Fragrance comparison

Governors Island vs Substance

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 358 ratings analysed

3 wins

Governors Island

Bond No 9

3.99354 votes

Rank #5,766 AmberMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

61%scent match

Closely related

Substance

Brocard

3.754 votes

Rank #59,964 AmberMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Governors Island takes 3 of 4 categories.

Governors Island
Choose it for a amber and musky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Substance
Choose it for a amber and musky character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter.

Governors Island3/4

Substance1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Governors IslandBond No 9

SubstanceBrocard

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.99/ 5 · 354 votes

Have 44%Had 6%Want 50%

3.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 32%Had 5%Want 63%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

31%Like

12%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

264 votes

25%Love

25%Like

50%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage38

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityGovernors Island

SillageGovernors Island

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value34

¤ Price value75

Category winnerSubstanceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

musky86%

woody72%

balsamic58%

smoky44%

powdery30%

amber100%

musky83%

woody65%

marine48%

aromatic30%

Scent match61%Closely related · both amber, musky and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

IncenseResin

Heart

AmbroxanCedar

Base

White MuskVetiver

Notes

AmbroxanCedarSea Notes

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesAmbroxan and Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring96

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring0

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men26

Unisex64

Women9

Men0

Unisex67

Women33

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,766

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews36

Overall rank#59,964

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerGovernors IslandHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Governors Island is a dry, resinous amber musk built around incense, cedar, ambroxan, white musk, and vetiver. It opens smoky and polished, then settles into a smooth woody skin scent with a soft musky glow. It suits shoppers who like clean woods, airy incense, and modern amber textures more than sweetness. The profil…

Reviews →

Substance by Brocard opens with a crisp wave of sea notes that carries a distinct salty kick. At its core, ambroxan delivers a warm, skin-like amber accord supported by dry cedar shavings. As the bright maritime opening settles, a smoky musky quality emerges, turning the salty breeze into a quiet mineral woodiness. Th…

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, Governors Island or Substance?

Governors Island takes 3 of 4 categories. Governors Island is rated 3.99/5 from 354 votes; Substance is rated 3.75/5 from 4 votes. Choose Governors Island for a amber and musky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Substance for a amber and musky character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Governors Island or Substance?

Governors Island lasts longest (Governors Island 71/100, Substance 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Governors Island or Substance?

Governors Island projects furthest (Governors Island 60/100, Substance 38/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Governors Island and Substance smell similar?

Closely related: a 61% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, musky and woody accords. Common notes include Ambroxan and Cedar.

What are the notes in Governors Island and Substance?

Governors Island has top notes of Incense and Resin, heart notes of Ambroxan and Cedar, a base of White Musk and Vetiver. Substance features Ambroxan, Cedar and Sea Notes.