Fragrance comparison

Sous Bois vs VAV

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 3 ratings analysed

1 wins

Sous Bois

Parfums Retro

3.673 votes

Rank #56,769 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

VAV

K Constâncio

—0 votes

Rank #79,522 WoodyViolet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sous Bois takes 1 of 1 categories.

Sous Bois
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.
VAV
Choose it for a woody and violet character.

Sous Bois1/1

VAV0/1

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Not scored
Sillage & projection: Not scored
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Sous Bois

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Sous BoisParfums Retro

VAVK Constâncio

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 0%Had 8%Want 92%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

33%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery92%

citrus84%

aromatic77%

musky69%

amber61%

woody100%

violet91%

floral83%

powdery74%

iris65%

green56%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both woody and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

AlmondVioletLemonYlang-YlangOrange BlossomGeraniumRoseMimosa

Heart2 to 4 hours

Guaiac WoodOakmossLabdanum

Base5 to 8 hours

CedarCivetBenzoinVetiverMuskCoumarin

Top

VioletIrisSicilian LemonBergamot

Heart

HyacinthGeraniumMagnoliaNutmegSage

Base

Guaiac WoodPatchouliVanillaOakmossSandalwood

InformationalShared notesViolet, Lemon, Geranium and Guaiac Wood. Durations are only published for Sous Bois, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

No season votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#56,769

PerfumerHugh Spencer

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#79,522

PerfumerAlfredo Monteiro Filho

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerSous BoisHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Sous Bois by Parfums Retro is a classic woody chypre that balances bright citrus notes with an earthy forest floor atmosphere. Created by perfumer Hugh Spencer, it opens with a quick flash of lemon, bergamot, and neroli paired with almond and powdery iris. As the opening settles, middle notes of guaiac wood, oakmoss, …

Reviews →

VAV by K Constâncio begins with a bright citrus breeze of Sicilian lemon and bergamot before softening into a powdery floral middle. Alfredo Monteiro Filho grounds this clean creation with a warm base of guaiac wood and earthy patchouli. It is a refreshing option for daytime wear when you want a clean, office-friendly…

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.

Do Sous Bois and VAV smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Violet, Lemon, Geranium and Guaiac Wood.

Is Sous Bois or VAV better for summer or winter?

Sous Bois suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Sous Bois and VAV?

Sous Bois has top notes of Almond, Violet, Lemon and Ylang-Ylang, heart notes of Guaiac Wood, Oakmoss and Labdanum, a base of Cedar, Civet, Benzoin and Vetiver. VAV has top notes of Violet, Iris, Sicilian Lemon and Bergamot, heart notes of Hyacinth, Geranium, Magnolia and Nutmeg, a base of Guaiac Wood, Patchouli, Vanilla and Oakmoss.