Fragrance comparison

A*Men vs Nombre Noir

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 10,780 ratings analysed

5 wins

A*Men

Mugler

4.0210,654 votes

Rank #381 Warm SpicySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

30%scent match

Clearly different

Nombre Noir

Shiseido

4.48126 votes

Rank #25,684 AromaticFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

A*Men takes 5 of 7 categories.

A*Men
Choose it for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Nombre Noir
Choose it for a aromatic and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in winter.

A*Men5/7

Nombre Noir2/7

Ratings & consensus: Nombre Noir
Community sentiment: Nombre Noir
Longevity: A*Men
Sillage & projection: A*Men
Value for money: A*Men
Versatility: A*Men
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: A*Men

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

A*MenMugler

Nombre NoirShiseido

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.02/ 5 · 10,654 votes

Have 73%Had 28%Want 0%

4.48/ 5 · 126 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

Category winnerNombre NoirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

29%Like

3%Ok

18%Dislike

2%Hate

10,654 votes

62%Love

30%Like

2%Ok

5%Dislike

1%Hate

126 votes

Category winnerNombre NoirMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityA*Men

SillageA*Men

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value57

¤ Price value46

Category winnerA*MenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

sweet92%

caramel84%

vanilla77%

coffee69%

woody61%

aromatic100%

floral92%

woody84%

rose77%

amber69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match30%Clearly different · both warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

LavenderMintFruity and Spicy NotesCorianderGreen NotesBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

CaramelPatchouliHoneyMilkCedarJasmineLily-of-the-Valley

Base8-12+ hrs

CoffeeVanillaTonka BeanBenzoinAmberSandalwoodMusk

Top

AldehydesPalisander RosewoodCorianderMarjoramBergamot

Heart

Damask RoseOsmanthusGeraniumCarnationOrrisLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineYlang-Ylang

Base

HoneyVetiverSandalwoodMuskTonka BeanBenzoinAmber

InformationalShared notesCoriander, Bergamot, Honey and Jasmine. Durations are only published for A*Men, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring21

Summer11

Fall69

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring76

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerA*MenMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men79

Unisex19

Women2

Party 39%Date 30%Casual 20%Work 10%

Men0

Unisex36

Women64

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#381

PerfumerJacques Huclier

Launched—

Reviews209

Overall rank#25,684

PerfumerJean-Yves Leroy, Serge Lutens

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerA*MenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mugler A*Men is a legendary collision of cool aromatic herbs and dark sugary warmth. The first spray punches hard. Crisp peppermint and sharp lavender cut through the air with a brisk, almost metallic bite. Give it ten minutes. Once the initial shock settles, thick toasted caramel, earthy patchouli, and bitter roasted…

Reviews →

Nombre Noir by Shiseido is a legendary creation that immediately sets itself apart through a dark, ink-like damask rose. The opening combines a sharp blast of aldehydes with green marjoram and palisander rosewood, creating a cold, mysterious atmosphere. As it warms on the skin, a rich ylang-ylang and powdery orris roo…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, A*Men or Nombre Noir?

A*Men takes 5 of 7 categories. A*Men is rated 4.02/5 from 10,654 votes; Nombre Noir is rated 4.48/5 from 126 votes. Choose A*Men for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Nombre Noir for a aromatic and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, A*Men or Nombre Noir?

A*Men lasts longest (A*Men 85/100, Nombre Noir 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, A*Men or Nombre Noir?

A*Men projects furthest (A*Men 78/100, Nombre Noir 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do A*Men and Nombre Noir smell similar?

Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Coriander, Bergamot, Honey and Jasmine.

Is A*Men or Nombre Noir better for summer or winter?

For summer, A*Men is the stronger pick. For winter, A*Men is the stronger pick. A*Men suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in A*Men and Nombre Noir?

A*Men has top notes of Lavender, Mint, Fruity and Spicy Notes and Coriander, heart notes of Caramel, Patchouli, Honey and Milk, a base of Coffee, Vanilla, Tonka Bean and Benzoin. Nombre Noir has top notes of Aldehydes, Palisander Rosewood, Coriander and Marjoram, heart notes of Damask Rose, Osmanthus, Geranium and Carnation, a base of Honey, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Musk.