Ambre Samar vs Back to Black
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
32%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Ambre Samar takes 4 of 7 categories.
Ambre SamarChoose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Back to BlackChoose it for a sweet and honey character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Ambre Samar4/7
Back to Black3/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Ambre Samar
- Community sentiment
- Ambre Samar
- Longevity
- Back to Black
- Sillage & projection
- Back to Black
- Value for money
- Ambre Samar
- Versatility
- Ambre Samar
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Back to Black
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
Ambre SamarGuerlainBack to BlackBy KilianWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.30/ 5 · 549 votes
Have 28%Had 3%Want 69%
3.96/ 5 · 7,584 votes
Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%
Category winnerAmbre SamarRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate56%Love
26%Like
11%Ok
6%Dislike
1%Hate
549 votes
44%Love
33%Like
6%Ok
15%Dislike
2%Hate
6,340 votes
Category winnerAmbre SamarMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityBack to Black
SillageBack to Black
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerAmbre SamarBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothamber100%
warm spicy90%
aromatic80%
vanilla70%
sweet60%
almond50%
sweet100%
honey92%
tobacco84%
amber77%
fruity69%
cherry61%
Scent match32%Clearly different · both amber and sweet
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop30 to 45 minutes
CardamomAlmondFrankincense
Heart2 to 3 hours
AmberDavana
Base6 to 8 hours
BenzoinTonka BeanPatchouli
Notes
White HoneyTobaccoCherryVanillaRaspberryAlmondGingerbreadTonka BeanAmberNutmegBenzoinChamomile
No top / heart / base split published
InformationalShared notesAlmond, Amber, Benzoin and Tonka Bean. Durations are only published for Ambre Samar, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring32
Summer15
Fall90
Winter100
Day60
Night100
Spring24
Summer13
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerAmbre SamarMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#2,306
PerfumerDelphine Jelk
Launched—
Reviews88
Overall rank#999
PerfumerCalice Becker
Launched—
Reviews517
Category winnerBack to BlackHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotAmbre Samar by Guerlain brings a warm, resinous profile built around sweet almond, aromatic cardamom, and glowing amber. The opening pairs nutty almond with cool cardamom spice and a wisp of frankincense smoke. As the perfume settles on skin, herbal davana meets rich balsamic benzoin and creamy tonka bean, underscored…
Reviews →Back to Black by By Kilian offers a rich, honey-drenched tobacco experience that balances gourmand sweetness with woody depth. It is a dense, unapologetic scent tailored for chilly evenings and formal winter gatherings, where its narcotic, warm character can fully project without overwhelming the wearer. This complex …
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.
Guided comparison
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Ambre Samar or Back to Black?
Ambre Samar takes 4 of 7 categories. Ambre Samar is rated 4.30/5 from 549 votes; Back to Black is rated 3.96/5 from 7,584 votes. Choose Ambre Samar for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Back to Black for a sweet and honey character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Which lasts longer, Ambre Samar or Back to Black?
Back to Black lasts longest (Back to Black 81/100, Ambre Samar 74/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Ambre Samar or Back to Black?
Back to Black projects furthest (Back to Black 68/100, Ambre Samar 63/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Ambre Samar and Back to Black smell similar?
Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and sweet accords. Common notes include Almond, Amber, Benzoin and Tonka Bean.
Is Ambre Samar or Back to Black better for summer or winter?
For summer, Ambre Samar is the stronger pick. For winter, Ambre Samar is the stronger pick. Ambre Samar suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Ambre Samar and Back to Black?
Ambre Samar has top notes of Cardamom, Almond and Frankincense, heart notes of Amber and Davana, a base of Benzoin, Tonka Bean and Patchouli. Back to Black features White Honey, Tobacco, Cherry, Vanilla and Raspberry.
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