Fragrance comparison

Ébène vs Germ

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 122 ratings analysed

1 wins

Ébène

Pierre Balmain · 2024

4.37122 votes

Rank #27,820 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

Germ

Kilesa

—0 votes

Rank #78,237 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ébène takes 1 of 1 categories.

Ébène
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Germ
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character.

Ébène1/1

Germ0/1

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Not scored
Sillage & projection: Not scored
Value for money: Not scored
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

GermKilesa

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.37/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

amber77%

green69%

mossy61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

citrus84%

fresh spicy77%

green69%

powdery61%

Scent match53%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

MintAldehydesCarawayAniseArtemisiaBasilBergamotLemon

Heart

PineCarnationGeraniumPatchouliJasmineRoseCinnamon

Base

OakmossLeatherLabdanumAmberMuskTonka Bean

Top

LemonBasilLime

Heart

juniper berryJasmineStonePine

Base

SandalwoodOakmossAmberMusk

InformationalShared notesBasil, Lemon, Pine and Jasmine. 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

No season votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men88

Unisex8

Women4

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,820

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched2024

Reviews0

Overall rank#78,237

PerfumerMatsuno Hidenori

Launched—

Reviews0

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 →

Germ by Kilesa is a unisex aromatic woody fragrance built around bright lemon, lime, and basil over a green mineral heart of juniper berry, jasmine, stone, and pine. The dry-down moves into sandalwood, oakmoss, amber, and musk, giving the freshness a warmer, earthier finish. This looks best suited to someone who likes…

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.

Do Ébène and Germ smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Basil, Lemon, Pine and Jasmine.

Is Ébène or Germ better for summer or winter?

Ébène suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ébène and Germ?

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. Germ has top notes of Lemon, Basil and Lime, heart notes of juniper berry, Jasmine, Stone and Pine, a base of Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Amber and Musk.