Fragrance comparison

Ébène vs Black Leather

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 220 ratings analysed

5 wins

Ébène

Pierre Balmain · 2024

4.37122 votes

Rank #25,364 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

Black Leather

J-Scent

3.7398 votes

Rank #14,351 LeatherMossy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ébène takes 5 of 7 categories.

Ébène
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.
Black Leather
Choose it for a leather and mossy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Ébène5/7

Black Leather2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ÉbènePierre Balmain

Black LeatherJ-Scent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.37/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

3.73/ 5 · 98 votes

Have 39%Had 6%Want 55%

Category winnerÉbèneRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

59%Love

30%Like

2%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

122 votes

27%Love

42%Like

16%Ok

9%Dislike

6%Hate

98 votes

Category winnerÉbèneMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityÉbène

SillageÉbène

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value67

Category winnerBlack LeatherBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

amber77%

green69%

mossy61%

leather100%

mossy92%

animalic84%

tobacco77%

earthy69%

white floral61%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both mossy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

MintAldehydesCarawayAniseArtemisiaBasilBergamotLemon

Heart

PineCarnationGeraniumPatchouliJasmineRoseCinnamon

Base

OakmossLeatherLabdanumAmberMuskTonka Bean

Notes

LeatherOakmossTobaccoJasmineMuskAmberBergamotVanilla

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Jasmine, Oakmoss and Leather. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring71

Summer34

Fall100

Winter94

Day80

Night100

Spring65

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerÉbèneMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men88

Unisex8

Women4

Men40

Unisex60

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,364

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched2024

Reviews0

Overall rank#14,351

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews18

Category winnerBlack LeatherHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Black Leather opens with a sharp burst of bergamot and dry pipe tobacco before settling into a damp oakmoss base. Soft vanilla and white jasmine tame the raw tannic leather, keeping the scent smooth rather than aggressive on skin. Designed for cold crisp days, it suits casual evening wear or quiet indoor settings whe…

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, Ébène or Black Leather?

Ébène takes 5 of 7 categories. Ébène is rated 4.37/5 from 122 votes; Black Leather is rated 3.73/5 from 98 votes. Choose Ébène for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Black Leather for a leather and mossy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Ébène or Black Leather?

Ébène lasts longest (Ébène 75/100, Black Leather 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ébène or Black Leather?

Ébène projects furthest (Ébène 69/100, Black Leather 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ébène and Black Leather smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share mossy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Jasmine, Oakmoss and Leather.

Is Ébène or Black Leather better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ébène is the stronger pick. For winter, Black Leather is the stronger pick. Ébène suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ébène and Black Leather?

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. Black Leather features Leather, Oakmoss, Tobacco, Jasmine and Musk.