Fragrance comparison

Ambre des Abysses vs Contemporary

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 562 ratings analysed

5 wins

Ambre des Abysses

Houbigant

4.38512 votes

Rank #22,727 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

Contemporary

Police

3.3250 votes

Rank #20,068 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ambre des Abysses takes 5 of 7 categories.

Ambre des Abysses
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, evening wear.
Contemporary
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Ambre des Abysses5/7

Contemporary2/7

Ratings & consensus: Ambre des Abysses
Community sentiment: Ambre des Abysses
Longevity: Ambre des Abysses
Sillage & projection: Ambre des Abysses
Value for money: Contemporary
Versatility: Ambre des Abysses
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Contemporary

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Ambre des AbyssesHoubigant

ContemporaryPolice

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.38/ 5 · 512 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

3.32/ 5 · 50 votes

Have 67%Had 19%Want 14%

Category winnerAmbre des AbyssesRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

60%Love

26%Like

6%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

512 votes

6%Love

48%Like

24%Ok

16%Dislike

6%Hate

50 votes

Category winnerAmbre des AbyssesMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity42

〰 Sillage37

♥ Love / hate58

Category winners

LongevityAmbre des Abysses

SillageAmbre des Abysses

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value68

Category winnerContemporaryBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

white floral84%

vanilla77%

citrus69%

amber61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy86%

citrus72%

green58%

woody44%

powdery30%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both aromatic, fresh spicy and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Orange BlossomMintBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

GeraniumAmberPatchouliRosemaryJasmine

Base8-12 hrs

VanillaTonka BeanOakmossLeather

Top

BergamotGrapefruitJuniper

Heart

MintGeraniumLavenderVioletJasmineRosemaryClary Sage

Base

MuskOakmossSandalwoodCedarTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesMint, Bergamot, Geranium and Rosemary. Durations are only published for Ambre des Abysses, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer67

Fall0

Winter70

Day85

Night100

Spring79

Summer100

Fall29

Winter17

Day100

Night19

Category winnerAmbre des AbyssesMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men68

Unisex29

Women3

Work 32%Date 28%Casual 25%Party 15%

Men76

Unisex17

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#22,727

PerfumerAntoine Lie, Luca Maffei

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#20,068

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerContemporaryHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ambre des Abysses by Houbigant pulls off a rare balancing act on skin. The opening hits with cold garden mint and sparkling bergamot before bitter orange blossom warms up the center. It feels remarkably crisp. Then the foundation turns dark, unfurling rich amber, earthy oakmoss, and soft leather over a comforting base…

Reviews →

Police Contemporary opens with a bright burst of bergamot and bitter grapefruit before settling into a cool herbaceous heart of mint, lavender, and clary sage. A soft base of cedar and oakmoss keeps the dry-down clean. It suits warm summer mornings and casual office wear when you want a light, unpretentious scent that…

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, Ambre des Abysses or Contemporary?

Ambre des Abysses takes 5 of 7 categories. Ambre des Abysses is rated 4.38/5 from 512 votes; Contemporary is rated 3.32/5 from 50 votes. Choose Ambre des Abysses for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Contemporary for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Ambre des Abysses or Contemporary?

Ambre des Abysses lasts longest (Ambre des Abysses 76/100, Contemporary 42/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ambre des Abysses or Contemporary?

Ambre des Abysses projects furthest (Ambre des Abysses 60/100, Contemporary 37/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ambre des Abysses and Contemporary smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and citrus accords. Common notes include Mint, Bergamot, Geranium and Rosemary.

Is Ambre des Abysses or Contemporary better for summer or winter?

For summer, Contemporary is the stronger pick. For winter, Ambre des Abysses is the stronger pick. Ambre des Abysses suits evening wear; Contemporary suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ambre des Abysses and Contemporary?

Ambre des Abysses has top notes of Orange Blossom, Mint and Bergamot, heart notes of Geranium, Amber, Patchouli and Rosemary, a base of Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Oakmoss and Leather. Contemporary has top notes of Bergamot, Grapefruit and Juniper, heart notes of Mint, Geranium, Lavender and Violet, a base of Musk, Oakmoss, Sandalwood and Cedar.