Fragrance comparison

Athena vs No.18 Bête Noir

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 26 ratings analysed

4 wins

Athena

Oakcha

3.7617 votes

Rank #59,205 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

No.18 Bête Noir

Arcadia

3.009 votes

Rank #71,137 MuskyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Athena takes 4 of 4 categories.

Athena
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
No.18 Bête Noir
Choose it for a musky and powdery character. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Athena4/4

No.18 Bête Noir0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AthenaOakcha

No.18 Bête NoirArcadia

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.76/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 41%Had 3%Want 56%

3.00/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 47%Had 9%Want 44%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

41%Love

18%Like

24%Ok

12%Dislike

6%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

33%Love

0%Like

22%Ok

22%Dislike

22%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityAthena

SillageAthena

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value50

Category winnerAthenaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody92%

iris84%

powdery77%

aromatic69%

earthy61%

musky100%

powdery92%

earthy84%

sweet77%

woody69%

floral61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both powdery, woody and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Lemon BlossomCalifornia Orange

Heart

IrisAmyris

Base

AmberVetiverMusk

Top

HyacinthPineapple

Heart

IrisJasminePink Pepper

Base

MuskVetiverPatchouliAmberVanilla

InformationalShared notesIris, Amber, Vetiver and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring89

Summer56

Fall100

Winter67

Day75

Night100

Spring20

Summer20

Fall60

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex9

Women91

Men33

Unisex50

Women17

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#59,205

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#71,137

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAthenaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Oakcha Athena opens with an immediate splash of tart lemon blossom and juicy California orange, delivering a bright citrus burst that feels crisp and revitalizing. As the initial zest softens, a powdery iris and sweet, resinous amyris wood step forward to create an elegant floral heart. The base settles into warm ambe…

Reviews →

Arcadia No.18 Bête Noir opens green and slightly fruity, with hyacinth and pineapple giving it a cool, polished lift before iris, jasmine, and pink pepper soften the centre. The dry-down leans musky, powdery, earthy, and gently sweet. It reads more like a textured floral musk than a bright fruity scent. If you enjoy p…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Saffron AmberIlluminumRUNNER-UP vs

Septieme Sens (7e Sens)Sonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP vs

Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER

3 people compared this today

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Athena or No.18 Bête Noir?

Athena takes 4 of 4 categories. Athena is rated 3.76/5 from 17 votes; No.18 Bête Noir is rated 3.00/5 from 9 votes. Choose Athena for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose No.18 Bête Noir for a musky and powdery character. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Athena or No.18 Bête Noir?

Athena lasts longest (Athena 73/100, No.18 Bête Noir 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Athena or No.18 Bête Noir?

Athena projects furthest (Athena 66/100, No.18 Bête Noir 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Athena and No.18 Bête Noir smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, woody and earthy accords. Common notes include Iris, Amber, Vetiver and Musk.

Is Athena or No.18 Bête Noir better for summer or winter?

Athena suits evening wear; No.18 Bête Noir suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Athena and No.18 Bête Noir?

Athena has top notes of Lemon Blossom and California Orange, heart notes of Iris and Amyris, a base of Amber, Vetiver and Musk. No.18 Bête Noir has top notes of Hyacinth and Pineapple, heart notes of Iris, Jasmine and Pink Pepper, a base of Musk, Vetiver, Patchouli and Amber.