Fragrance comparison

Joy Forever vs No. III Swim

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 296 ratings analysed

Joy Forever

Jean Patou

4.02247 votes

Rank #28,196 AromaticCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

No. III Swim

Gabar

4.3349 votes

Rank #12,790 GreenFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No. III Swim takes 5 of 7 categories.

Joy Forever
Choose it for a aromatic and citrus character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
No. III Swim
Choose it for a green and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Joy Forever1/7

No. III Swim5/7

Ratings & consensus: No. III Swim
Community sentiment: No. III Swim
Longevity: No. III Swim
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: No. III Swim
Versatility: Joy Forever
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: No. III Swim

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Joy ForeverJean Patou

No. III SwimGabar

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.02/ 5 · 247 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

4.33/ 5 · 49 votes

Have 10%Had 2%Want 87%

Category winnerNo. III SwimRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

36%Love

44%Like

7%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

247 votes

47%Love

41%Like

10%Ok

2%Dislike

0%Hate

49 votes

Category winnerNo. III SwimMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityNo. III Swim

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value54

Category winnerNo. III SwimBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

citrus92%

white floral84%

green77%

powdery69%

sweet61%

green100%

fruity90%

woody80%

aromatic70%

fresh60%

soft spicy50%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both green and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GalbanumBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart

MarigoldPeachJasmineRoseOrange BlossomOrris

Base

White MuskSandalwoodAmberCedar

Top15-30 mins

Currant budsGalbanum

Heart2-4 hrs

FigGreen TeaOrrisJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

CedarPatchouliMuskAmberTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesGalbanum, Jasmine, Orris and Amber. Durations are only published for No. III Swim, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer55

Fall69

Winter45

Day100

Night–

Spring90

Summer100

Fall21

Winter7

Day100

Night35

Category winnerJoy ForeverMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex12

Women88

Men5

Unisex62

Women33

Casual 42%Work 31%Date 19%Party 8%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,196

PerfumerThomas Fontaine

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#12,790

PerfumerRuth Mastenbroek

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerNo. III SwimHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Thomas Fontaine created Joy Forever in 2013 to modernize the heritage of a historic house. This floral bouquet opens with bright bergamot and a bitter slice of green galbanum. Peach skin and marigold soften the heart before a clean base of white musk and cedar anchors the dry down. It suits spring afternoons and polis…

Reviews →

Gabar No. III Swim captures the crisp sensation of jumping into cold river water on a warm afternoon. It opens with a piercing snap of crushed galbanum resin and tart currant buds. The greenness bites hard. Within fifteen minutes, the sharpness yields to a lush, unsweetened wild fig note wrapped in earthy green tea le…

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, Joy Forever or No. III Swim?

No. III Swim takes 5 of 7 categories. Joy Forever is rated 4.02/5 from 247 votes; No. III Swim is rated 4.33/5 from 49 votes. Choose Joy Forever for a aromatic and citrus character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose No. III Swim for a green and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Joy Forever or No. III Swim?

No. III Swim lasts longest (No. III Swim 69/100, Joy Forever 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Joy Forever or No. III Swim?

Projection is very close: Joy Forever 55/100, No. III Swim 55/100 for sillage.

Do Joy Forever and No. III Swim smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share green and aromatic accords. Common notes include Galbanum, Jasmine, Orris and Amber.

Is Joy Forever or No. III Swim better for summer or winter?

For summer, No. III Swim is the stronger pick. For winter, Joy Forever is the stronger pick. Joy Forever suits daytime wear; No. III Swim suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Joy Forever and No. III Swim?

Joy Forever has top notes of Galbanum, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Marigold, Peach, Jasmine and Rose, a base of White Musk, Sandalwood, Amber and Cedar. No. III Swim has top notes of Currant buds and Galbanum, heart notes of Fig, Green Tea, Orris and Jasmine, a base of Cedar, Patchouli, Musk and Amber.