Fragrance comparison

Ébène vs Exaltant Le Musc Intense

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 152 ratings analysed

5 wins

Ébène

Pierre Balmain · 2024

4.37122 votes

Rank #27,206 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

Exaltant Le Musc Intense

Parfums Vintage

4.2330 votes

Rank #20,178 FruityWoody

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.
Exaltant Le Musc Intense
Choose it for a fruity and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Ébène5/7

Exaltant Le Musc Intense2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ÉbènePierre Balmain

Exaltant Le Musc IntenseParfums Vintage

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.37/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

4.23/ 5 · 30 votes

Have 32%Had 9%Want 59%

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

63%Love

17%Like

0%Ok

20%Dislike

0%Hate

30 votes

Category winnerÉbèneMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityÉbène

SillageÉbène

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value50

Category winnerExaltant Le Musc IntenseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

amber77%

green69%

mossy61%

fruity100%

woody92%

ozonic84%

leather77%

aromatic69%

aquatic61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both woody and aromatic

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

Black CurrantViolet LeafThyme

Heart2 to 4 hours

BlueberryJasmineCedarCinnamon

Base5 to 8 hours

SuedeOakmossLeatherVanillaPatchouliAmber

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

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring71

Summer34

Fall100

Winter94

Day80

Night100

Spring100

Summer80

Fall70

Winter40

Day100

Night67

Category winnerÉbèneMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men88

Unisex8

Women4

Men25

Unisex75

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,206

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched2024

Reviews0

Overall rank#20,178

PerfumerDamien Stammers

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerExaltant Le Musc IntenseHigher 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 Intense by Parfums Vintage is a fruity chypre fragrance built around an assertive combination of tart berries and dry leather. The opening delivers a sharp burst of black currant, green violet leaf, and herbal thyme. As the initial sharpness settles, a prominent blueberry note steps forward alongside …

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 Intense?

Ébène takes 5 of 7 categories. Ébène is rated 4.37/5 from 122 votes; Exaltant Le Musc Intense is rated 4.23/5 from 30 votes. Choose Ébène for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Exaltant Le Musc Intense for a fruity and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Ébène or Exaltant Le Musc Intense?

Ébène lasts longest (Ébène 75/100, Exaltant Le Musc Intense 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ébène or Exaltant Le Musc Intense?

Projection is very close: Ébène 69/100, Exaltant Le Musc Intense 68/100 for sillage.

Do Ébène and Exaltant Le Musc Intense smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Patchouli, Jasmine, Cinnamon and Oakmoss.

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

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

What are the notes in Ébène and Exaltant Le Musc Intense?

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 Intense has top notes of Black Currant, Violet Leaf and Thyme, heart notes of Blueberry, Jasmine, Cedar and Cinnamon, a base of Suede, Oakmoss, Leather and Vanilla.