Fragrance comparison

Amber Star vs Ilanguara

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 597 ratings analysed

5 wins

Amber Star

Xerjoff

4.26529 votes

Rank #1,693 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

61%scent match

Closely related

Ilanguara

Phaedon

3.8268 votes

Rank #19,325 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Amber Star takes 5 of 7 categories.

Amber Star
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Ilanguara
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Amber Star5/7

Ilanguara2/7

Ratings & consensus: Amber Star
Community sentiment: Amber Star
Longevity: Amber Star
Sillage & projection: Amber Star
Value for money: Ilanguara
Versatility: Ilanguara
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Amber Star

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Amber StarXerjoff

IlanguaraPhaedon

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.26/ 5 · 529 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

3.82/ 5 · 68 votes

Have 21%Had 13%Want 67%

Category winnerAmber StarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

55%Love

27%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

2%Hate

529 votes

28%Love

46%Like

10%Ok

13%Dislike

3%Hate

68 votes

Category winnerAmber StarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityAmber Star

SillageAmber Star

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value20

¤ Price value30

Category winnerIlanguaraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody91%

balsamic83%

vanilla74%

sweet65%

warm spicy56%

woody100%

amber92%

vanilla84%

almond77%

sweet69%

yellow floral61%

Scent match61%Closely related · both amber, woody and vanilla

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AmbergrisYlang-YlangCedar

Heart

Guaiac WoodMyrrhGurjan balsam

Base

BenzoinVanillaOpoponaxSandalwood

Top

Ylang-YlangLemon

Heart

AlmondBenzoinCopaiba balmGurjan balsamIncense

Base

VanillaGuaiac WoodVetiverCedar

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Cedar, Guaiac Wood and Gurjan balsam. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring42

Summer12

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring59

Summer32

Fall100

Winter77

Day100

Night63

Category winnerIlanguaraMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men27

Unisex58

Women15

Men11

Unisex39

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,693

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews54

Overall rank#19,325

PerfumerGerard Bertrand

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerAmber StarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Amber Star by Xerjoff opens with a surprising contrast of salty ambergris, yellow ylang-ylang, and dry cedar. This initial brightness quickly gives way as the heart takes over on warm skin. Dark guaiac wood, smoky myrrh, and rich gurjan balsam form a heavy balsamic center that feels dense and opulent. As hours pass, …

Reviews →

Phaedon Ilanguara opens with heavy benzoin resins and sweet ylang ylang over a powdery almond backdrop. Built around dense balsamic woods, the fragrance shifts into a dark vanilla base grounded by cedar and guaiac wood. It sits best in crisp fall air when cool breezes keep its thick, edible amber sweetness from feelin…

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, Amber Star or Ilanguara?

Amber Star takes 5 of 7 categories. Amber Star is rated 4.26/5 from 529 votes; Ilanguara is rated 3.82/5 from 68 votes. Choose Amber Star for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Ilanguara for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Amber Star or Ilanguara?

Amber Star lasts longest (Amber Star 83/100, Ilanguara 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Amber Star or Ilanguara?

Amber Star projects furthest (Amber Star 71/100, Ilanguara 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Amber Star and Ilanguara smell similar?

Closely related: a 61% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and vanilla accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Cedar, Guaiac Wood and Gurjan balsam.

Is Amber Star or Ilanguara better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ilanguara is the stronger pick. For winter, Amber Star is the stronger pick. Ilanguara suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Amber Star and Ilanguara?

Amber Star has top notes of Ambergris, Ylang-Ylang and Cedar, heart notes of Guaiac Wood, Myrrh and Gurjan balsam, a base of Benzoin, Vanilla, Opoponax and Sandalwood. Ilanguara has top notes of Ylang-Ylang and Lemon, heart notes of Almond, Benzoin, Copaiba balm and Gurjan balsam, a base of Vanilla, Guaiac Wood, Vetiver and Cedar.