Fragrance comparison

Substance vs Positive Energy

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 5 ratings analysed

Substance

Brocard

3.754 votes

Rank #59,989 AmberMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Positive Energy

Ahmed Mahsoub KARIZMA

5.001 votes

Rank #47,934 FruityMarine

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Positive Energy takes 4 of 4 categories.

Substance
Choose it for a amber and musky character. Best in winter.
Positive Energy
Choose it for a fruity and marine character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Substance0/4

Positive Energy4/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

SubstanceBrocard

Positive EnergyAhmed Mahsoub KARIZMA

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 32%Had 5%Want 63%

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 33%Had 0%Want 67%

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

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage38

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityPositive Energy

SillagePositive Energy

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value100

Category winnerPositive EnergyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

musky83%

woody65%

marine48%

aromatic30%

fruity100%

marine92%

musky84%

woody77%

amber69%

aromatic61%

Scent match56%Closely related · 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

Green AppleGrapefruitPineapple

Heart

Sea NotesAniseLavender

Base

Iso E SuperPatchouliAmbroxan

InformationalShared notesAmbroxan and Sea Notes. 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

Summer100

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex67

Women33

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#59,989

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#47,934

PerfumerAhmed Mahsoub

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerPositive EnergyHigher 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 →

Positive Energy opens with juicy green apple, grapefruit and pineapple, then shifts into a breezy lavender and sea-note heart before settling on a musky woody base of Iso E Super, patchouli and ambroxan. It reads as a modern fruity-marine fougere with a clean, masculine tilt. If you like fresh scents with strong proje…

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 Positive Energy?

Positive Energy takes 4 of 4 categories. Substance is rated 3.75/5 from 4 votes; Positive Energy is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Substance for a amber and musky character. Best in winter. Choose Positive Energy for a fruity and marine character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Substance or Positive Energy?

Positive Energy lasts longest (Positive Energy 80/100, Substance 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Substance or Positive Energy?

Positive Energy projects furthest (Positive Energy 100/100, Substance 38/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Substance and Positive Energy smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, musky and woody accords. Common notes include Ambroxan and Sea Notes.

Is Substance or Positive Energy better for summer or winter?

Positive Energy suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Substance and Positive Energy?

Substance features Ambroxan, Cedar and Sea Notes. Positive Energy has top notes of Green Apple, Grapefruit and Pineapple, heart notes of Sea Notes, Anise and Lavender, a base of Iso E Super, Patchouli and Ambroxan.