Fragrance comparison

Fougere Royale vs Rumba

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 1,235 ratings analysed

Fougere Royale

Houbigant

4.28107 votes

Rank #25,421 AromaticVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

31%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Rumba

Ted Lapidus

3.711,128 votes

Rank #1,506 SweetFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Rumba takes 4 of 7 categories.

Fougere Royale
Choose it for a aromatic and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Rumba
Choose it for a sweet and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Fougere Royale3/7

Rumba4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Fougere RoyaleHoubigant

RumbaTed Lapidus

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.28/ 5 · 107 votes

Have 18%Had 5%Want 77%

3.71/ 5 · 1,128 votes

Have 69%Had 31%Want 0%

Category winnerFougere RoyaleRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

58%Love

27%Like

2%Ok

11%Dislike

2%Hate

107 votes

34%Love

37%Like

6%Ok

20%Dislike

4%Hate

1,074 votes

Category winnerFougere RoyaleMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityRumba

SillageRumba

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value79

Category winnerRumbaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

vanilla92%

fresh spicy84%

floral77%

sweet69%

lavender61%

sweet100%

floral92%

fruity84%

white floral77%

woody69%

animalic61%

Scent match31%Clearly different · both floral and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

LavenderBergamotClary Sage

Heart2-4 hrs

GeraniumHeliotropeCarnationOrchidRose

Base6-8 hrs

OakmossCoumarinTonka BeanVanillaMusk

Top

PlumPeachMirabelleOrange BlossomBasilBergamotRaspberry

Heart

HoneyMarigoldCarnationTuberoseHeliotropeGardeniaJasmineRose

Base

OakmossLeatherAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliMuskStyraxVanilla

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Heliotrope, Carnation and Rose. Durations are only published for Fougere Royale, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer41

Fall73

Winter45

Day100

Night64

Spring45

Summer28

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerFougere RoyaleMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex19

Women14

Work 43%Casual 33%Date 18%Party 8%

Men2

Unisex26

Women73

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,421

PerfumerPaul Parquet

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,506

PerfumerJean-Claude Ellena

Launched—

Reviews118

Category winnerRumbaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Fougere Royale by Houbigant is the historical blueprint for masculine barbershop perfumery. The first spray punches through with bright bergamot and dry French lavender. It bites slightly. Within fifteen minutes, the herbal sting relaxes into geranium and warm clary sage. Sweet coumarin, tonka bean, and earthy oakmoss…

Reviews →

Ted Lapidus Rumba is a dark, heavy oriental floral that throws back to 1989. It blends a very syrupy, honeyed plum opening with dry leather and heavy oakmoss in the base. This bottle is built for fans of unapologetic vintage powerhouses who want a bold, warm scent for chilly autumn evenings.

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 or Rumba?

Rumba takes 4 of 7 categories. Fougere Royale is rated 4.28/5 from 107 votes; Rumba is rated 3.71/5 from 1,128 votes. Choose Fougere Royale for a aromatic and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Rumba for a sweet and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Fougere Royale or Rumba?

Rumba lasts longest (Rumba 80/100, Fougere Royale 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Fougere Royale or Rumba?

Rumba projects furthest (Rumba 76/100, Fougere Royale 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Fougere Royale and Rumba smell similar?

Clearly different: a 31% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and sweet accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Heliotrope, Carnation and Rose.

Is Fougere Royale or Rumba better for summer or winter?

For summer, Fougere Royale is the stronger pick. For winter, Rumba is the stronger pick. Fougere Royale suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Fougere Royale and Rumba?

Fougere Royale has top notes of Lavender, Bergamot and Clary Sage, heart notes of Geranium, Heliotrope, Carnation and Orchid, a base of Oakmoss, Coumarin, Tonka Bean and Vanilla. Rumba has top notes of Plum, Peach, Mirabelle and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Honey, Marigold, Carnation and Tuberose, a base of Oakmoss, Leather, Ambergris and Sandalwood.