By the Fireplace vs Angels’ Share

By the Fireplace by Maison Margiela and Angels’ Share by Kilian are two of the most popular unisex perfumes out there. As we are entering the colder months of the year in the northern hemisphere, I wanted to compare these two winter staples.

Which of these lasts longer? Smells better? Is ultimately the better buy?

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Tale of the Tape: By the Fireplace vs. Angels’ Share

Angels Share

Notes include: cognac, tonka bean, oak wood, cinnamon, praline, vanilla, sandalwood

Click here to try: Angels’ Share at Sephora

Read my review: Angels’ Share by Kilian

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By the Fireplace

Notes include: pink pepper, orange blossom, cloves, guaiac wood, chestnut, juniper, Peru balsam, vanilla, cashmeran

Click here to try: By the Fireplace

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Opening

Angels’ Share starts of with its signature cognac, oak, and its tonka bean note. The cognac has an apple-like sweetness to it, which is fantastic.

The sweetness is enhanced by the inclusion of vanilla and praline. Which all plays well off of the spicy punch of the cinnamon note.

By the Fireplace, also goes spicy and sweet. The spice is more prominent early on, with the pink pepper and clove really punching through.

But, what separates it from Angels’ Share is the smokiness. The sweet roasted chestnut,  guaiac wood and juniper really come through. The Margiela fragrance certainly lives up to its name and theme.

Which is better?

These two are pretty close in the opening act. However, I personally like the booziness of the Kilian perfume more than Fireplace.

Edge: Angels’ Share

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Projection

By the Fireplace does have a somewhat heavy feeling initially and a pretty far reach, along with that. For the first hour at least, it’s a strong-ish fragrance. After that, it’s pretty moderate the rest of the way.

Angels’ Share might hit a little bit more of a peak than does Fireplace. It also seems to have a slower decline with how it projects versus Fireplace. 

I do think the roasted chestnut and woods of the Margiela perfume, have a denser quality than Angels’ Share, though.

Edge: Angels’ Share

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Longevity

With Angels’ Share, I get 9-13 hours of wear on my skin. It’s not a complete powerhouse throughout, but I for sure get a good and long time with this Kilian perfume whenever I wear it.

By the Fireplace is somewhere in the 7-9 hour range. Usually for me, it’s like seven or eight hours, but it can go a bit above that on occasion. 

This is a pretty easy win for the Kilian perfume.

Edge: Angels’ Share

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Versatility

Seasonally, both are autumn and winter wears, all the way. They really do each shine in the colder weather.

Both are true unisex scents. 

An issue of each can be when to wear them. One is boozy and the other is smoky. Not what you might want to smell like at work. That being said, I think Angels’ Share would be fine in that environment, as it does have a sweeter and less-alcohol based aroma for much of the wear.

Either is fine for casual or going out at night. Pretty close contest, maybe not too much difference, but I’ll lean Angels’ Share.

Edge: Angels’ Share

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Overall Scent

Overall, which of these fragrances do I prefer over the other? It’s actually a very tough call for me, as I own both, and really love both of them. As such, even when I pick one here, it is only a slight preference.

I like By the Fireplace a lot. Even if I don’t want to wear it all of the time. It’s usually one that I’ll wear at night during winter. Maybe not always going out, but just relaxing around the house.

It does everything well, the sweetness and smokiness are really pleasant. That being said, I think more people would enjoy the smell of Angels’ Share, as smoky perfumes aren’t everyone’s favorite.

I love wearing Angels’ Share. I tried the sample and almost immediately bought a full bottle of it, a few years back. It and Oajan are my two main sweet and spicy wears, when the temperature starts to drop.

So, Angels’ Share is my pick in this competition.

One thing that could potentially sway it for some, is the price differential. Angels’ Share is significantly more expensive than is By the Fireplace.

Again, while it’s a close call between them, if the budget was tight I would just get the Margiela fragrance and skip Angels’ Share.

Winner: Angels’ Share