213

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBaluHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Balu by Gabar delivers a dense, unapologetic gourmand profile rooted in Southeast Asian dessert traditions. The opening strikes with tart blackcurrant and sticky, caramelised dates. It smells pungent and thick at first. Give it five minutes to settle on warm skin. Soon, rich cocoa powder and sweetened condensed milk t…

Reviews →

Bombay Nights by Monkoku bursts open with a bright splash of juicy orange, tart lemon, and sharp citron. This lively citrus introduction quickly blends into a lush, sun-drenched heart of dark blackcurrant, honeyed dates, ripe fig, and velvety apricot. Herbal garden accents of garden basil, fresh peppermint, and crushe…

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, Balu or Bombay Nights?

Bombay Nights takes 3 of 4 categories. Balu is rated 3.20/5 from 10 votes; Bombay Nights is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Balu for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Bombay Nights for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money.

Which lasts longer, Balu or Bombay Nights?

Bombay Nights lasts longest (Bombay Nights 80/100, Balu 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Balu or Bombay Nights?

Bombay Nights projects furthest (Bombay Nights 50/100, Balu 43/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Balu and Bombay Nights smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity and sweet accords. Common notes include Blackcurrant and Dates.

Is Balu or Bombay Nights better for summer or winter?

Balu suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Balu and Bombay Nights?

Balu has top notes of Blackcurrant and Dates, heart notes of Cocoa, Condensed Milk and Molasses, a base of Vanilla and Tonka Bean. Bombay Nights has top notes of Orange, Citron and Lemon, heart notes of Blackcurrant, Peppermint, Coriander and Apricot, a base of May Rose, Ambrette and Carrot Seeds.