Fragrance comparison

Why Not a Fougère vs Puredistance No. 12

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 190 ratings analysed

Why Not a Fougère

Mark Buxton

3.7431 votes

Rank #38,828 AromaticHerbal

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Puredistance No. 12

Puredistance

3.89159 votes

Rank #13,367 PowderyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Puredistance No. 12 takes 5 of 8 categories.

Why Not a Fougère
Choose it for a aromatic and herbal character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Puredistance No. 12
Choose it for a powdery and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Why Not a Fougère3/8

Puredistance No. 125/8

Ratings & consensus: Puredistance No. 12
Community sentiment: Why Not a Fougère
Longevity: Puredistance No. 12
Sillage & projection: Puredistance No. 12
Value for money: Why Not a Fougère
Versatility: Why Not a Fougère
Note pyramid (duration): Puredistance No. 12
Fragranxe ranking: Puredistance No. 12

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Why Not a FougèreMark Buxton

Puredistance No. 12Puredistance

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.74/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 28%Had 3%Want 69%

3.89/ 5 · 159 votes

Have 45%Had 11%Want 43%

Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Rating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

19%Love

52%Like

16%Ok

10%Dislike

3%Hate

31 votes

39%Love

31%Like

15%Ok

10%Dislike

5%Hate

159 votes

Category winnerWhy Not a FougèreMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityPuredistance No. 12

SillagePuredistance No. 12

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value39

¤ Price value23

Category winnerWhy Not a FougèreBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

herbal92%

fresh spicy84%

floral77%

citrus69%

woody61%

powdery100%

floral92%

white floral84%

musky77%

woody69%

aromatic61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both floral, aromatic and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

Cedar NeedlesPink PepperBergamotAngelicaPearMandarin Orange

Heart2 to 3 hours

ChamomileGeraniumLavenderVioletSageMagnolia

Base3 to 4 hours

PatchouliNarcissusOsmanthusTonka BeanMusk

Top20-30 mins

NarcissusYlang-YlangBergamotCardamomMandarin OrangeCoriander

Heart3-5 hrs

Orris RootHedioneLily-of-the-ValleyHeliotropeGeraniumJasmineOrange BlossomRose

Base8-12 hrs

MuskAmbroxanPatchouliSandalwoodAmbrette (Musk Mallow)VetiverOakmossVanilla

Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Longest dry-down: 8-12 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring73

Summer73

Fall100

Winter45

Day100

Night57

Spring100

Summer49

Fall0

Winter68

Day100

Night87

Category winnerWhy Not a FougèreMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

Men0

Unisex28

Women72

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#38,828

PerfumerDavid Chieze

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#13,367

PerfumerNathalie Feisthauer

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Why Not a Fougère by Mark Buxton presents an unconventional, modern twist on traditional barbershop perfumery. The fragrance opens with an invigorating burst of bergamot, mandarin orange, and crisp cedar needles, brightened by spicy pink pepper, angelica, and juicy pear. As the scent settles, a soothing heart emerges …

Reviews →

Puredistance No. 12 is a rich floral chypre that feels like slipping into a fine cashmere sweater. Nathalie Feisthauer crafted this 25 percent extrait to deliver seamless luxury. The scent opens with a sharp burst of bergamot, mandarin orange, and crushed coriander seeds. This energetic citrus spark softens quickly as…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Poseidon VictoriaInstituto EspañolRUNNER-UP vs

Guipure & SilkJeanne ArthesWINNER

1 person compared this today

Mrs. Sultan's Elixir 56The Dua BrandWINNER vs

ZafafiAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PontevecchioNobile 1942RUNNER-UP vs

Exceptional Florence BridgeThe Dua BrandWINNER

1 person compared this today

The Most WantedAzzaroWINNER vs

ChromeAzzaroRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Why Not a Fougère or Puredistance No. 12?

Puredistance No. 12 takes 5 of 8 categories. Why Not a Fougère is rated 3.74/5 from 31 votes; Puredistance No. 12 is rated 3.89/5 from 159 votes. Choose Why Not a Fougère for a aromatic and herbal character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Puredistance No. 12 for a powdery and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Why Not a Fougère or Puredistance No. 12?

Puredistance No. 12 lasts longest (Puredistance No. 12 72/100, Why Not a Fougère 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Why Not a Fougère or Puredistance No. 12?

Puredistance No. 12 projects furthest (Puredistance No. 12 56/100, Why Not a Fougère 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Why Not a Fougère and Puredistance No. 12 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Geranium and Patchouli.

Is Why Not a Fougère or Puredistance No. 12 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Why Not a Fougère is the stronger pick. For winter, Puredistance No. 12 is the stronger pick. Why Not a Fougère suits daytime wear; Puredistance No. 12 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Why Not a Fougère and Puredistance No. 12?

Why Not a Fougère has top notes of Cedar Needles, Pink Pepper, Bergamot and Angelica, heart notes of Chamomile, Geranium, Lavender and Violet, a base of Patchouli, Narcissus, Osmanthus and Tonka Bean. Puredistance No. 12 has top notes of Narcissus, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of Orris Root, Hedione, Lily-of-the-Valley and Heliotrope, a base of Musk, Ambroxan, Patchouli and Sandalwood.