Fragrance comparison

La Formidable vs La Surprise

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 205 ratings analysed

La Formidable

Bourjois

3.6250 votes

Rank #19,303 FloralCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

31%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

La Surprise

MDCI Parfums

3.91155 votes

Rank #8,385 WoodyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

La Surprise takes 5 of 7 categories.

La Formidable
Choose it for a floral and citrus character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
La Surprise
Choose it for a woody and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

La Formidable2/7

La Surprise5/7

Ratings & consensus: La Surprise
Community sentiment: La Surprise
Longevity: La Surprise
Sillage & projection: La Surprise
Value for money: La Formidable
Versatility: La Formidable
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: La Surprise

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

La FormidableBourjois

La SurpriseMDCI Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.62/ 5 · 50 votes

Have 50%Had 8%Want 42%

3.91/ 5 · 155 votes

Have 31%Had 12%Want 58%

Category winnerLa SurpriseRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

20%Love

38%Like

28%Ok

12%Dislike

2%Hate

50 votes

32%Love

40%Like

22%Ok

5%Dislike

1%Hate

111 votes

Category winnerLa SurpriseMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage36

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityLa Surprise

SillageLa Surprise

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value67

¤ Price value38

Category winnerLa FormidableBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

citrus90%

patchouli80%

fresh spicy70%

woody60%

warm spicy50%

woody100%

fruity92%

green84%

powdery77%

floral69%

aromatic61%

Scent match31%Clearly different · both floral and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotSolar Notes

Heart

FreesiaFloral Notes

Base

Patchouli

Top

RhubarbGreen NotesCardamomBergamot

Heart

PeachWhite FlowersFreesiaVioletRose

Base

MuskSandalwoodWoody NotesSolar NotesPatchouli

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Solar Notes, Freesia and Patchouli. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer57

Fall86

Winter29

Day100

Night46

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter31

Day–

Night–

Category winnerLa FormidableMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men0

Unisex30

Women70

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#19,303

PerfumerJacques Huclier

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#8,385

PerfumerCécile Zarokian

Launched—

Reviews24

Category winnerLa SurpriseHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Bourjois La Formidable opens with a sharp burst of bergamot backed by warm solar notes that feel bright and energetic in morning light. As the crisp citrus settles, a soft floral heart of freesia and jasmine-like white petals takes over, giving the scent a clean, breezy texture. An earthy patchouli base grounds the co…

Reviews →

La Surprise is a clean, green fruity floral with rhubarb bite, peach softness and a polished white floral heart. Reviewers often describe it as watery, fresh and well blended, with freesia, rose and violet moving through a musky sandalwood base. It suits spring and warm weather especially well, though the clean powder…

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, La Formidable or La Surprise?

La Surprise takes 5 of 7 categories. La Formidable is rated 3.62/5 from 50 votes; La Surprise is rated 3.91/5 from 155 votes. Choose La Formidable for a floral and citrus character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose La Surprise for a woody and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, La Formidable or La Surprise?

La Surprise lasts longest (La Surprise 73/100, La Formidable 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, La Formidable or La Surprise?

La Surprise projects furthest (La Surprise 64/100, La Formidable 36/100), based on community performance votes.

Do La Formidable and La Surprise smell similar?

Clearly different: a 31% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Solar Notes, Freesia and Patchouli.

Is La Formidable or La Surprise better for summer or winter?

For summer, La Formidable is the stronger pick. For winter, La Surprise is the stronger pick. La Formidable suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in La Formidable and La Surprise?

La Formidable has top notes of Bergamot and Solar Notes, heart notes of Freesia and Floral Notes, a base of Patchouli. La Surprise has top notes of Rhubarb, Green Notes, Cardamom and Bergamot, heart notes of Peach, White Flowers, Freesia and Violet, a base of Musk, Sandalwood, Woody Notes and Solar Notes.