Fragrance comparison

Ébène vs Derby (Vintage)

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 459 ratings analysed

Ébène

Pierre Balmain · 2024

4.37122 votes

Rank #26,437 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

5 wins

Derby (Vintage)

Guerlain

4.53337 votes

Rank #1,248 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Derby (Vintage) takes 5 of 7 categories.

Ébène
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Derby (Vintage)
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Ébène2/7

Derby (Vintage)5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ÉbènePierre Balmain

Derby (Vintage)Guerlain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.37/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

4.53/ 5 · 337 votes

Have 34%Had 11%Want 55%

Category winnerDerby (Vintage)Rating 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

64%Love

30%Like

2%Ok

5%Dislike

0%Hate

337 votes

Category winnerDerby (Vintage)Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityDerby (Vintage)

SillageDerby (Vintage)

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value36

Category winnerÉbèneBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

amber77%

green69%

mossy61%

woody100%

fresh spicy92%

aromatic84%

earthy77%

mossy69%

leather61%

Scent match56%Closely related · both aromatic, fresh spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

MintAldehydesCarawayAniseArtemisiaBasilBergamotLemon

Heart

PineCarnationGeraniumPatchouliJasmineRoseCinnamon

Base

OakmossLeatherLabdanumAmberMuskTonka Bean

Top30 to 45 minutes

ArtemisiaBergamotMintLemon

Heart2 to 4 hours

Nutmeg FlowerJasmineRose

Base8 to 12+ hours

OakmossLeatherSandalwoodPatchouliVetiver

InformationalShared notesMint, Artemisia, Bergamot and Lemon. Durations are only published for Derby (Vintage), so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring71

Summer34

Fall100

Winter94

Day80

Night100

Spring57

Summer36

Fall100

Winter85

Day86

Night100

Category winnerÉbèneMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men88

Unisex8

Women4

Men81

Unisex12

Women8

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,437

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched2024

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,248

PerfumerJean-Paul Guerlain

Launched—

Reviews49

Category winnerDerby (Vintage)Higher 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 →

Derby (Vintage) by Guerlain is a dry, structured chypre built on bitter herbs, sharp citrus, and dark woods. The fragrance opens with a bracing blast of artemisia, tart lemon, bergamot, and a faint flicker of cool mint. This pungent, green flash quickly settles into a spicy floral core of nutmeg flower, rose, and jasm…

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 Derby (Vintage)?

Derby (Vintage) takes 5 of 7 categories. Ébène is rated 4.37/5 from 122 votes; Derby (Vintage) is rated 4.53/5 from 337 votes. Choose Ébène for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Derby (Vintage) for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Ébène or Derby (Vintage)?

Derby (Vintage) lasts longest (Derby (Vintage) 79/100, Ébène 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ébène or Derby (Vintage)?

Projection is very close: Derby (Vintage) 70/100, Ébène 69/100 for sillage.

Do Ébène and Derby (Vintage) smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Mint, Artemisia, Bergamot and Lemon.

Is Ébène or Derby (Vintage) better for summer or winter?

For summer, Derby (Vintage) is the stronger pick. For winter, Ébène is the stronger pick. Ébène suits evening wear; Derby (Vintage) suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ébène and Derby (Vintage)?

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. Derby (Vintage) has top notes of Artemisia, Bergamot, Mint and Lemon, heart notes of Nutmeg Flower, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Oakmoss, Leather, Sandalwood and Patchouli.