Fragrance comparison

Pearl of lights vs THE BOTANIST

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 262 ratings analysed

Pearl of lights

House of Fragrances

4.001 votes

Rank #61,410 CitrusFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

THE BOTANIST

MiN NEW YORK

3.99261 votes

Rank #27,874 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

THE BOTANIST takes 2 of 3 categories.

Pearl of lights
Choose it for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.
THE BOTANIST
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Pearl of lights1/3

THE BOTANIST2/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Not scored
Sillage & projection: THE BOTANIST
Value for money: Pearl of lights
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: THE BOTANIST

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Pearl of lightsHouse of Fragrances

THE BOTANISTMiN NEW YORK

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 40%Had 0%Want 60%

3.99/ 5 · 261 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

33%Love

44%Like

15%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

261 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageTHE BOTANIST

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value37

Category winnerPearl of lightsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

fresh spicy90%

aromatic80%

green70%

fresh60%

white floral50%

woody100%

aromatic92%

fresh84%

green77%

floral69%

rose61%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both aromatic, green and fresh

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

GrapefruitBergamotGinger

Heart2-3 hrs

PeppermintLily of the Valley

Base5-7 hrs

VetiverMusk

Top

AppleGrapefruitPink PepperBergamot

Heart

CypressLily of the ValleyPeonyRose

Base

VetiverMuskAmbergris

InformationalShared notesGrapefruit, Bergamot, Lily of the Valley and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Pearl of lights, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night35

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter26

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Casual 38%Work 33%Date 17%Party 12%

Men21

Unisex74

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,410

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#27,874

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerTHE BOTANISTHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

House of Fragrances created Pearl of lights as an energetic, sunlit splash built for heat. The opening snaps with sharp grapefruit, tart bergamot, and a punchy grated ginger note. It wakes up your senses instantly. Within twenty minutes, the initial citrus burn calms into a crisp wash of peppermint and fresh lily of t…

Reviews →

MiN NEW YORK The Botanist opens with tart grapefruit, crisp apple, and sharp pink pepper. As it settles, fresh cypress needles and soft peony emerge over a grounded base of earthy vetiver and musk. It wears comfortably on damp spring mornings when you want a quiet, green atmosphere surrounding your day.

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, Pearl of lights or THE BOTANIST?

THE BOTANIST takes 2 of 3 categories. Pearl of lights is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes; THE BOTANIST is rated 3.99/5 from 261 votes. Choose Pearl of lights for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose THE BOTANIST for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which projects more, Pearl of lights or THE BOTANIST?

THE BOTANIST projects furthest (THE BOTANIST 60/100, Pearl of lights 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Pearl of lights and THE BOTANIST smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, green and fresh accords. Common notes include Grapefruit, Bergamot, Lily of the Valley and Vetiver.

Is Pearl of lights or THE BOTANIST better for summer or winter?

Pearl of lights suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Pearl of lights and THE BOTANIST?

Pearl of lights has top notes of Grapefruit, Bergamot and Ginger, heart notes of Peppermint and Lily of the Valley, a base of Vetiver and Musk. THE BOTANIST has top notes of Apple, Grapefruit, Pink Pepper and Bergamot, heart notes of Cypress, Lily of the Valley, Peony and Rose, a base of Vetiver, Musk and Ambergris.