Fragrance comparison

Ébène vs Jovan Man

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 126 ratings analysed

Ébène

Pierre Balmain · 2024

4.37122 votes

Rank #27,812 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

57%scent match

Closely related

Jovan Man

Jovan

4.754 votes

Rank #43,187 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Ébène
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Jovan Man
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Ébène2/4

Jovan Man2/4

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

Jovan ManJovan

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.37/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

4.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 23%Had 14%Want 63%

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

75%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity97

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate94

Category winners

LongevityJovan Man

SillageJovan Man

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value0

Category winnerÉbèneBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

amber77%

green69%

mossy61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

warm spicy84%

fresh spicy77%

musky69%

citrus61%

Scent match57%Closely related · 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

AniseBasilBergamotLavenderLemonPetitgrain

Heart

RosePatchouliSandalwoodVetiverCarnationCinnamonGeraniumCedar

Base

MuskCastoreumOakmossLabdanumLeatherTonka BeanVanilla

InformationalShared notesAnise, Basil, Bergamot and Lemon. 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

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

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#27,812

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched2024

Reviews0

Overall rank#43,187

PerfumerNot listed

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 →

Released in 1977, Jovan Man is an aromatic fougere that captures the rugged, spicy character of vintage drugstore classics. It centers around a dry anise opening that transitions into a heart of dirty rose and warm cedar, offering a reliable, retro vibe for casual daytime wear in cool autumn weather.

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 Jovan Man?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Ébène is rated 4.37/5 from 122 votes; Jovan Man is rated 4.75/5 from 4 votes. Choose Ébène for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Jovan Man for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Ébène or Jovan Man?

Jovan Man lasts longest (Jovan Man 97/100, Ébène 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ébène or Jovan Man?

Projection is very close: Jovan Man 71/100, Ébène 69/100 for sillage.

Do Ébène and Jovan Man smell similar?

Closely related: a 57% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Anise, Basil, Bergamot and Lemon.

Is Ébène or Jovan Man better for summer or winter?

Ébène suits evening wear; Jovan Man suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ébène and Jovan Man?

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. Jovan Man has top notes of Anise, Basil, Bergamot and Lavender, heart notes of Rose, Patchouli, Sandalwood and Vetiver, a base of Musk, Castoreum, Oakmoss and Labdanum.