Fragrance comparison

Ébène vs Exaltant Le Musc

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 139 ratings analysed

3 wins

Ébène

Pierre Balmain · 2024

4.37122 votes

Rank #27,206 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

Exaltant Le Musc

Parfums Vintage

3.5917 votes

Rank #43,233 LeatherFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ébène takes 3 of 5 categories.

Ébène
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Exaltant Le Musc
Choose it for a leather and fruity character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Ébène3/5

Exaltant Le Musc2/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ÉbènePierre Balmain

Exaltant Le MuscParfums Vintage

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.37/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

3.59/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 34%Had 6%Want 60%

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

47%Love

6%Like

6%Ok

41%Dislike

0%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityÉbène

SillageExaltant Le Musc

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value50

Category winnerExaltant Le MuscBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

amber77%

green69%

mossy61%

leather100%

fruity92%

woody84%

ozonic77%

aquatic69%

amber61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

MintAldehydesCarawayAniseArtemisiaBasilBergamotLemon

Heart

PineCarnationGeraniumPatchouliJasmineRoseCinnamon

Base

OakmossLeatherLabdanumAmberMuskTonka Bean

Top15 to 30 minutes

Violet LeafBlack CurrantThyme

Heart2 to 3 hours

BlueberryJasmineCedarCinnamon

Base5 to 8 hours

SuedeLeatherAmberPatchouliVanillaOakmoss

InformationalShared notesPatchouli, Jasmine, Cinnamon and Oakmoss. Durations are only published for Exaltant Le Musc, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring71

Summer34

Fall100

Winter94

Day80

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall50

Winter50

Day100

Night75

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men88

Unisex8

Women4

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,206

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched2024

Reviews0

Overall rank#43,233

PerfumerDamien Stammers

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerÉbèneHigher 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 →

Exaltant Le Musc by Parfums Vintage is a leather and fruity fragrance built around an unusual mix of dark berries, herbal greenery, and soft hide. The scent opens immediately with crisp violet leaf, aromatic thyme, and tart black currant. As it settles, sweet blueberry and dry cedar join the mix before sinking into a …

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, Ébène or Exaltant Le Musc?

Ébène takes 3 of 5 categories. Ébène is rated 4.37/5 from 122 votes; Exaltant Le Musc is rated 3.59/5 from 17 votes. Choose Ébène for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Exaltant Le Musc for a leather and fruity character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Ébène or Exaltant Le Musc?

Ébène lasts longest (Ébène 75/100, Exaltant Le Musc 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ébène or Exaltant Le Musc?

Exaltant Le Musc projects furthest (Exaltant Le Musc 76/100, Ébène 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ébène and Exaltant Le Musc smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Patchouli, Jasmine, Cinnamon and Oakmoss.

Is Ébène or Exaltant Le Musc better for summer or winter?

Ébène suits evening wear; Exaltant Le Musc suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ébène and Exaltant Le Musc?

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. Exaltant Le Musc has top notes of Violet Leaf, Black Currant and Thyme, heart notes of Blueberry, Jasmine, Cedar and Cinnamon, a base of Suede, Leather, Amber and Patchouli.