Fragrance comparison

Lal vs was™

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 41 ratings analysed

3 wins

Lal

Puzzle Parfum

4.5922 votes

Rank #32,111 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

was™

Neandertal

3.2119 votes

Rank #22,385 Fresh SpicyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Lal takes 3 of 5 categories.

Lal
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
was™
Choose it for a fresh spicy and citrus character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Lal3/5

was™2/5

Ratings & consensus: Lal
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Lal
Sillage & projection: Lal
Value for money: was™
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: was™

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

LalPuzzle Parfum

was™Neandertal

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.59/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 20%Had 5%Want 75%

3.21/ 5 · 19 votes

Have 16%Had 2%Want 82%

Category winnerLalRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

77%Love

14%Like

5%Ok

0%Dislike

5%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

37%Love

16%Like

11%Ok

5%Dislike

32%Hate

19 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate90

⏱ Longevity46

〰 Sillage46

♥ Love / hate55

Category winners

LongevityLal

SillageLal

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value34

¤ Price value69

Category winnerwas™Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody90%

patchouli80%

fresh spicy70%

balsamic60%

vanilla50%

fresh spicy100%

citrus92%

iris84%

powdery77%

musky69%

woody61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both fresh spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CloveNutmeg

Heart2-4 hrs

PatchouliFrankincenseRose

Base8-12 hrs

VanillaSandalwoodMuskAmber

Top

BergamotNutmegMateCardamom

Heart

DivinirisGeraniumCloveRock rose

Base

CedarwoodMuskPatchouliAmberSandalwoodVanillaVetiverStyrax

InformationalShared notesClove, Nutmeg, Patchouli and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Lal, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring47

Summer41

Fall100

Winter88

Day50

Night100

Spring50

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night57

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men27

Unisex53

Women20

Date 37%Party 28%Casual 19%Work 15%

Men62

Unisex38

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#32,111

PerfumerCengiz Yatagan

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#22,385

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews13

Category winnerwas™Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Lal by Puzzle Parfum is a bold woody fragrance and oriental spice blend that makes an immediate impression. The scent opens with an explosive, prickly burst of clove and dry nutmeg, delivering culinary warmth. Within twenty minutes, earthy patchouli and smoky frankincense take command of the heart, softened by dark ro…

Reviews →

was by Neandertal opens with sharp bergamot, cracked cardamom, and dry nutmeg before settling into a cool heart of Diviniris and geranium. As it sits on skin, the fragrance turns darker and woodier, drawing out cedarwood, patchouli, and earthy vetiver alongside a light touch of styrax resin and musk. Instead of a typi…

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, Lal or was™?

Lal takes 3 of 5 categories. Lal is rated 4.59/5 from 22 votes; was™ is rated 3.21/5 from 19 votes. Choose Lal for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose was™ for a fresh spicy and citrus character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Lal or was™?

Lal lasts longest (Lal 72/100, was™ 46/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Lal or was™?

Lal projects furthest (Lal 65/100, was™ 46/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Lal and was™ smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Clove, Nutmeg, Patchouli and Vanilla.

Is Lal or was™ better for summer or winter?

Lal suits evening wear; was™ suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Lal and was™?

Lal has top notes of Clove and Nutmeg, heart notes of Patchouli, Frankincense and Rose, a base of Vanilla, Sandalwood, Musk and Amber. was™ has top notes of Bergamot, Nutmeg, Mate and Cardamom, heart notes of Diviniris, Geranium, Clove and Rock rose, a base of Cedarwood, Musk, Patchouli and Amber.