Fragrance comparison

Formidable vs Kew Garden

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 320 ratings analysed

4 wins

Formidable

Kesling · 1944

3.92317 votes

Rank #12,370 CoffeeCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

Kew Garden

Salas · 2023

4.673 votes

Rank #49,349 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Formidable takes 4 of 4 categories.

Formidable
Choose it for a coffee and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Kew Garden
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Formidable4/4

Kew Garden0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FormidableKesling

Kew GardenSalas

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.92/ 5 · 317 votes

Have 33%Had 9%Want 58%

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 33%Had 0%Want 67%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

11%Love

67%Like

22%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityFormidable

SillageFormidable

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value71

¤ Price value40

Category winnerFormidableBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

coffee100%

citrus91%

warm spicy83%

woody74%

fresh spicy65%

powdery56%

woody100%

fresh spicy92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

powdery69%

amber61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

VerbenaMandarin OrangeGrapefruitBergamot

Heart

CoffeeNutmegJasmineLily-of-the-Valley

Base

ResinsPrecious WoodsVanillaSandalwoodPatchouliMusk

Top

GrapefruitBergamotGreen NotesWormwood

Heart

LavenderCardamomCuminNutmegSaffronVioletCinnamonRose

Base

LeatherAgarwood (Oud)AmberResinsCedarPatchouliTonka BeanVanilla

InformationalShared notesGrapefruit, Bergamot, Nutmeg and Resins. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Spring50

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Men80

Unisex20

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,370

PerfumerNot listed

Launched1944

Reviews5

Overall rank#49,349

PerfumerChristian Provenzano

Launched2023

Reviews0

Category winnerFormidableHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Formidable by Kesling is a traditional oriental-fougere blend that hinges on a dense, resinous structure. Peach and bergamot provide an initial fruit-forward opening, while a heart of coffee and jasmine settles into a deep, woody base of sandalwood and vanilla. It is a persistent composition ideal for chilly autumn ev…

Reviews →

Kew Garden by Salas is a heavy, resinous woody perfume built around dark woods and kitchen spices. It opens with bitter green wormwood and tangy grapefruit before settling into a warm core of nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon. The deep drydown brings out dry cedarwood, smoky agarwood oud, and worn leather sweetened by am…

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, Formidable or Kew Garden?

Formidable takes 4 of 4 categories. Formidable is rated 3.92/5 from 317 votes; Kew Garden is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Formidable for a coffee and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Kew Garden for a woody and fresh spicy character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Formidable or Kew Garden?

They last about the same: Formidable 77/100, Kew Garden 76/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Formidable or Kew Garden?

Formidable projects furthest (Formidable 73/100, Kew Garden 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Formidable and Kew Garden smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Grapefruit, Bergamot, Nutmeg and Resins.

Is Formidable or Kew Garden better for summer or winter?

Formidable suits evening wear; Kew Garden suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Formidable and Kew Garden?

Formidable has top notes of Verbena, Mandarin Orange, Grapefruit and Bergamot, heart notes of Coffee, Nutmeg, Jasmine and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Resins, Precious Woods, Vanilla and Sandalwood. Kew Garden has top notes of Grapefruit, Bergamot, Green Notes and Wormwood, heart notes of Lavender, Cardamom, Cumin and Nutmeg, a base of Leather, Agarwood (Oud), Amber and Resins.