Fragrance comparison

Mainstream vs Lignum Vitae

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 807 ratings analysed

Mainstream

Sly John's Lab

3.8010 votes

Rank #62,140 AromaticCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Lignum Vitae

BeauFort London

4.03797 votes

Rank #3,429 CitrusFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Lignum Vitae takes 4 of 5 categories.

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

Mainstream1/5

Lignum Vitae4/5

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

MainstreamSly John's Lab

Lignum VitaeBeauFort London

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.80/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 18%Had 9%Want 73%

4.03/ 5 · 797 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerLignum VitaeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

70%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

30%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

39%Love

39%Like

11%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

797 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityLignum Vitae

SillageLignum Vitae

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value65

¤ Price value47

Category winnerMainstreamBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

citrus91%

cannabis83%

fresh spicy74%

green65%

herbal56%

citrus100%

fresh spicy91%

aromatic83%

marine74%

sweet65%

salty56%

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

Top15-30 mins

LimeGraperfuitBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

WormwoodcannabisBlack PepperPink Pepper

Base5-7 hrs

PatchouliVetiverGuaiac Wood

Top

BiscuitCitronSea NotesLimeGingerCaramelBergamotJuniper

Heart

PepperGuaiac WoodAgarwood (Oud)Vetiver

Base

Sea SaltVanillaOakmossSandAmberMusk

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

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer43

Fall43

Winter14

Day100

Night50

Spring100

Summer95

Fall0

Winter60

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men86

Unisex14

Women0

Men18

Unisex73

Women10

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#62,140

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#3,429

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews74

Category winnerLignum VitaeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

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 →

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, Mainstream or Lignum Vitae?

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

Which lasts longer, Mainstream or Lignum Vitae?

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

Which projects more, Mainstream or Lignum Vitae?

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

Do Mainstream and Lignum Vitae smell similar?

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

Is Mainstream or Lignum Vitae better for summer or winter?

Mainstream suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Mainstream and Lignum Vitae?

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. 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.