Fragrance comparison

Barfly vs Fault

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 489 ratings analysed

5 wins

Barfly

Scotch & Soda

4.20475 votes

Rank #1,600 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

Fault

Synapse

3.3614 votes

Rank #66,875 AmberMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Barfly takes 5 of 5 categories.

Barfly
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Fault
Choose it for a amber and musky character. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Barfly5/5

Fault0/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BarflyScotch & Soda

FaultSynapse

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.20/ 5 · 475 votes

Have 77%Had 23%Want 0%

3.36/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 38%Had 13%Want 49%

Category winnerBarflyRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

58%Love

30%Like

6%Ok

4%Dislike

2%Hate

282 votes

21%Love

36%Like

7%Ok

29%Dislike

7%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage41

♥ Love / hate59

Category winners

LongevityBarfly

SillageBarfly

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value72

¤ Price value63

Category winnerBarflyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery92%

citrus84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

fresh spicy61%

amber100%

musky92%

white floral84%

powdery77%

woody69%

animalic61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both woody and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

OrangeCardamomAniseLemonMandarin OrangePepperCaloneBasil

Heart

SandalwoodLavenderIrisCedarJasmineNard Himalayan (Jatamansi)

Base

VanillaMuskIncense

Top

AmbergrisJasmineGraphiteAniseTangerineIncense

Heart

MuskCedarCedar Leaves

Base

Vanilla

InformationalShared notesAnise, Cedar, Jasmine and Vanilla. 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

Summer0

Fall0

Winter62

Day–

Night–

Spring63

Summer50

Fall100

Winter88

Day100

Night88

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men46

Unisex51

Women2

Men11

Unisex67

Women22

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,600

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews95

Overall rank#66,875

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBarflyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Barfly by Scotch & Soda is a versatile oriental fougere that balances bright citrus top notes with a cozy, powdery heart. It is a popular choice for daily wear, pairing crisp orange and lemon with a warm sandalwood and vanilla dry-down. This unisex fragrance feels comfortable and approachable, working well for office …

Reviews →

Fault by Synapse opens with a sharp burst of tangerine and anise, quickly shifting into a cool, mineral core. The scent feels modern and slightly industrial thanks to a prominent graphite note. It settles into a salty ambergris and musk base that stays close to the skin, making it an ideal choice for minimalist settin…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Barfly or Fault?

Barfly takes 5 of 5 categories. Barfly is rated 4.20/5 from 475 votes; Fault is rated 3.36/5 from 14 votes. Choose Barfly for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring. Choose Fault for a amber and musky character. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Barfly or Fault?

Barfly lasts longest (Barfly 68/100, Fault 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Barfly or Fault?

Barfly projects furthest (Barfly 60/100, Fault 41/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Barfly and Fault smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Anise, Cedar, Jasmine and Vanilla.

Is Barfly or Fault better for summer or winter?

Fault suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Barfly and Fault?

Barfly has top notes of Orange, Cardamom, Anise and Lemon, heart notes of Sandalwood, Lavender, Iris and Cedar, a base of Vanilla, Musk and Incense. Fault has top notes of Ambergris, Jasmine, Graphite and Anise, heart notes of Musk, Cedar and Cedar Leaves, a base of Vanilla.