Fragrance comparison

Lightsource vs Raku

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 316 ratings analysed

7 wins

Lightsource

Andrea Maack

4.01179 votes

Rank #9,874 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

Raku

Les Bains Guerbois

3.74137 votes

Rank #17,291 MuskyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Lightsource takes 7 of 7 categories.

Lightsource
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.
Raku
Choose it for a musky and woody character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Lightsource7/7

Raku0/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

LightsourceAndrea Maack

RakuLes Bains Guerbois

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.01/ 5 · 179 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

3.74/ 5 · 137 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

Category winnerLightsourceRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

32%Like

18%Ok

8%Dislike

2%Hate

179 votes

37%Love

26%Like

15%Ok

16%Dislike

5%Hate

137 votes

Category winnerLightsourceMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage40

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityLightsource

SillageLightsource

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value41

Category winnerLightsourceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic92%

rose84%

fresh spicy77%

white floral69%

fruity61%

musky100%

woody90%

amber80%

fresh spicy70%

powdery60%

aromatic50%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both fresh spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

LemonPetitgrainFigRosePink PepperBlack PepperStar Jasmine

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

Black PepperLemon

Heart2-3 hrs

FigClary Sage

Base5-7 hrs

White MuskAmbroxanTexas Cedar

InformationalShared notesLemon, Fig and Black Pepper. Durations are only published for Raku, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall34

Winter16

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter47

Day100

Night39

Category winnerLightsourceMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men7

Unisex68

Women25

Men17

Unisex72

Women11

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#9,874

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews27

Overall rank#17,291

PerfumerJérôme Epinette

Launched—

Reviews17

Category winnerLightsourceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Andrea Maack Lightsource offers a bright burst of green citrus that feels modern and unconventional. The scent shifts from a sharp lemon opening to a dry, green pepperiness on the skin. It works beautifully for casual daytime wear during the high heat of summer.

Reviews →

Les Bains Guerbois Raku delivers a clean, modern skin scent inspired by the smooth, crackled surface of fired Japanese pottery. The fragrance opens with a gentle burst of zesty lemon dusted with freshly crushed black pepper, creating a crisp and breezy greeting rather than a sharp citrus sting. As the initial brightne…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Lightsource or Raku?

Lightsource takes 7 of 7 categories. Lightsource is rated 4.01/5 from 179 votes; Raku is rated 3.74/5 from 137 votes. Choose Lightsource for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring. Choose Raku for a musky and woody character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Lightsource or Raku?

They last about the same: Lightsource 58/100, Raku 56/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Lightsource or Raku?

Lightsource projects furthest (Lightsource 44/100, Raku 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Lightsource and Raku smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Lemon, Fig and Black Pepper.

Is Lightsource or Raku better for summer or winter?

For summer, Lightsource is the stronger pick. For winter, Raku is the stronger pick. Raku suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Lightsource and Raku?

Lightsource features Lemon, Petitgrain, Fig, Rose and Pink Pepper. Raku has top notes of Black Pepper and Lemon, heart notes of Fig and Clary Sage, a base of White Musk, Ambroxan and Texas Cedar.