Fragrance comparison

Ébène vs La Porte

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 125 ratings analysed

3 wins

Ébène

Pierre Balmain · 2024

4.37122 votes

Rank #25,346 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

La Porte

Strangers Parfumerie

3.003 votes

Rank #62,921 AromaticBitter

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ébène takes 3 of 4 categories.

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

Ébène3/4

La Porte1/4

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

La PorteStrangers Parfumerie

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.37/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

3.00/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 10%Had 3%Want 87%

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

0%Love

67%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

33%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage38

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityÉbène

SillageÉbène

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value50

Category winnerLa PorteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

amber77%

green69%

mossy61%

aromatic100%

bitter83%

herbal65%

fresh48%

green30%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both aromatic and green

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

MintAldehydesCarawayAniseArtemisiaBasilBergamotLemon

Heart

PineCarnationGeraniumPatchouliJasmineRoseCinnamon

Base

OakmossLeatherLabdanumAmberMuskTonka Bean

Notes

AbsintheChrysanthemumPomeloGrassLavenderLeatherOrris RootPine Tree NeedlesFirGeraniumAldehydesHoney

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Geranium and Leather. 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

Winter0

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men88

Unisex8

Women4

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,346

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched2024

Reviews0

Overall rank#62,921

PerfumerPrin Lomros

Launched—

Reviews1

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 →

La Porte opens with sharp absinthe and cold pomelo before sinking into crushed chrysanthemum and pine tree needles. Prin Lomros balances bitter herbal greens with a dark base of leather and lapsang souchong tea. It wears crisp and dry, fitting cool October weather, tailored coats, or quiet evening walks.

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 La Porte?

Ébène takes 3 of 4 categories. Ébène is rated 4.37/5 from 122 votes; La Porte is rated 3.00/5 from 3 votes. Choose Ébène for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose La Porte for a aromatic and bitter character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Ébène or La Porte?

Ébène lasts longest (Ébène 75/100, La Porte 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ébène or La Porte?

Ébène projects furthest (Ébène 69/100, La Porte 38/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ébène and La Porte smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and green accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Geranium and Leather.

Is Ébène or La Porte better for summer or winter?

Ébène suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ébène and La Porte?

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. La Porte features Absinthe, Chrysanthemum, Pomelo, Grass and Lavender.