Fragrance comparison

Dawn vs Balafre

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

Updated 17 Oct 2026 138 ratings analysed

2 wins

Dawn

Mar Galliti

3.754 votes

Rank #53,611 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Balafre

Lancôme

4.00134 votes

Rank #7,852 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dawn takes 2 of 3 categories.

Dawn
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Balafre
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Dawn2/3

Balafre1/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DawnMar Galliti

BalafreLancôme

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 2%Had 0%Want 98%

4.00/ 5 · 134 votes

Have 37%Had 18%Want 45%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

25%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

21%Love

61%Like

4%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

70 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityDawn

SillageDawn

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value31

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

citrus84%

fresh spicy77%

herbal69%

earthy61%

aromatic100%

woody91%

green83%

fresh spicy74%

mossy65%

citrus56%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

LimeDillPink Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

Lemon BalmSageChamomileTulsi

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossVetiverCognacLabdanum

Top

Green NotesLimeCypressChamomileLavenderNeroli

Heart

Pine needlesClary SageGeraniumCarnationCedar

Base

OakmossVetiverLeatherMuskAmber

InformationalShared notesLime, Chamomile, Oakmoss and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Dawn, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer33

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night47

Spring100

Summer72

Fall67

Winter39

Day100

Night42

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex0

Women50

Casual 46%Work 31%Date 15%Party 8%

Men85

Unisex5

Women10

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#53,611

PerfumerZita Gyurokovics

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#7,852

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews25

Category winnerBalafreHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mar Galliti Dawn smells like stepping into a cold, misty herb garden right as the sun breaks over the tree line. The initial spray hits with a brisk snap of sour lime, crushed green dill, and a prickle of pink pepper. It is sharp and medicinal for the first three minutes before settling down. As your skin warms the oi…

Reviews →

Balafre reads as a green, aromatic woody chypre with a brisk lime and herbal opening, then settles into pine, cedar, oakmoss and vetiver. Reviews point to a fresh, sparkling feel rather than anything sweet or heavy. It suits shoppers who enjoy classic masculine structure, foresty textures and a cleaner old-school styl…

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, Dawn or Balafre?

Dawn takes 2 of 3 categories. Dawn is rated 3.75/5 from 4 votes; Balafre is rated 4.00/5 from 134 votes. Choose Dawn for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Balafre for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Dawn or Balafre?

Dawn lasts longest (Dawn 90/100, Balafre 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dawn or Balafre?

Dawn projects furthest (Dawn 75/100, Balafre 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dawn and Balafre smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Lime, Chamomile, Oakmoss and Vetiver.

Is Dawn or Balafre better for summer or winter?

Dawn suits daytime wear; Balafre suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dawn and Balafre?

Dawn has top notes of Lime, Dill and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Lemon Balm, Sage, Chamomile and Tulsi, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Cognac and Labdanum. Balafre has top notes of Green Notes, Lime, Cypress and Chamomile, heart notes of Pine needles, Clary Sage, Geranium and Carnation, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Leather and Musk.