Fragrance comparison

Creosote vs The Formal

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 36 ratings analysed

Creosote

FZOTIC

4.754 votes

Rank #39,265 SmokyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

The Formal

House Of Sillage

4.1932 votes

Rank #13,769 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The Formal takes 3 of 5 categories.

Creosote
Choose it for a smoky and aromatic character. Wins on value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.
The Formal
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Creosote2/5

The Formal3/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CreosoteFZOTIC

The FormalHouse Of Sillage

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 33%Had 0%Want 67%

4.19/ 5 · 32 votes

Have 28%Had 8%Want 64%

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

53%Love

28%Like

9%Ok

3%Dislike

6%Hate

32 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate94

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityThe Formal

SillageThe Formal

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value23

Category winnerCreosoteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

smoky100%

aromatic86%

woody72%

warm spicy58%

herbal44%

soft spicy30%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

aromatic77%

powdery69%

violet61%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and warm spicy

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

Top15-30 mins

VioletPepperCitruseselemi

Heart2-4 hrs

CloveNutmegGingerSage

Base6-8+ hrs

CedarCoumarinSandalwoodAmber

Category winnerCreosoteLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall0

Winter33

Day100

Night41

Spring100

Summer67

Fall100

Winter87

Day54

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

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

Men93

Unisex0

Women7

Work 40%Date 28%Casual 19%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#39,265

PerfumerBruno Fazzolari

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#13,769

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerThe FormalHigher 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 →

The Formal by House Of Sillage delivers an immediate burst of cracked black pepper, bright citruses, and green violet leaf before settling into a warm, aromatic spice blend. Created by master perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux, this fragrance relies on a solid backbone of clean cedar, earthy sage, pungent clove, and sweet c…

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 The Formal?

The Formal takes 3 of 5 categories. Creosote is rated 4.75/5 from 4 votes; The Formal is rated 4.19/5 from 32 votes. Choose Creosote for a smoky and aromatic character. Wins on value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose The Formal for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Creosote or The Formal?

The Formal lasts longest (The Formal 75/100, Creosote 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Creosote or The Formal?

Projection is very close: The Formal 64/100, Creosote 63/100 for sillage.

Do Creosote and The Formal smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Clove, Sage, Amber and Cedar.

Is Creosote or The Formal better for summer or winter?

Creosote suits daytime wear; The Formal suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Creosote and The Formal?

Creosote features Petrichor, Creosote Bush, Guaiac Wood, Clove and Sage. The Formal has top notes of Violet, Pepper, Citruses and elemi, heart notes of Clove, Nutmeg, Ginger and Sage, a base of Cedar, Coumarin, Sandalwood and Amber.