Fragrance comparison

Be Bop vs Formidable Man

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 60 ratings analysed

5 wins

Be Bop

Kesling

4.2129 votes

Rank #17,453 SweetFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

19%scent match

Clearly different

Formidable Man

Andree Putman

4.1031 votes

Rank #18,244 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Be Bop takes 5 of 7 categories.

Be Bop
Choose it for a sweet and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Formidable Man
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Be Bop5/7

Formidable Man2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Be BopKesling

Formidable ManAndree Putman

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.21/ 5 · 29 votes

Have 31%Had 20%Want 49%

4.10/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 38%Had 9%Want 53%

Category winnerBe BopRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

34%Love

55%Like

7%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

29 votes

45%Love

35%Like

3%Ok

16%Dislike

0%Hate

31 votes

Category winnerBe BopMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage74

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityFormidable Man

SillageBe Bop

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value44

¤ Price value42

Category winnerBe BopBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

fruity92%

yellow floral84%

floral77%

green69%

white floral61%

citrus100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

earthy77%

floral69%

patchouli61%

Scent match19%Clearly different · both floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GalbanumBergamotBlack CurrantLily-of-the-ValleyCyclamen

Heart

Ylang-YlangPeachTuberoseMimosaMangoJasmineOsmanthusOrris Root

Base

White HoneyVetiverPatchouliMuskoak moss

Top

LemonBergamot

Heart

OsmanthusPatchouli

Base

VetiverMusk

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Osmanthus, Vetiver and Patchouli. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring73

Summer55

Fall100

Winter9

Day100

Night45

Spring100

Summer78

Fall89

Winter22

Day100

Night20

Category winnerFormidable ManMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,453

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#18,244

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerBe BopHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Be Bop by Kesling is a striking chypre floral for women, centered on a dense, honeyed heart of exotic fruits and yellow florals. Launched in 1991, it offers a sophisticated, non-candy sweetness balanced by green galbanum and earthy oakmoss. It is a distinct choice for those who appreciate vintage-style compositions wi…

Reviews →

Formidable Man opens with a sharp burst of lemon and bitter bergamot, settling into a dry, herbaceous heart. A clean vetiver dominates the base, avoiding the usual damp soil characteristics of the note. This fragrance suits anyone seeking a crisp, office-ready signature that projects a quiet, composed confidence throu…

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, Be Bop or Formidable Man?

Be Bop takes 5 of 7 categories. Be Bop is rated 4.21/5 from 29 votes; Formidable Man is rated 4.10/5 from 31 votes. Choose Be Bop for a sweet and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Formidable Man for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Be Bop or Formidable Man?

They last about the same: Formidable Man 75/100, Be Bop 73/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Be Bop or Formidable Man?

Be Bop projects furthest (Be Bop 74/100, Formidable Man 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Be Bop and Formidable Man smell similar?

Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Osmanthus, Vetiver and Patchouli.

Is Be Bop or Formidable Man better for summer or winter?

For summer, Formidable Man is the stronger pick. For winter, Formidable Man is the stronger pick. Be Bop suits daytime wear; Formidable Man suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Be Bop and Formidable Man?

Be Bop has top notes of Galbanum, Bergamot, Black Currant and Lily-of-the-Valley, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Peach, Tuberose and Mimosa, a base of White Honey, Vetiver, Patchouli and Musk. Formidable Man has top notes of Lemon and Bergamot, heart notes of Osmanthus and Patchouli, a base of Vetiver and Musk.