Fragrance comparison

Boston Man vs Anil

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 62 ratings analysed

Boston Man

Antonio Puig

4.0957 votes

Rank #26,901 GreenWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

59%scent match

Closely related

Anil

Polo Play

4.805 votes

Rank #39,639 AquaticFresh

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Boston Man
Choose it for a green and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Anil
Choose it for a aquatic and fresh character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Boston Man2/4

Anil2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Boston ManAntonio Puig

AnilPolo Play

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.09/ 5 · 57 votes

Have 24%Had 62%Want 14%

4.80/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 32%Had 47%Want 21%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

26%Love

63%Like

5%Ok

4%Dislike

2%Hate

57 votes

80%Love

20%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity51

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate95

Category winners

LongevityAnil

SillageAnil

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value90

¤ Price value55

Category winnerBoston ManBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

green100%

woody83%

aquatic65%

citrus48%

fresh30%

aquatic100%

fresh88%

citrus77%

musky65%

green53%

powdery42%

Scent match59%Closely related · both aquatic, green and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Herbal NotesWoody NotesCitrusesWatery Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Citruses

Heart

Watery NotesHerbal Notes

Base

MuskWoodsy Notes

InformationalShared notesHerbal Notes, Citruses and Watery Notes. 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

Summer100

Fall52

Winter30

Day100

Night13

Spring100

Summer80

Fall60

Winter60

Day100

Night40

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men94

Unisex6

Women0

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,901

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#39,639

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBoston ManHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Boston Man is a classic late 1980s citrus aromatic with a green, watery, woody feel. It opens fresh and brisk, then settles into an easy everyday cologne style that reads clean, slightly herbal, and quietly nostalgic. It suits someone who likes traditional masculine freshness more than sweetness or heavy projection. I…

Reviews →

Anil by Polo Play hits with a sharp splash of citruses right off the atomizer. Watery notes and herbal accents quickly cool down the bright opening, giving way to a clean base of musk and woodsy notes. It is a straightforward option for hot summer mornings and casual daytime wear.

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, Boston Man or Anil?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Boston Man is rated 4.09/5 from 57 votes; Anil is rated 4.80/5 from 5 votes. Choose Boston Man for a green and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Anil for a aquatic and fresh character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Boston Man or Anil?

Anil lasts longest (Anil 80/100, Boston Man 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Boston Man or Anil?

Anil projects furthest (Anil 69/100, Boston Man 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Boston Man and Anil smell similar?

Closely related: a 59% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aquatic, green and citrus accords. Common notes include Herbal Notes, Citruses and Watery Notes.

Is Boston Man or Anil better for summer or winter?

Boston Man suits daytime wear; Anil suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Boston Man and Anil?

Boston Man features Herbal Notes, Woody Notes, Citruses and Watery Notes. Anil has top notes of Citruses, heart notes of Watery Notes and Herbal Notes, a base of Musk and Woodsy Notes.