Fragrance comparison

Substance vs Bitter X Fly

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 3 ratings analysed

Substance

Synesthesie

4.502 votes

Rank #58,023 SweetWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

52%scent match

Some overlap

Bitter X Fly

Martin Lion

5.001 votes

Rank #44,288 SweetAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 1–1.

Substance
Choose it for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Bitter X Fly
Choose it for a sweet and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Substance1/4

Bitter X Fly1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

SubstanceSynesthesie

Bitter X FlyMartin Lion

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 10%Had 0%Want 90%

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 4%Had 0%Want 96%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 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

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageSubstance

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

warm spicy92%

amber84%

vanilla77%

cinnamon69%

musky61%

sweet100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

citrus77%

woody69%

caramel61%

Scent match52%Some overlap · both sweet, warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

HazelnutCognac

Heart

Tonka BeanCinnamonAmbergrisOakmossSugar

Base

White MuskVanillaMyrrhSandalwoodPraline

Top20-30 mins

OrangeCognacHazelnut

Heart3-4 hrs

ChocolateCaramelTonka BeanLabdanumCinnamonMyrrh

Base6-10+ hrs

AmberWoody NotesVanilla

InformationalShared notesHazelnut, Cognac, Tonka Bean and Cinnamon. Durations are only published for Bitter X Fly, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#58,023

PerfumerFrancesco Perini

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#44,288

PerfumerNursel Yoğurtcu

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerBitter X FlyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Substance opens with a boozy cognac kick and a distinct hazelnut crunch. It is a dense gourmand experience that settles into a thick layer of praline and vanilla. This is a heavy hitter for cold nights when you want to feel wrapped in something warm and resinous. It avoids being a simple sugar bomb thanks to a salty a…

Reviews →

Bitter X Fly by Martin Lion is a boozy, warm gourmand that wastes no time making an impression. The scent opens with a burst of sweet candied orange, rich cognac, and roasted hazelnut before plunging into a decadent heart of melted chocolate and buttery caramel. Grounded by smoky myrrh, warm cinnamon, and an amber woo…

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.

Which is better, Substance or Bitter X Fly?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 1–1. Substance is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes; Bitter X Fly is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Substance for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Bitter X Fly for a sweet and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Substance or Bitter X Fly?

They last about the same: Substance 100/100, Bitter X Fly 100/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Substance or Bitter X Fly?

Substance projects furthest (Substance 100/100, Bitter X Fly 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Substance and Bitter X Fly smell similar?

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Hazelnut, Cognac, Tonka Bean and Cinnamon.

Is Substance or Bitter X Fly better for summer or winter?

Substance suits evening wear; Bitter X Fly suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Substance and Bitter X Fly?

Substance has top notes of Hazelnut and Cognac, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Cinnamon, Ambergris and Oakmoss, a base of White Musk, Vanilla, Myrrh and Sandalwood. Bitter X Fly has top notes of Orange, Cognac and Hazelnut, heart notes of Chocolate, Caramel, Tonka Bean and Labdanum, a base of Amber, Woody Notes and Vanilla.