Fragrance comparison

Substance vs FLAWSOME

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 61 ratings analysed

Substance

Brocard

3.754 votes

Rank #59,989 AmberMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

FLAWSOME

SIU

3.8957 votes

Rank #32,468 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

FLAWSOME takes 3 of 4 categories.

Substance
Choose it for a amber and musky character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter.
FLAWSOME
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Substance1/4

FLAWSOME3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

SubstanceBrocard

FLAWSOMESIU

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 32%Had 5%Want 63%

3.89/ 5 · 57 votes

Have 34%Had 4%Want 63%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

25%Love

25%Like

50%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

42%Love

33%Like

7%Ok

7%Dislike

11%Hate

57 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage38

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityFLAWSOME

SillageFLAWSOME

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value48

Category winnerSubstanceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

musky83%

woody65%

marine48%

aromatic30%

amber100%

woody92%

musky84%

citrus77%

powdery69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match53%Some overlap · both amber, musky and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

AmbroxanCedarSea Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Top

BergamotPink PepperBlackcurrant

Heart

AmbroxanCedarViolet

Base

White MuskOlibanum

InformationalShared notesAmbroxan and Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer88

Fall100

Winter46

Day100

Night41

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex67

Women33

Men3

Unisex61

Women36

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#59,989

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#32,468

PerfumerBatiste Humeau, Maud Chabanis, Xavier Blaizot

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerFLAWSOMEHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Substance by Brocard opens with a crisp wave of sea notes that carries a distinct salty kick. At its core, ambroxan delivers a warm, skin-like amber accord supported by dry cedar shavings. As the bright maritime opening settles, a smoky musky quality emerges, turning the salty breeze into a quiet mineral woodiness. Th…

Reviews →

FLAWSOME is a sheer citrus woody skin scent built around ambroxan, white musk and soft woods. It opens bright with bergamot, pink pepper and blackcurrant, then settles into a mineral, musky veil with a powdery violet touch. This usually reads clean, airy and close to the skin rather than loud. It may suit someone who …

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, Substance or FLAWSOME?

FLAWSOME takes 3 of 4 categories. Substance is rated 3.75/5 from 4 votes; FLAWSOME is rated 3.89/5 from 57 votes. Choose Substance for a amber and musky character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter. Choose FLAWSOME for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Substance or FLAWSOME?

FLAWSOME lasts longest (FLAWSOME 64/100, Substance 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Substance or FLAWSOME?

FLAWSOME projects furthest (FLAWSOME 52/100, Substance 38/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Substance and FLAWSOME smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, musky and woody accords. Common notes include Ambroxan and Cedar.

Is Substance or FLAWSOME better for summer or winter?

FLAWSOME suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Substance and FLAWSOME?

Substance features Ambroxan, Cedar and Sea Notes. FLAWSOME has top notes of Bergamot, Pink Pepper and Blackcurrant, heart notes of Ambroxan, Cedar and Violet, a base of White Musk and Olibanum.