Fragrance comparison

Balu vs Golden Dates

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 12 ratings analysed

Balu

Gabar

3.2010 votes

Rank #23,117 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

Golden Dates

Wilson and Son Spoon Co.

4.002 votes

Rank #52,279 SweetCaramel

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Balu
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Golden Dates
Choose it for a sweet and caramel character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Balu2/4

Golden Dates2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Balu
Sillage & projection: Golden Dates
Value for money: Golden Dates
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

Golden DatesWilson and Son Spoon Co.

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.20/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 8%Had 1%Want 90%

4.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 50%Had 13%Want 38%

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

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage43

♥ Love / hate55

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityBalu

SillageGolden Dates

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value75

Category winnerGolden DatesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

sweet90%

cacao80%

soft spicy70%

vanilla60%

warm spicy50%

sweet100%

caramel83%

vanilla65%

fruity48%

powdery30%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both sweet, fruity and vanilla

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

Notes

VanillaCaramelDatesMolassesSyrup

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesDates, Molasses and Vanilla. 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

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

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

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,117

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#52,279

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

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 →

Golden Dates by Wilson and Son Spoon Co. focuses on intense sweetness. This extrait-strength fragrance centers on honeyed dates, thick caramel syrup, and rich molasses. It behaves like a gourmand treat on skin, offering warmth for those who love deep, syrupy scents. Best for cool weather or evening wear, it stays pres…

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 Golden Dates?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Balu is rated 3.20/5 from 10 votes; Golden Dates is rated 4.00/5 from 2 votes. Choose Balu for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Golden Dates for a sweet and caramel character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Balu or Golden Dates?

Balu lasts longest (Balu 67/100, Golden Dates 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Balu or Golden Dates?

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

Do Balu and Golden Dates smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, fruity and vanilla accords. Common notes include Dates, Molasses and Vanilla.

Is Balu or Golden Dates better for summer or winter?

Balu suits evening wear; Golden Dates suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Balu and Golden Dates?

Balu has top notes of Blackcurrant and Dates, heart notes of Cocoa, Condensed Milk and Molasses, a base of Vanilla and Tonka Bean. Golden Dates features Vanilla, Caramel, Dates, Molasses and Syrup.