Fragrance comparison

Butterfly vs Gentle

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 160 ratings analysed

Butterfly

Marks & Spencer

3.75104 votes

Rank #15,443 OzonicAquatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Gentle

Boadicea the Victorious

3.8956 votes

Rank #19,513 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Gentle takes 4 of 7 categories.

Butterfly
Choose it for a ozonic and aquatic character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Gentle
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Butterfly3/7

Gentle4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ButterflyMarks & Spencer

GentleBoadicea the Victorious

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 104 votes

Have 26%Had 21%Want 53%

3.89/ 5 · 56 votes

Have 28%Had 9%Want 64%

Category winnerGentleRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

17%Love

59%Like

6%Ok

18%Dislike

0%Hate

104 votes

23%Love

57%Like

11%Ok

4%Dislike

5%Hate

56 votes

Category winnerGentleMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityGentle

SillageButterfly

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value23

Category winnerButterflyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

ozonic100%

aquatic92%

citrus84%

fruity77%

green69%

floral61%

powdery100%

woody92%

floral84%

violet77%

aromatic69%

citrus61%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both citrus and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

CucumberGranny Smith appleGrapefruit

Heart1 to 2 hours

MagnoliaVioletRose

Base2 to 3 hours

MuskAmber

Top

BergamotGrapefruitPink Pepper

Heart

VioletMagnoliaIrisGeraniumHeliotropeHedione

Base

VetiverMuskCedarSandalwoodVanillaAmberTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesGrapefruit, Magnolia, Violet and Musk. Durations are only published for Butterfly, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer87

Fall13

Winter13

Day100

Night8

Spring100

Summer69

Fall56

Winter44

Day100

Night50

Category winnerGentleMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex9

Women91

Men8

Unisex21

Women71

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#15,443

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews17

Overall rank#19,513

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerButterflyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Butterfly by Marks & Spencer is a crisp, uplifting eau de toilette that focuses on aquatic freshness and bright fruit. It opens with an unmistakable crunch of Granny Smith apple paired with watery cucumber and tart grapefruit. This brisk start quickly gives way to a clean floral core of soft magnolia, violet, and gent…

Reviews →

Gentle by Boadicea the Victorious opens with crisp bergamot and pink pepper before revealing soft violet and iris at its heart. Sandalwood and musk settle gently underneath, creating a clean, powdery finish. It wears close during spring mornings, offering an understated floral presence for quiet offices or formal lunc…

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, Butterfly or Gentle?

Gentle takes 4 of 7 categories. Butterfly is rated 3.75/5 from 104 votes; Gentle is rated 3.89/5 from 56 votes. Choose Butterfly for a ozonic and aquatic character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Gentle for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Butterfly or Gentle?

Gentle lasts longest (Gentle 64/100, Butterfly 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Butterfly or Gentle?

Butterfly projects furthest (Butterfly 52/100, Gentle 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Butterfly and Gentle smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and floral accords. Common notes include Grapefruit, Magnolia, Violet and Musk.

Is Butterfly or Gentle better for summer or winter?

For summer, Butterfly is the stronger pick. For winter, Gentle is the stronger pick. Butterfly suits daytime wear; Gentle suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Butterfly and Gentle?

Butterfly has top notes of Cucumber, Granny Smith apple and Grapefruit, heart notes of Magnolia, Violet and Rose, a base of Musk and Amber. Gentle has top notes of Bergamot, Grapefruit and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Violet, Magnolia, Iris and Geranium, a base of Vetiver, Musk, Cedar and Sandalwood.