Fragrance comparison

Paper & Cotton vs Renato Balestra Pour Homme

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

Updated 23 Oct 2026 91 ratings analysed

Paper & Cotton

Tokyo Milk Parfumerie Curiosite

3.8449 votes

Rank #33,920 AromaticLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

6 wins

Renato Balestra Pour Homme

Renato Balestra

3.9842 votes

Rank #24,836 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Renato Balestra Pour Homme takes 6 of 7 categories.

Paper & Cotton
Choose it for a aromatic and leather character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Renato Balestra Pour Homme
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Paper & Cotton1/7

Renato Balestra Pour Homme6/7

Ratings & consensus: Renato Balestra Pour Homme
Community sentiment: Renato Balestra Pour Homme
Longevity: Renato Balestra Pour Homme
Sillage & projection: Renato Balestra Pour Homme
Value for money: Paper & Cotton
Versatility: Renato Balestra Pour Homme
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Renato Balestra Pour Homme

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Paper & CottonTokyo Milk Parfumerie Curiosite

Renato Balestra Pour HommeRenato Balestra

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.84/ 5 · 49 votes

Have 24%Had 9%Want 68%

3.98/ 5 · 42 votes

Have 46%Had 18%Want 36%

Category winnerRenato Balestra Pour HommeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

16%Love

67%Like

0%Ok

16%Dislike

0%Hate

49 votes

24%Love

60%Like

10%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

42 votes

Category winnerRenato Balestra Pour HommeMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityRenato Balestra Pour Homme

SillageRenato Balestra Pour Homme

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value66

Category winnerPaper & CottonBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

leather90%

mossy80%

smoky70%

woody60%

soft spicy50%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy91%

herbal83%

citrus74%

woody65%

warm spicy56%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both aromatic and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Birchoak mossCorianderSage

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Mandarin OrangeSageArtemisiaBergamotBasilCloveThymeJuniper Berries

Heart

LavenderGeraniumVirginia CedarCarnationLily-of-the-ValleyCardamomCorianderPine

Base

oak mossMuskVetiverLeatherAmberGuaiac WoodAmyrisebony tree

InformationalShared notesoak moss, Coriander and Sage. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer65

Fall41

Winter41

Day100

Night13

Spring88

Summer36

Fall100

Winter68

Day100

Night89

Category winnerRenato Balestra Pour HommeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men92

Unisex8

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#33,920

PerfumerMargot Elena

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#24,836

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerRenato Balestra Pour HommeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Paper & Cotton opens with a crisp, herbaceous splash of coriander and white sage, evoking clean air rather than a sweet floral garden. As the scent settles on the skin, a dry birch note emerges alongside cool tundra moss, shifting the initial brightness toward a woody, earthy quietness. It feels distinct from the usua…

Reviews →

Renato Balestra Pour Homme opens with sharp artemisia, bitter bergamot, and crushed thyme, giving off an immediate 1980s barbering snap. It settles into a heart of lavender and pine needles before grounding in dark oak moss and leather. Best suited for autumn evenings and tailored jackets.

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, Paper & Cotton or Renato Balestra Pour Homme?

Renato Balestra Pour Homme takes 6 of 7 categories. Paper & Cotton is rated 3.84/5 from 49 votes; Renato Balestra Pour Homme is rated 3.98/5 from 42 votes. Choose Paper & Cotton for a aromatic and leather character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Renato Balestra Pour Homme for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Paper & Cotton or Renato Balestra Pour Homme?

Renato Balestra Pour Homme lasts longest (Renato Balestra Pour Homme 67/100, Paper & Cotton 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Paper & Cotton or Renato Balestra Pour Homme?

Projection is very close: Renato Balestra Pour Homme 59/100, Paper & Cotton 57/100 for sillage.

Do Paper & Cotton and Renato Balestra Pour Homme smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include oak moss, Coriander and Sage.

Is Paper & Cotton or Renato Balestra Pour Homme better for summer or winter?

For summer, Paper & Cotton is the stronger pick. For winter, Renato Balestra Pour Homme is the stronger pick. Paper & Cotton suits daytime wear; Renato Balestra Pour Homme suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Paper & Cotton and Renato Balestra Pour Homme?

Paper & Cotton features Birch, oak moss, Coriander and Sage. Renato Balestra Pour Homme has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Sage, Artemisia and Bergamot, heart notes of Lavender, Geranium, Virginia Cedar and Carnation, a base of oak moss, Musk, Vetiver and Leather.