Fragrance comparison

Encounter Fresh vs Sword Dancer

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 663 ratings analysed

Encounter Fresh

Calvin Klein

3.67221 votes

Rank #32,777 CitrusWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

67%scent match

Closely related

5 wins

Sword Dancer

Haute Fragrance Company HFC

4.12442 votes

Rank #7,194 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sword Dancer takes 5 of 7 categories.

Encounter Fresh
Choose it for a citrus and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Sword Dancer
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Encounter Fresh2/7

Sword Dancer5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Encounter FreshCalvin Klein

Sword DancerHaute Fragrance Company HFC

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.67/ 5 · 221 votes

Have 52%Had 23%Want 25%

4.12/ 5 · 442 votes

Have 74%Had 26%Want 0%

Category winnerSword DancerRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

13%Love

60%Like

10%Ok

17%Dislike

0%Hate

221 votes

43%Love

38%Like

10%Ok

6%Dislike

3%Hate

442 votes

Category winnerSword DancerMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage48

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevitySword Dancer

SillageSword Dancer

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value62

¤ Price value35

Category winnerEncounter FreshBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

aromatic77%

rum69%

fresh spicy61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

warm spicy84%

rum77%

fresh spicy69%

amber61%

Scent match67%Closely related · both woody, warm spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

MojitoBergamot

Heart1 to 2 hours

RumCardamomLavender

Base2 to 4 hours

SandalwoodPatchouliLabdanum

Top

CardamomBergamot

Heart

RumLabdanumDavana

Base

Balsam FirSandalwoodVetiver

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Rum, Cardamom and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Encounter Fresh, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring76

Summer100

Fall29

Winter19

Day100

Night25

Spring60

Summer26

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerEncounter FreshMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men71

Unisex29

Women0

Men35

Unisex59

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#32,777

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#7,194

PerfumerBenoît Bergia

Launched—

Reviews18

Category winnerSword DancerHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Encounter Fresh by Calvin Klein offers an easygoing, aromatic take on warm-weather grooming. It opens with an uplifting splash of bergamot paired with a crisp mojito accord, delivering an instant citrus and green freshness. As the initial brightness settles, the scent reveals a smooth heart of rum, spicy cardamom, and…

Reviews →

Sword Dancer by Haute Fragrance Company HFC smells like a warm mug of spiced holiday rum enjoyed in a quiet pine cabin. A burst of zesty bergamot and green cardamom opens the scent, leading quickly into sweet golden rum, herbal davana, and rich labdanum resin. The drydown settles into balsam fir, creamy sandalwood, an…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Encounter Fresh or Sword Dancer?

Sword Dancer takes 5 of 7 categories. Encounter Fresh is rated 3.67/5 from 221 votes; Sword Dancer is rated 4.12/5 from 442 votes. Choose Encounter Fresh for a citrus and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Sword Dancer for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Encounter Fresh or Sword Dancer?

Sword Dancer lasts longest (Sword Dancer 71/100, Encounter Fresh 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Encounter Fresh or Sword Dancer?

Sword Dancer projects furthest (Sword Dancer 66/100, Encounter Fresh 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Encounter Fresh and Sword Dancer smell similar?

Closely related: a 67% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Rum, Cardamom and Sandalwood.

Is Encounter Fresh or Sword Dancer better for summer or winter?

For summer, Encounter Fresh is the stronger pick. For winter, Sword Dancer is the stronger pick. Encounter Fresh suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Encounter Fresh and Sword Dancer?

Encounter Fresh has top notes of Mojito and Bergamot, heart notes of Rum, Cardamom and Lavender, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli and Labdanum. Sword Dancer has top notes of Cardamom and Bergamot, heart notes of Rum, Labdanum and Davana, a base of Balsam Fir, Sandalwood and Vetiver.