Fragrance comparison

Creosote vs Matau

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 14 ratings analysed

Creosote

FZOTIC

4.754 votes

Rank #39,265 SmokyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Matau

Robbie VanGogh

4.5010 votes

Rank #20,105 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Matau takes 4 of 4 categories.

Creosote
Choose it for a smoky and aromatic character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Matau
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Creosote0/4

Matau4/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CreosoteFZOTIC

MatauRobbie VanGogh

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 33%Had 0%Want 67%

4.50/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 13%Had 5%Want 82%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

75%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

70%Love

20%Like

0%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate94

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityMatau

SillageMatau

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value75

Category winnerMatauBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

smoky100%

aromatic86%

woody72%

warm spicy58%

herbal44%

soft spicy30%

woody100%

aromatic83%

balsamic65%

fresh spicy48%

amber30%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

PetrichorCreosote BushGuaiac WoodCloveSageGalbanumAmberCedar

No top / heart / base split published

Top

GalbanumBergamotLotus

Heart

OpoponaxIncenseBrazilian RosewoodSageVanilleChampaca

Base

VetiverVirginia CedarLeatherManukaGuaiac WoodOakmossPine TreePatchouli

InformationalShared notesGuaiac Wood, Sage, Galbanum and Cedar. Durations are only published for Creosote, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall0

Winter33

Day100

Night41

Spring100

Summer33

Fall67

Winter33

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Casual 45%Work 29%Date 16%Party 10%

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#39,265

PerfumerBruno Fazzolari

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#20,105

PerfumerRob Denton

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerMatauHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Creosote by FZOTIC captures the exact sensation of sudden summer rain hitting parched desert stone. It smells raw and earthy. The opening pushes a bitter burst of wild sage and bitter green galbanum before settling into the unmistakable aroma of wet creosote bush. You get dark clove spice, damp mineral petrichor, and …

Reviews →

Matau is a wood-focused aromatic cologne drawing inspiration from New Zealand Maori bone carving. It features an opening of galbanum and bergamot, transitioning into a core of opoponax and white sage smoke. The base rests on manuka wood, leather, and vetiver, creating a distinctively dry, resinous, and smoke-tinged pr…

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, Creosote or Matau?

Matau takes 4 of 4 categories. Creosote is rated 4.75/5 from 4 votes; Matau is rated 4.50/5 from 10 votes. Choose Creosote for a smoky and aromatic character. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Matau for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Creosote or Matau?

They last about the same: Matau 72/100, Creosote 70/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Creosote or Matau?

Matau projects furthest (Matau 75/100, Creosote 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Creosote and Matau smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Guaiac Wood, Sage, Galbanum and Cedar.

Is Creosote or Matau better for summer or winter?

Creosote suits daytime wear; Matau suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Creosote and Matau?

Creosote features Petrichor, Creosote Bush, Guaiac Wood, Clove and Sage. Matau has top notes of Galbanum, Bergamot and Lotus, heart notes of Opoponax, Incense, Brazilian Rosewood and Sage, a base of Vetiver, Virginia Cedar, Leather and Manuka.