Fragrance comparison

Lily Essence vs Why Not a Fougère

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

Updated 31 Oct 2026 912 ratings analysed

6 wins

Lily Essence

O Boticário

4.00881 votes

Rank #25,421 White FloralPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

Why Not a Fougère

Mark Buxton

3.7431 votes

Rank #38,828 AromaticHerbal

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Lily Essence takes 6 of 7 categories.

Lily Essence
Choose it for a white floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Why Not a Fougère
Choose it for a aromatic and herbal character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Lily Essence6/7

Why Not a Fougère1/7

Ratings & consensus: Lily Essence
Community sentiment: Lily Essence
Longevity: Lily Essence
Sillage & projection: Lily Essence
Value for money: Lily Essence
Versatility: Why Not a Fougère
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Lily Essence

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Lily EssenceO Boticário

Why Not a FougèreMark Buxton

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 881 votes

Have 39%Had 61%Want 0%

3.74/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 28%Had 3%Want 69%

Category winnerLily EssenceRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

44%Like

1%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

881 votes

19%Love

52%Like

16%Ok

10%Dislike

3%Hate

31 votes

Category winnerLily EssenceMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityLily Essence

SillageLily Essence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value39

Category winnerLily EssenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

powdery92%

soft spicy84%

woody77%

fruity69%

floral61%

aromatic100%

herbal92%

fresh spicy84%

floral77%

citrus69%

woody61%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both woody and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Pink PepperPeachApricotPearMandarin Orange

Heart

LilyJasmineIrisGardeniaNarcissusRoseVioletOsmanthus

Base

VanillaSandalwoodAmberMuskOakmossPatchouliVetiver

Top15 to 30 minutes

Cedar NeedlesPink PepperBergamotAngelicaPearMandarin Orange

Heart2 to 3 hours

ChamomileGeraniumLavenderVioletSageMagnolia

Base3 to 4 hours

PatchouliNarcissusOsmanthusTonka BeanMusk

InformationalShared notesPink Pepper, Pear, Mandarin Orange and Narcissus. Durations are only published for Why Not a Fougère, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring81

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring73

Summer73

Fall100

Winter45

Day100

Night57

Category winnerWhy Not a FougèreMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex5

Women92

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,421

PerfumerVerônica Casanova, Yves Cassar

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#38,828

PerfumerDavid Chieze

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerLily EssenceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Lily Essence by O Boticário opens with a bright splash of juicy peach, ripe apricot, and a dusting of pink pepper that feels lively rather than sharp. Within minutes, the fruity top settles into a lush floral bouquet led by rich starchy lily, creamy gardenia, and powdery iris. The dry-down warms up into a comforting b…

Reviews →

Why Not a Fougère by Mark Buxton presents an unconventional, modern twist on traditional barbershop perfumery. The fragrance opens with an invigorating burst of bergamot, mandarin orange, and crisp cedar needles, brightened by spicy pink pepper, angelica, and juicy pear. As the scent settles, a soothing heart emerges …

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, Lily Essence or Why Not a Fougère?

Lily Essence takes 6 of 7 categories. Lily Essence is rated 4.00/5 from 881 votes; Why Not a Fougère is rated 3.74/5 from 31 votes. Choose Lily Essence for a white floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Why Not a Fougère for a aromatic and herbal character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Lily Essence or Why Not a Fougère?

Lily Essence lasts longest (Lily Essence 71/100, Why Not a Fougère 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Lily Essence or Why Not a Fougère?

Lily Essence projects furthest (Lily Essence 65/100, Why Not a Fougère 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Lily Essence and Why Not a Fougère smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and floral accords. Common notes include Pink Pepper, Pear, Mandarin Orange and Narcissus.

Is Lily Essence or Why Not a Fougère better for summer or winter?

For summer, Why Not a Fougère is the stronger pick. For winter, Lily Essence is the stronger pick. Why Not a Fougère suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Lily Essence and Why Not a Fougère?

Lily Essence has top notes of Pink Pepper, Peach, Apricot and Pear, heart notes of Lily, Jasmine, Iris and Gardenia, a base of Vanilla, Sandalwood, Amber and Musk. Why Not a Fougère has top notes of Cedar Needles, Pink Pepper, Bergamot and Angelica, heart notes of Chamomile, Geranium, Lavender and Violet, a base of Patchouli, Narcissus, Osmanthus and Tonka Bean.