Fragrance comparison

Balu vs Heraud

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 282 ratings analysed

Balu

Gabar

3.2010 votes

Rank #23,117 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Heraud

Tauer Perfumes

3.90272 votes

Rank #6,665 SweetCacao

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Heraud takes 5 of 5 categories.

Balu
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Best in fall, evening wear.
Heraud
Choose it for a sweet and cacao character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Balu0/5

Heraud5/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BaluGabar

HeraudTauer Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.20/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 8%Had 1%Want 90%

3.90/ 5 · 272 votes

Have 27%Had 7%Want 66%

Category winnerHeraudRating 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

52%Love

17%Like

12%Ok

9%Dislike

11%Hate

272 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage43

♥ Love / hate55

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityHeraud

SillageHeraud

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value41

Category winnerHeraudBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

sweet90%

cacao80%

soft spicy70%

vanilla60%

warm spicy50%

sweet100%

cacao92%

woody84%

amber77%

vanilla69%

animalic61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both sweet, cacao 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

Top

CocoaBergamot

Heart

DatesWhite Flowers

Base

AmbergrisVanillaWoody NotesCedarMusk

InformationalShared notesDates, Cocoa 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

Spring34

Summer18

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

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

Men36

Unisex51

Women14

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,117

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#6,665

PerfumerAndy Tauer

Launched—

Reviews41

Category winnerHeraudHigher 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 →

Heraud opens with a bitter pop of bergamot over heavy cocoa, quickly settling into sticky dates and clean white flowers. As hours pass on skin, dark cacao fuses with dry cedar, vanilla, and salty ambergris. It wears best on cold winter nights, projecting a warm, dusty chocolate aura around your sweater.

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 Heraud?

Heraud takes 5 of 5 categories. Balu is rated 3.20/5 from 10 votes; Heraud is rated 3.90/5 from 272 votes. Choose Balu for a fruity and sweet character. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Heraud for a sweet and cacao character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Balu or Heraud?

Heraud lasts longest (Heraud 74/100, Balu 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Balu or Heraud?

Heraud projects furthest (Heraud 63/100, Balu 43/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Balu and Heraud smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, cacao and vanilla accords. Common notes include Dates, Cocoa and Vanilla.

Is Balu or Heraud better for summer or winter?

Balu suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Balu and Heraud?

Balu has top notes of Blackcurrant and Dates, heart notes of Cocoa, Condensed Milk and Molasses, a base of Vanilla and Tonka Bean. Heraud has top notes of Cocoa and Bergamot, heart notes of Dates and White Flowers, a base of Ambergris, Vanilla, Woody Notes and Cedar.