Fragrance comparison

Balu vs Lux de Vie

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 16 ratings analysed

Balu

Gabar

3.2010 votes

Rank #23,117 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

Lux de Vie

In The Box

4.336 votes

Rank #47,936 SweetVanilla

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.
Lux de Vie
Choose it for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Balu2/4

Lux de Vie2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Balu
Sillage & projection: Lux de Vie
Value for money: Lux de Vie
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

Lux de VieIn The Box

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.20/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 8%Had 1%Want 90%

4.33/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 30%Had 4%Want 65%

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

67%Love

17%Like

0%Ok

17%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage43

♥ Love / hate55

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityBalu

SillageLux de Vie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value40

Category winnerLux de VieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

sweet90%

cacao80%

soft spicy70%

vanilla60%

warm spicy50%

sweet100%

vanilla92%

iris84%

woody77%

patchouli69%

earthy61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both sweet 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

BlackcurrantPear

Heart

IrisOrange BlossomJasmine

Base

PatchouliTonka BeanVanillaPraline

InformationalShared notesBlackcurrant, Vanilla and Tonka Bean. 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

Spring50

Summer50

Fall75

Winter100

Day25

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

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,117

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#47,936

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 →

Lux de Vie is a sweet, powdery floral gourmand built around iris, vanilla, patchouli, and praline. It opens with blackcurrant and pear, then settles into a creamy, makeup-like floral heart with a warm, dessert-toned base. It looks best suited to women who enjoy modern fruity florals with a richer, softer dry-down. If …

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 Lux de Vie?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Balu is rated 3.20/5 from 10 votes; Lux de Vie is rated 4.33/5 from 6 votes. Choose Balu for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Lux de Vie for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Balu or Lux de Vie?

Balu lasts longest (Balu 67/100, Lux de Vie 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Balu or Lux de Vie?

Lux de Vie projects furthest (Lux de Vie 50/100, Balu 43/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Balu and Lux de Vie smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and vanilla accords. Common notes include Blackcurrant, Vanilla and Tonka Bean.

Is Balu or Lux de Vie better for summer or winter?

Balu suits evening wear; Lux de Vie suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Balu and Lux de Vie?

Balu has top notes of Blackcurrant and Dates, heart notes of Cocoa, Condensed Milk and Molasses, a base of Vanilla and Tonka Bean. Lux de Vie has top notes of Blackcurrant and Pear, heart notes of Iris, Orange Blossom and Jasmine, a base of Patchouli, Tonka Bean, Vanilla and Praline.