Fragrance comparison

Violetear vs Sous Bois

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 13 ratings analysed

Violetear

Wit & West

4.2010 votes

Rank #37,569 LavenderEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

2 wins

Sous Bois

Parfums Retro

3.673 votes

Rank #56,867 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sous Bois takes 2 of 3 categories.

Violetear
Choose it for a lavender and earthy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Sous Bois
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Violetear1/3

Sous Bois2/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

VioletearWit & West

Sous BoisParfums Retro

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.20/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 19%Had 0%Want 81%

3.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 0%Had 8%Want 92%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

70%Love

0%Like

10%Ok

20%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

33%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

33%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevitySous Bois

SillageSous Bois

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

lavender100%

earthy92%

mossy84%

amber77%

aromatic69%

fresh spicy61%

woody100%

powdery92%

citrus84%

aromatic77%

musky69%

amber61%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both aromatic and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

IrisBergamot

Heart

LavenderMimosaRose

Base

OakmossTonka BeanOlibanum

Top30 to 45 minutes

AlmondVioletLemonYlang-YlangOrange BlossomGeraniumRoseMimosa

Heart2 to 4 hours

Guaiac WoodOakmossLabdanum

Base5 to 8 hours

CedarCivetBenzoinVetiverMuskCoumarin

InformationalShared notesMimosa, Rose and Oakmoss. 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

Fall75

Winter75

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men25

Unisex63

Women13

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#37,569

PerfumerWhitney Swales

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#56,867

PerfumerHugh Spencer

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerVioletearHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Violetear by Wit & West is an earthy, moss-forward fragrance that centers on a unique blend of lavender, iris, and mimosa. Launched in 2023, this unisex scent leans into a raw, botanical aesthetic that avoids traditional sweetness. It performs best in moderate temperatures, offering a distinct, grounded presence for t…

Reviews →

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 →

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, Violetear or Sous Bois?

Sous Bois takes 2 of 3 categories. Violetear is rated 4.20/5 from 10 votes; Sous Bois is rated 3.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Violetear for a lavender and earthy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Sous Bois for a woody and powdery character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Violetear or Sous Bois?

Sous Bois lasts longest (Sous Bois 80/100, Violetear 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Violetear or Sous Bois?

Projection is very close: Sous Bois 58/100, Violetear 56/100 for sillage.

Do Violetear and Sous Bois smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and amber accords. Common notes include Mimosa, Rose and Oakmoss.

Is Violetear or Sous Bois better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Violetear and Sous Bois?

Violetear has top notes of Iris and Bergamot, heart notes of Lavender, Mimosa and Rose, a base of Oakmoss, Tonka Bean and Olibanum. 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.