Fragrance comparison

Barfly vs Musk Fire

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 539 ratings analysed

5 wins

Barfly

Scotch & Soda

4.20475 votes

Rank #1,597 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

Musk Fire

Avon

3.5064 votes

Rank #41,720 Fresh SpicyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Barfly takes 5 of 7 categories.

Barfly
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.
Musk Fire
Choose it for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Barfly5/7

Musk Fire2/7

Ratings & consensus: Barfly
Community sentiment: Barfly
Longevity: Barfly
Sillage & projection: Barfly
Value for money: Musk Fire
Versatility: Musk Fire
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

Musk FireAvon

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.20/ 5 · 475 votes

Have 77%Had 23%Want 0%

3.50/ 5 · 64 votes

Have 33%Had 57%Want 10%

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

22%Love

41%Like

3%Ok

34%Dislike

0%Hate

64 votes

Category winnerBarflyMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage48

♥ Love / hate63

Category winners

LongevityBarfly

SillageBarfly

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value72

¤ Price value85

Category winnerMusk FireBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery92%

citrus84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

fresh spicy61%

fresh spicy100%

warm spicy88%

aromatic77%

musky65%

powdery53%

green42%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both warm spicy, fresh spicy and aromatic

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

BasilBergamot

Heart

CardamomPepper

Base

Musk

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Pepper, Basil and Musk. 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–

Spring39

Summer13

Fall100

Winter78

Day58

Night100

Category winnerMusk FireMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men46

Unisex51

Women2

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,597

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews95

Overall rank#41,720

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 →

Avon Musk Fire opens with a sharp flash of green basil and crisp bergamot that quickly gives way to a dry prickle of black pepper. As the initial citrus burst settles, warm cardamom emerges alongside a clean, earthy musk base that stays subtle and grounded. The scent wears close to the skin, making it a straightforwar…

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 Musk Fire?

Barfly takes 5 of 7 categories. Barfly is rated 4.20/5 from 475 votes; Musk Fire is rated 3.50/5 from 64 votes. Choose Barfly for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring. Choose Musk Fire for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Barfly or Musk Fire?

Barfly lasts longest (Barfly 68/100, Musk Fire 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Barfly or Musk Fire?

Barfly projects furthest (Barfly 60/100, Musk Fire 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Barfly and Musk Fire smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, fresh spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Pepper, Basil and Musk.

Is Barfly or Musk Fire better for summer or winter?

For summer, Musk Fire is the stronger pick. For winter, Musk Fire is the stronger pick. Musk Fire suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Barfly and Musk Fire?

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. Musk Fire has top notes of Basil and Bergamot, heart notes of Cardamom and Pepper, a base of Musk.