Fragrance comparison

Lignum Vitae vs Mainstream

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 807 ratings analysed

4 wins

Lignum Vitae

BeauFort London

4.03797 votes

Rank #3,429 CitrusFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Mainstream

Sly John's Lab

3.8010 votes

Rank #62,140 AromaticCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Lignum Vitae takes 4 of 5 categories.

Lignum Vitae
Choose it for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Mainstream
Choose it for a aromatic and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Lignum Vitae4/5

Mainstream1/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Lignum VitaeBeauFort London

MainstreamSly John's Lab

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.03/ 5 · 797 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

3.80/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 18%Had 9%Want 73%

Category winnerLignum VitaeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

39%Love

39%Like

11%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

797 votes

70%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

30%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityLignum Vitae

SillageLignum Vitae

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price value65

Category winnerMainstreamBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

fresh spicy91%

aromatic83%

marine74%

sweet65%

salty56%

aromatic100%

citrus91%

cannabis83%

fresh spicy74%

green65%

herbal56%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both citrus, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BiscuitCitronSea NotesLimeGingerCaramelBergamotJuniper

Heart

PepperGuaiac WoodAgarwood (Oud)Vetiver

Base

Sea SaltVanillaOakmossSandAmberMusk

Top15-30 mins

LimeGraperfuitBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

WormwoodcannabisBlack PepperPink Pepper

Base5-7 hrs

PatchouliVetiverGuaiac Wood

InformationalShared notesLime, Bergamot, Guaiac Wood and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Mainstream, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer95

Fall0

Winter60

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer43

Fall43

Winter14

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men18

Unisex73

Women10

Men86

Unisex14

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,429

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews74

Overall rank#62,140

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerLignum VitaeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

BeauFort London's Lignum Vitae opens with a striking contrast of warm ginger biscuit and sharp citron zest, immediately set against a cool sea breeze. As the golden pastry sweetness settles, salty marine notes and crushed black pepper cut through the gourmand rich top notes, preventing it from leaning too cloying. It …

Reviews →

Mainstream by Sly John's Lab delivers a zesty, unconventional green kick right from the first spray. The scent opens with a bright burst of crushed lime, bitter grapefruit, and sparkling bergamot that feels like cutting open chilled citrus fruit on a warm morning. As the sharp juiciness settles, a distinctive core of …

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, Lignum Vitae or Mainstream?

Lignum Vitae takes 4 of 5 categories. Lignum Vitae is rated 4.03/5 from 797 votes; Mainstream is rated 3.80/5 from 10 votes. Choose Lignum Vitae for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring. Choose Mainstream for a aromatic and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Lignum Vitae or Mainstream?

Lignum Vitae lasts longest (Lignum Vitae 67/100, Mainstream 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Lignum Vitae or Mainstream?

Projection is very close: Lignum Vitae 57/100, Mainstream 55/100 for sillage.

Do Lignum Vitae and Mainstream smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Lime, Bergamot, Guaiac Wood and Vetiver.

Is Lignum Vitae or Mainstream better for summer or winter?

Mainstream suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Lignum Vitae and Mainstream?

Lignum Vitae has top notes of Biscuit, Citron, Sea Notes and Lime, heart notes of Pepper, Guaiac Wood, Agarwood (Oud) and Vetiver, a base of Sea Salt, Vanilla, Oakmoss and Sand. Mainstream has top notes of Lime, Graperfuit and Bergamot, heart notes of Wormwood, cannabis, Black Pepper and Pink Pepper, a base of Patchouli, Vetiver and Guaiac Wood.