Fragrance comparison

Lay Down On Water vs Raphael in Kathmandu

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 13 ratings analysed

Lay Down On Water

Mith

3.888 votes

Rank #43,848 MuskyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Raphael in Kathmandu

THEN THERE

4.605 votes

Rank #42,743 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Raphael in Kathmandu takes 4 of 4 categories.

Lay Down On Water
Choose it for a musky and floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Raphael in Kathmandu
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Lay Down On Water0/4

Raphael in Kathmandu4/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Raphael in Kathmandu
Sillage & projection: Raphael in Kathmandu
Value for money: Raphael in Kathmandu
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Raphael in Kathmandu

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Lay Down On WaterMith

Raphael in KathmanduTHEN THERE

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.88/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 10%Had 2%Want 89%

4.60/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 9%Had 3%Want 88%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

13%Dislike

13%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

60%Love

40%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity93

〰 Sillage92

♥ Love / hate90

Category winners

LongevityRaphael in Kathmandu

SillageRaphael in Kathmandu

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value56

¤ Price value83

Category winnerRaphael in KathmanduBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

musky100%

floral92%

marine84%

white floral77%

woody69%

aromatic61%

woody100%

leather92%

fruity84%

aromatic77%

sweet69%

floral61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both woody, floral and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Pink PepperAquatic notes

Heart

Floral NotesJasmine

Base

White MuskCedarwood

Top

Marine notesStrawberryPineappleSaffronApple

Heart

LeatherFloral NotesPink PepperRhubarbJasmineRose

Base

VetiverCedarwoodSandalwoodAmberMusk

InformationalShared notesPink Pepper, Floral Notes, Jasmine and Cedarwood. 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

Summer100

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night67

Spring100

Summer0

Fall67

Winter33

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex43

Women57

Men0

Unisex67

Women33

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#43,848

PerfumerAnne Flipo

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#42,743

PerfumerAngela Ciampagna

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerRaphael in KathmanduHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Lay Down On Water reads as a clean aquatic musk with a soft floral core. Pink pepper gives the opening a light sparkle, then marine notes, jasmine, and airy florals take over before white musk and cedarwood leave a smooth, slightly powdery trail. If you already enjoy marine scents, this looks like an easy one to sampl…

Reviews →

Raphael in Kathmandu by THEN THERE opens with an immediate burst of salty marine notes, ripe strawberry, and tart apple balanced by spicy saffron. That bright fruitiness quickly yields to a dry heart dominated by textured leather, bitter rhubarb, and quiet floral notes. As the scent settles on skin over several hours,…

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, Lay Down On Water or Raphael in Kathmandu?

Raphael in Kathmandu takes 4 of 4 categories. Lay Down On Water is rated 3.88/5 from 8 votes; Raphael in Kathmandu is rated 4.60/5 from 5 votes. Choose Lay Down On Water for a musky and floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Raphael in Kathmandu for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Lay Down On Water or Raphael in Kathmandu?

Raphael in Kathmandu lasts longest (Raphael in Kathmandu 93/100, Lay Down On Water 90/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Lay Down On Water or Raphael in Kathmandu?

Raphael in Kathmandu projects furthest (Raphael in Kathmandu 92/100, Lay Down On Water 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Lay Down On Water and Raphael in Kathmandu smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, floral and aromatic accords. Common notes include Pink Pepper, Floral Notes, Jasmine and Cedarwood.

Is Lay Down On Water or Raphael in Kathmandu better for summer or winter?

Lay Down On Water suits daytime wear; Raphael in Kathmandu suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Lay Down On Water and Raphael in Kathmandu?

Lay Down On Water has top notes of Pink Pepper and Aquatic notes, heart notes of Floral Notes and Jasmine, a base of White Musk and Cedarwood. Raphael in Kathmandu has top notes of Marine notes, Strawberry, Pineapple and Saffron, heart notes of Leather, Floral Notes, Pink Pepper and Rhubarb, a base of Vetiver, Cedarwood, Sandalwood and Amber.