Fragrance comparison

Ask vs Ébène

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 192 ratings analysed

4 wins

Ask

Maiora Parfum

3.4570 votes

Rank #13,507 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Ébène

Pierre Balmain · 2024

4.37122 votes

Rank #28,008 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ask takes 4 of 7 categories.

Ask
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Ébène
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Ask4/7

Ébène3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AskMaiora Parfum

ÉbènePierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.45/ 5 · 70 votes

Have 28%Had 5%Want 68%

4.37/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

Category winnerÉbèneRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

31%Like

12%Ok

8%Dislike

6%Hate

52 votes

59%Love

30%Like

2%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

122 votes

Category winnerÉbèneMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityAsk

SillageAsk

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value57

¤ Price value45

Category winnerAskBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

marine84%

salty77%

patchouli69%

amber61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

amber77%

green69%

mossy61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Sea NotesSea SaltJuniper BerriesMyrtle

Heart

EucalyptusWater JasmineAromatic NotesGeranium

Base

PatchouliAmberCedarMuskPine

Top

MintAldehydesCarawayAniseArtemisiaBasilBergamotLemon

Heart

PineCarnationGeraniumPatchouliJasmineRoseCinnamon

Base

OakmossLeatherLabdanumAmberMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesGeranium, Patchouli, Amber and Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring88

Summer100

Fall52

Winter16

Day100

Night79

Spring71

Summer34

Fall100

Winter94

Day80

Night100

Category winnerÉbèneMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men46

Unisex54

Women0

Men88

Unisex8

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,507

PerfumerAntonio Gigli

Launched—

Reviews13

Overall rank#28,008

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched2024

Reviews0

Category winnerAskHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ask by Maiora Parfum is a striking aromatic aquatic that balances harsh sea salt with balsamic eucalyptus and aromatic juniper berries. It creates a crisp, Mediterranean coastal atmosphere perfect for spring days. This is a scent that feels like walking along a forested cliffside just meters from a rough, salty ocean …

Reviews →

Ébène by Pierre Balmain delivers a dark wood experience driven by myrrh oil and deep ebony wood. Built for winter evenings in a heavy coat, this scent contrasts hot cinnamon against dry tobacco. It wears heavy and warm on the skin, offering a smoky performance that stands out in cold weather.

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, Ask or Ébène?

Ask takes 4 of 7 categories. Ask is rated 3.45/5 from 70 votes; Ébène is rated 4.37/5 from 122 votes. Choose Ask for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Ébène for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Ask or Ébène?

They last about the same: Ask 76/100, Ébène 75/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Ask or Ébène?

Projection is very close: Ask 70/100, Ébène 69/100 for sillage.

Do Ask and Ébène smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and amber accords. Common notes include Geranium, Patchouli, Amber and Cedar.

Is Ask or Ébène better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ask is the stronger pick. For winter, Ébène is the stronger pick. Ask suits daytime wear; Ébène suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ask and Ébène?

Ask has top notes of Sea Notes, Sea Salt, Juniper Berries and Myrtle, heart notes of Eucalyptus, Water Jasmine, Aromatic Notes and Geranium, a base of Patchouli, Amber, Cedar and Musk. Ébène has top notes of Mint, Aldehydes, Caraway and Anise, heart notes of Pine, Carnation, Geranium and Patchouli, a base of Oakmoss, Leather, Labdanum and Amber.