Fragrance comparison

Napier 1903 vs Balafre Vert

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 15 ratings analysed

Napier 1903

Murdock London

4.754 votes

Rank #33,587 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Balafre Vert

Lancôme

4.1811 votes

Rank #47,309 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Balafre Vert takes 2 of 4 categories.

Napier 1903
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Balafre Vert
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Napier 19031/4

Balafre Vert2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Balafre Vert
Sillage & projection: Balafre Vert
Value for money: Tie
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Napier 1903

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Napier 1903Murdock London

Balafre VertLancôme

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 24%Had 12%Want 64%

4.18/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 27%Had 8%Want 64%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

75%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

55%Love

27%Like

9%Ok

0%Dislike

9%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity49

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate94

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityBalafre Vert

SillageBalafre Vert

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic90%

fruity80%

sweet70%

mossy60%

earthy50%

aromatic100%

woody88%

fresh spicy77%

earthy65%

green53%

mossy42%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CypressHyssopSageFig Leaf

Heart2-4 hrs

FigDried FruitsPatchouli

Base5-7 hrs

OakmossAmber

Top

LavenderGreen NotesCypressBergamotNeroli

Heart

Pine TreeGeraniumSageFernCedarCloves

Base

OakmossVetiverLeatherMuskAmber

InformationalShared notesCypress, Sage, Oakmoss and Amber. Durations are only published for Napier 1903, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall50

Winter50

Day100

Night50

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day75

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Work 38%Casual 35%Date 17%Party 10%

Men89

Unisex11

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#33,587

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#47,309

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerNapier 1903Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Murdock London Napier 1903 opens with a sharp snap of piney cypress, medicinal hyssop, and crisp green fig leaf. It feels brisk immediately. Within fifteen minutes, the brisk foliage softens into sweet dried fruits, sticky black fig, and earthy patchouli. You get a dense, slightly boozy fruitiness that cuts against th…

Reviews →

Balafre Vert is an old-school green chypre with a sharp aromatic opening, piney herbs in the heart, and a dry mossy leather base. It leans brisk, woody, and earthy rather than soft or sweet. If you enjoy classic masculine scents with oakmoss, vetiver, and a slightly rugged forest feel, this is the part that stands out…

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, Napier 1903 or Balafre Vert?

Balafre Vert takes 2 of 4 categories. Napier 1903 is rated 4.75/5 from 4 votes; Balafre Vert is rated 4.18/5 from 11 votes. Choose Napier 1903 for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Balafre Vert for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Napier 1903 or Balafre Vert?

Balafre Vert lasts longest (Balafre Vert 82/100, Napier 1903 49/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Napier 1903 or Balafre Vert?

Balafre Vert projects furthest (Balafre Vert 82/100, Napier 1903 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Napier 1903 and Balafre Vert smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and earthy accords. Common notes include Cypress, Sage, Oakmoss and Amber.

Is Napier 1903 or Balafre Vert better for summer or winter?

Napier 1903 suits daytime wear; Balafre Vert suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Napier 1903 and Balafre Vert?

Napier 1903 has top notes of Cypress, Hyssop, Sage and Fig Leaf, heart notes of Fig, Dried Fruits and Patchouli, a base of Oakmoss and Amber. Balafre Vert has top notes of Lavender, Green Notes, Cypress and Bergamot, heart notes of Pine Tree, Geranium, Sage and Fern, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Leather and Musk.