Fragrance comparison

Fougere Bengale vs Le Male Tonique Cologne

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

Updated 17 Oct 2026 840 ratings analysed

4 wins

Fougere Bengale

Parfum d'Empire

4.02809 votes

Rank #1,452 Fresh SpicyGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

Le Male Tonique Cologne

Jean Paul Gaultier

4.3531 votes

Rank #25,834 LavenderAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Fougere Bengale takes 4 of 7 categories.

Fougere Bengale
Choose it for a fresh spicy and green character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Le Male Tonique Cologne
Choose it for a lavender and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Fougere Bengale4/7

Le Male Tonique Cologne3/7

Ratings & consensus: Le Male Tonique Cologne
Community sentiment: Le Male Tonique Cologne
Longevity: Fougere Bengale
Sillage & projection: Fougere Bengale
Value for money: Fougere Bengale
Versatility: Le Male Tonique Cologne
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Fougere Bengale

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Fougere BengaleParfum d'Empire

Le Male Tonique CologneJean Paul Gaultier

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.02/ 5 · 809 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

4.35/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 39%Had 18%Want 43%

Category winnerLe Male Tonique CologneRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

38%Like

6%Ok

16%Dislike

0%Hate

809 votes

55%Love

32%Like

6%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

31 votes

Category winnerLe Male Tonique CologneMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityFougere Bengale

SillageFougere Bengale

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value48

Category winnerFougere BengaleBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

green92%

tobacco84%

sweet77%

herbal69%

aromatic61%

lavender100%

aromatic92%

vanilla84%

green77%

warm spicy69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both green, fresh spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

LavenderGingerTeaMint

Heart2-4 hrs

HayTobaccoPepper

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossTonka BeanPatchouliVanilla

Top

Mint

Heart

Ginger

Base

LavenderVanilla

InformationalShared notesLavender, Ginger, Mint and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Fougere Bengale, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring74

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night85

Spring100

Summer100

Fall56

Winter19

Day100

Night33

Category winnerLe Male Tonique CologneMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men66

Unisex31

Women2

Casual 41%Date 26%Work 21%Party 12%

Men80

Unisex20

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,452

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews96

Overall rank#25,834

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerFougere BengaleHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Fougere Bengale by Parfum d'Empire turns the traditional clean barbershop scent completely on its head. Instead of a chilly, brisk splash, it opens with aromatic lavender, fresh mint, and zesty ginger before plunging into warm, sun-baked fields. The heart centers on sweet blond tobacco, dry golden hay, and black peppe…

Reviews →

Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Tonique Cologne shakes up the familiar warm lavender bones of the original line by injecting a bracing splash of mint. It lands on skin with a watery, crisp bite, shedding the thick powdery sweetness that makes the standard bottle too heavy for July heat. Ginger adds a snappy, slightly woody…

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, Fougere Bengale or Le Male Tonique Cologne?

Fougere Bengale takes 4 of 7 categories. Fougere Bengale is rated 4.02/5 from 809 votes; Le Male Tonique Cologne is rated 4.35/5 from 31 votes. Choose Fougere Bengale for a fresh spicy and green character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Le Male Tonique Cologne for a lavender and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Fougere Bengale or Le Male Tonique Cologne?

Fougere Bengale lasts longest (Fougere Bengale 75/100, Le Male Tonique Cologne 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Fougere Bengale or Le Male Tonique Cologne?

Fougere Bengale projects furthest (Fougere Bengale 66/100, Le Male Tonique Cologne 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Fougere Bengale and Le Male Tonique Cologne smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share green, fresh spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Lavender, Ginger, Mint and Vanilla.

Is Fougere Bengale or Le Male Tonique Cologne better for summer or winter?

For summer, Le Male Tonique Cologne is the stronger pick. For winter, Fougere Bengale is the stronger pick. Fougere Bengale suits daytime wear; Le Male Tonique Cologne suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Fougere Bengale and Le Male Tonique Cologne?

Fougere Bengale has top notes of Lavender, Ginger, Tea and Mint, heart notes of Hay, Tobacco and Pepper, a base of Oakmoss, Tonka Bean, Patchouli and Vanilla. Le Male Tonique Cologne has top notes of Mint, heart notes of Ginger, a base of Lavender and Vanilla.