Fragrance comparison

Familiars vs Garbo

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 74 ratings analysed

3 wins

Familiars

The Society of Alchemists

4.333 votes

Rank #53,689 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Garbo

VeraLab

3.6271 votes

Rank #38,997 GreenCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Familiars takes 3 of 4 categories.

Familiars
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Garbo
Choose it for a green and citrus character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Familiars3/4

Garbo1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FamiliarsThe Society of Alchemists

GarboVeraLab

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 33%Had 17%Want 50%

3.62/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 59%Had 18%Want 23%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

67%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

24%Love

34%Like

25%Ok

14%Dislike

3%Hate

71 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage42

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityFamiliars

SillageFamiliars

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value51

Category winnerFamiliarsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

musky77%

citrus69%

aromatic61%

green100%

citrus91%

aromatic83%

fresh spicy74%

woody65%

musky56%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both citrus, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Pink PepperBergamotLimeMint

Heart

CedarwoodCardamomAngelicaClove

Base

FrankincenseSandalwoodAmbergrisMuskOud

Top20-30 mins

MintLimeRumBergamot

Heart2-3 hrs

Woody NotesMagnoliaWater Notes

Base4-6 hrs

White MuskAmbergris

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Lime, Mint and Ambergris. Durations are only published for Garbo, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night100

Spring64

Summer100

Fall28

Winter25

Day100

Night45

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men0

Unisex63

Women37

Casual 39%Work 29%Party 17%Date 15%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#53,689

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#38,997

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerGarboHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Familiars by The Society of Alchemists opens with a bright burst of lime, mint, and pink pepper before shifting into a dry, resinous heart. Cedarwood and cardamom add a warm, herbal spice that grounds the initial citrus splash. As it dries down, frankincense, dark sandalwood, and a soft musk settle on skin, leaving a …

Reviews →

Garbo by VeraLab hits cold. A sharp burst of crushed mint and sour lime floods the air immediately. The opening sting of alcohol passes within two minutes, leaving behind a fizzy cocktail profile spiked with golden rum and bitter bergamot. It smells clean and bright. As the initial citrus blast calms down, watery note…

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, Familiars or Garbo?

Familiars takes 3 of 4 categories. Familiars is rated 4.33/5 from 3 votes; Garbo is rated 3.62/5 from 71 votes. Choose Familiars for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Garbo for a green and citrus character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Familiars or Garbo?

Familiars lasts longest (Familiars 80/100, Garbo 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Familiars or Garbo?

Familiars projects furthest (Familiars 75/100, Garbo 42/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Familiars and Garbo smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Lime, Mint and Ambergris.

Is Familiars or Garbo better for summer or winter?

Familiars suits day or night wear; Garbo suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Familiars and Garbo?

Familiars has top notes of Pink Pepper, Bergamot, Lime and Mint, heart notes of Cedarwood, Cardamom, Angelica and Clove, a base of Frankincense, Sandalwood, Ambergris and Musk. Garbo has top notes of Mint, Lime, Rum and Bergamot, heart notes of Woody Notes, Magnolia and Water Notes, a base of White Musk and Ambergris.