Vetyver Absolute vs Balafre
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
35%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Balafre takes 4 of 5 categories.
Vetyver AbsoluteChoose it for a woody and nutty character. Wins on longevity. Best in winter, day or night wear.
BalafreChoose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Vetyver Absolute1/5
Balafre4/5
- Ratings & consensus
- Balafre
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- Vetyver Absolute
- Sillage & projection
- Balafre
- Value for money
- Balafre
- Versatility
- Not scored
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Balafre
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
Vetyver AbsoluteThom BrowneBalafreLancômeWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.00/ 5 · 10 votes
Have 22%Had 4%Want 74%
4.00/ 5 · 134 votes
Have 37%Had 18%Want 45%
Category winnerBalafreRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate60%Love
0%Like
20%Ok
20%Dislike
0%Hate
10 votes · too few to score
21%Love
61%Like
4%Ok
11%Dislike
1%Hate
70 votes
Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityVetyver Absolute
SillageBalafre
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerBalafreBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothwoody100%
nutty83%
earthy65%
aromatic48%
leather30%
aromatic100%
woody91%
green83%
fresh spicy74%
mossy65%
citrus56%
Scent match35%Some overlap · both woody and aromatic
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
HazelnutCypressEucalyptus
Heart
WalnutMesquite WoodOrris Root
Base
LeatherVetiverOakmoss
Top
Green NotesLimeCypressChamomileLavenderNeroli
Heart
Pine needlesClary SageGeraniumCarnationCedar
Base
OakmossVetiverLeatherMuskAmber
InformationalShared notesCypress, Leather, Vetiver and Oakmoss. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring60
Summer20
Fall80
Winter100
Day100
Night100
Spring100
Summer72
Fall67
Winter39
Day100
Night42
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#41,146
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews3
Overall rank#8,681
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews25
Category winnerBalafreHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotVetyver Absolute is a dry, polished vetiver built around woods, nuts, leather and moss. The opening brings hazelnut, cypress and eucalyptus before moving into walnut, mesquite and orris, with the base settling earthy, woody and slightly leathery. It suits shoppers who like refined vetiver fragrances with a darker, aro…
Reviews →Balafre reads as a green, aromatic woody chypre with a brisk lime and herbal opening, then settles into pine, cedar, oakmoss and vetiver. Reviews point to a fresh, sparkling feel rather than anything sweet or heavy. It suits shoppers who enjoy classic masculine structure, foresty textures and a cleaner old-school styl…
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.
Guided comparison
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Vetyver Absolute or Balafre?
Balafre takes 4 of 5 categories. Vetyver Absolute is rated 4.00/5 from 10 votes; Balafre is rated 4.00/5 from 134 votes. Choose Vetyver Absolute for a woody and nutty character. Wins on longevity. Best in winter, day or night wear. Choose Balafre for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Which lasts longer, Vetyver Absolute or Balafre?
Vetyver Absolute lasts longest (Vetyver Absolute 68/100, Balafre 64/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Vetyver Absolute or Balafre?
Projection is very close: Balafre 61/100, Vetyver Absolute 60/100 for sillage.
Do Vetyver Absolute and Balafre smell similar?
Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Cypress, Leather, Vetiver and Oakmoss.
Is Vetyver Absolute or Balafre better for summer or winter?
Vetyver Absolute suits day or night wear; Balafre suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Vetyver Absolute and Balafre?
Vetyver Absolute has top notes of Hazelnut, Cypress and Eucalyptus, heart notes of Walnut, Mesquite Wood and Orris Root, a base of Leather, Vetiver and Oakmoss. Balafre has top notes of Green Notes, Lime, Cypress and Chamomile, heart notes of Pine needles, Clary Sage, Geranium and Carnation, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Leather and Musk.
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