Le Labo Santal 33 vs Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace

103 facts in comparison

Based on 670 Reddit opinions. the Fireplace leads by 23 points.

670 opinions
the Fireplace leads by 23pts
Le Labo Santal 33
51%
D
Based on
857 Redditors

Le Labo Santal 33

~$92
397 opinions

tldr; The NYC uniform - instantly recognizable sandalwood and cucumber. Smells like a boutique hotel. Overexposed in cities but still well-crafted.

Check prices
VS
Reddit's Pick
Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace
74%
B-
Based on
584 Redditors
Winner

Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace

~$89
273 opinions

tldr; Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace is a popular, sweet, and smoky fragrance that accurately captures a burning campfire scent, often chosen for winter and noted as unisex.

Check prices
Scent ProfileLongevityProjection & SillageVersatilityUniqueness
💨SCE
⏱️LON
PRO
VER
UNI
37
Points
50
Points

Score by Category

Scent Profile
26%60%
Longevity
72%74%
Projection & Sillage
74%33%
Versatility
22%14%
Uniqueness
15%60%

Why is By the Fireplace better than Labo Santal 33?

  • Higher Reddit score (74% vs 51%)
  • Better value (57% vs 10%)
  • Better scent profile (60% vs 26%)
  • Better uniqueness (60% vs 15%)
  • Accurately described as smelling "exactly like
  • ⭐ Initially perceived as a "party trick" scent
  • Considered a perfect fragrance for winter.
Based on 1,441 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner

Reddit prefers the the Fireplace

Winning by 23 points (74% vs 51%)

Better value
Better scent profile
Better uniqueness
High confidence (1,441 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 1,441 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Santal 33
5.1/10
857 mentions
the Fireplace
7.4/10
584 mentions
SCENT PROFILE
Santal 332.6/10
the Fireplace6.0/10
LONGEVITY
Santal 337.2/10
the Fireplace7.4/10
VALUE
Santal 331.0/10
the Fireplace5.7/10
UNIQUENESS
Santal 331.5/10
the Fireplace6.0/10
PROJECTION
Santal 337.4/10
the Fireplace3.3/10
VERSATILITY
Santal 332.2/10
the Fireplace1.4/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

Santal 33: 2|the Fireplace: 3
Scent Profilethe Fireplace
Santal 3326%
the Fireplace60%
Longevity
Santal 3372%
the Fireplace74%
Valuethe Fireplace
Santal 3310%
the Fireplace57%
Uniquenessthe Fireplace
Santal 3315%
the Fireplace60%
ProjectionSantal 33
Santal 3374%
the Fireplace33%
VersatilitySantal 33
Santal 3322%
the Fireplace14%
Santal 3351%
the Fireplace74%
Clear winner - the Fireplace leads by 23 points

Key Specs

SpecLe Labo Santal 33Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace
Fragrance Family
Woody Aromatic
Woody Ambery
Perfumer
Frank Voelkl
Year Launched
2011
Concentration
Eau de Parfum
Eau de Toilette
Key Notes
Australian Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Cardamom, Iris, Violet, Ambrox, Leather, Musk, Amber

Key Highlights

Le Labo Santal 33
⭐ Swept NYC & held the town under rapture
⚠ Many users perceive a distinct 'pickle smell'
⭐ Described as a scent that 'literally makes me
⚙ Uses Australian farmed sandalwood
Some users report issues (24% negative)
Maison Margiela Replica By the FireplaceWinner
👃 Accurately described as smelling "exactly like
⭐ Initially perceived as a "party trick" scent
✨ Considered a perfect fragrance for winter.
🚻 Marketed as unisex, w/ noting it leans

Topic Battles

Santal 33: 2|Tied: 1|the Fireplace: 2
💨Scent Profile
the Fireplace wins
Santal 33
26%
the Fireplace
60%
⏱️Longevity
Santal 33
72%
the Fireplace
74%
Projection & Sillage
Santal 33 wins
Santal 33
74%
the Fireplace
33%
Versatility
Santal 33 wins
Santal 33
22%
the Fireplace
14%
Uniqueness
the Fireplace wins
Santal 33
15%
the Fireplace
60%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace

Best Praise
+204 pts
Maison Margiela's By the Fireplace, since I'm going to be cremated.
r/fragrance
View
Top Criticism
+21 pts
By the Fireplace. Smells of nothing but smoke on my skin. Might use it as a room spray at Christmas this year. 😅
r/fragrance
View
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Le Labo Santal 33

Best Praise
+31 pts
I’m in the exact opposite camp. What does it smell Like to you? Santal33 is a scent that literally makes me happy.
r/fragrance
View
Top Criticism
+140 pts
This is the article from which this observation stems: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/16/t-magazine/perfume-santal-33-ds-durga-aesop.html It was written a DECADE ago. Santal 33 doesn’t smell like NYC. Certainly not today and it probably never did. The whole premise is a throwaway cultural article from 2015. Because people can’t just fucking like what they enjoy and have to constantly shitbag on everything, it’s brought up again and again, even though it’s from an era when people were unironically saying “on fleek”. If you like it, buy it and wear it. Nobody will give thing you smell like NYC.
r/fragrance
View
3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

Le Labo Santal 33
Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace
$60$90$120Jun '25Jul '25Aug '25Sep '25Oct '25Dec '25Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Low: $68.9Low: $47.99Current: $106.69Current: $75.65
Le Labo Santal 33
All-time low: $67(2025-07)
Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace
All-time low: $41.9(2025-08)

Which is Better?

Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace Wins
74%
Fireplace
vs
51%
33

Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace leads by 23 points based on 1,441 Reddit opinions.

Why the FireplaceWinner
  • Better Value for Money (57% vs 10%)
Why Santal 33
  • ⭐ Swept NYC & held the town under rapture
  • ⚠ Many users perceive a distinct 'pickle smell'
  • More discussed (857 vs 584)

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

34%Positive
Positive
34%
Neutral
54%
Negative
12%
Based on 584 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

23%Positive
Positive
23%
Neutral
53%
Negative
24%
Based on 857 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace or Le Labo Santal 33?
Based on 1,441 Reddit comments, Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace is the preferred choice with 74% positive sentiment vs Le Labo Santal 33's 51%. Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace leads by 23 percentage points.
Should I buy Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace or Le Labo Santal 33?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace has stronger approval ratings (74% vs 51%). However, Le Labo Santal 33 may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace?
Reddit users highlight: Accurately described as smelling "exactly like. Initially perceived as a "party trick" scent. Considered a perfect fragrance for winter.. With 584 mentions and 74% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Le Labo Santal 33?
Reddit users highlight: Swept NYC & held the town under rapture. Many users perceive a distinct 'pickle smell'. Described as a scent that 'literally makes me. With 857 mentions and 51% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 1,441 Reddit comments: 584 about Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace and 857 about Le Labo Santal 33. Data was sourced from Perfumes & colognes community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

670 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 6/15/2026