Fragrance comparison

Fougere Royale (2010) vs Balafre

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 1,585 ratings analysed

4 wins

Fougere Royale (2010)

Houbigant

4.361,451 votes

Rank #22,683 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

Balafre

Lancôme

4.00134 votes

Rank #8,285 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Fougere Royale (2010) takes 4 of 7 categories.

Fougere Royale (2010)
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Balafre
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Fougere Royale (2010)4/7

Balafre3/7

Ratings & consensus: Fougere Royale (2010)
Community sentiment: Fougere Royale (2010)
Longevity: Fougere Royale (2010)
Sillage & projection: Balafre
Value for money: Fougere Royale (2010)
Versatility: Balafre
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Balafre

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Fougere Royale (2010)Houbigant

BalafreLancôme

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.36/ 5 · 1,451 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

4.00/ 5 · 134 votes

Have 37%Had 18%Want 45%

Category winnerFougere Royale (2010)Rating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

56%Love

31%Like

7%Ok

6%Dislike

1%Hate

1,451 votes

21%Love

61%Like

4%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

70 votes

Category winnerFougere Royale (2010)Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityFougere Royale (2010)

SillageBalafre

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value31

Category winnerFougere Royale (2010)Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

floral84%

warm spicy77%

herbal69%

green61%

aromatic100%

woody91%

green83%

fresh spicy74%

mossy65%

citrus56%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both aromatic, fresh spicy and green

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-35 mins

LavenderGreen NotesChamomileBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

GeraniumCarnationCinnamonRoseLilac

Base6-8+ hrs

oak mossClary SagePatchouliTonka BeanAmber

Top

Green NotesLimeCypressChamomileLavenderNeroli

Heart

Pine needlesClary SageGeraniumCarnationCedar

Base

OakmossVetiverLeatherMuskAmber

InformationalShared notesLavender, Green Notes, Chamomile and Geranium. Durations are only published for Fougere Royale (2010), so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer77

Fall0

Winter41

Day100

Night37

Spring100

Summer72

Fall67

Winter39

Day100

Night42

Category winnerBalafreMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men89

Unisex8

Women3

Work 41%Casual 30%Date 20%Party 9%

Men85

Unisex5

Women10

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#22,683

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#8,285

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews25

Category winnerBalafreHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Houbigant Fougere Royale (2010) brings the ancestor of all barbershop scents into the modern era with remarkable clarity. It starts fast. A sharp splash of bergamot, herbal chamomile, and brisk French lavender shocks the skin with cold green energy. Give it two minutes for the solvent lift to clear out. Soon, a warm h…

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, Fougere Royale (2010) or Balafre?

Fougere Royale (2010) takes 4 of 7 categories. Fougere Royale (2010) is rated 4.36/5 from 1,451 votes; Balafre is rated 4.00/5 from 134 votes. Choose Fougere Royale (2010) for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Balafre for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Fougere Royale (2010) or Balafre?

Fougere Royale (2010) lasts longest (Fougere Royale (2010) 67/100, Balafre 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Fougere Royale (2010) or Balafre?

Balafre projects furthest (Balafre 61/100, Fougere Royale (2010) 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Fougere Royale (2010) and Balafre smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and green accords. Common notes include Lavender, Green Notes, Chamomile and Geranium.

Is Fougere Royale (2010) or Balafre better for summer or winter?

For summer, Fougere Royale (2010) is the stronger pick. For winter, Fougere Royale (2010) is the stronger pick. Fougere Royale (2010) suits daytime wear; Balafre suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Fougere Royale (2010) and Balafre?

Fougere Royale (2010) has top notes of Lavender, Green Notes, Chamomile and Bergamot, heart notes of Geranium, Carnation, Cinnamon and Rose, a base of oak moss, Clary Sage, Patchouli and Tonka Bean. 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.