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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Key of Life vs Vetiver 46

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

Updated 1,431 ratings analysed
Closely related
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Key of Life takes 5 of 7 categories.

  • Key of Life

    Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

  • Vetiver 46

    Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Key of Life5/7
Vetiver 462/7
Ratings & consensus
Key of Life
Community sentiment
Key of Life
Longevity
Key of Life
Sillage & projection
Key of Life
Value for money
Key of Life
Versatility
Vetiver 46
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Vetiver 46

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
Key of LifeAlexandria Fragrances
Vetiver 46Le Labo
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
4.15/ 5 · 47 votes
Have 52%Had 9%Want 39%
3.98/ 5 · 1,384 votes
Have 42%Had 13%Want 44%
Category winnerKey of LifeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
55%Love
24%Like
3%Ok
14%Dislike
3%Hate

29 votes

38%Love
36%Like
13%Ok
11%Dislike
2%Hate

1,384 votes

Category winnerKey of LifeMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity91
〰 Sillage78
♥ Love / hate80
⏱ Longevity66
〰 Sillage54
♥ Love / hate75
Category winners

LongevityKey of Life

SillageKey of Life

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value75
¤ Price value26
Category winnerKey of LifeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
woody100%
fresh spicy92%
warm spicy84%
amber77%
aromatic69%
earthy61%
woody100%
amber86%
fresh spicy72%
aromatic58%
warm spicy44%
earthy30%
Scent match65%Closely related · both woody, fresh spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top
ArtemisiaBergamot
Heart
ClovesRoseJasmineCassisYlang-YlangGeraniumLabdanum
Base
MuskBenzoinAgarwood (Oud)Cypriol Oil or NagarmothaOlibanumOakmossCuminPatchouli
Notes
OlibanumTahitian VetiverPepperGuaiac WoodLabdanumCedarClovesBergamotAmberVanilla

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Cloves, Labdanum and Olibanum. Durations are only published for Vetiver 46, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring50
Summer25
Fall100
Winter92
Day82
Night100
Spring65
Summer33
Fall100
Winter73
Day100
Night93
Category winnerVetiver 46Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men50
Unisex50
Women0
Men57
Unisex40
Women3
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,682

PerfumerHany Hafez

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#2,232

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews188

Category winnerVetiver 46Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Key of Life is a dense woody amber with a sharp herbal opening, a floral heart, and a dark resinous base. Bergamot and artemisia keep the start brisk, then rose, jasmine, and clove add texture before oud, benzoin, patchouli, and musk take over. It reads rich, spicy, and assertive rather than easygoing. Strong projecti…

Reviews →

Vetiver 46 by Le Labo is a dark, dry woody fragrance built on a foundation of smoky olibanum, cedar, and Tahitian vetiver. Despite the name on the bottle, the scent does not present a crisp or grassy lawn profile. Instead, it greets you with sharp pepper, warm cloves, and a faint flash of bergamot before settling into…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Key of Life or Vetiver 46?

Key of Life takes 5 of 7 categories. Key of Life is rated 4.15/5 from 47 votes; Vetiver 46 is rated 3.98/5 from 1,384 votes. Choose Key of Life for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Vetiver 46 for a woody and amber character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Key of Life or Vetiver 46?

Key of Life lasts longest (Key of Life 91/100, Vetiver 46 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Key of Life or Vetiver 46?

Key of Life projects furthest (Key of Life 78/100, Vetiver 46 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Key of Life and Vetiver 46 smell similar?

Closely related: a 65% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, fresh spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Cloves, Labdanum and Olibanum.

Is Key of Life or Vetiver 46 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Vetiver 46 is the stronger pick. For winter, Key of Life is the stronger pick. Key of Life suits evening wear; Vetiver 46 suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Key of Life and Vetiver 46?

Key of Life has top notes of Artemisia and Bergamot, heart notes of Cloves, Rose, Jasmine and Cassis, a base of Musk, Benzoin, Agarwood (Oud) and Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha. Vetiver 46 features Olibanum, Tahitian Vetiver, Pepper, Guaiac Wood and Labdanum.

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