Fragrance comparison

Ébène vs Memory Motel

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 718 ratings analysed

5 wins

Ébène

Pierre Balmain · 2024

4.37122 votes

Rank #25,763 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

11%scent match

Clearly different

Memory Motel

Une Nuit Nomade

3.96596 votes

Rank #6,667 TobaccoWarm Spicy

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.
Memory Motel
Choose it for a tobacco and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Ébène5/7

Memory Motel2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ÉbènePierre Balmain

Memory MotelUne Nuit Nomade

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.37/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

3.96/ 5 · 596 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

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

38%Love

33%Like

16%Ok

11%Dislike

2%Hate

596 votes

Category winnerÉbèneMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityÉbène

SillageÉbène

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value51

Category winnerMemory MotelBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

amber77%

green69%

mossy61%

tobacco100%

warm spicy92%

floral84%

leather77%

earthy69%

vanilla61%

Scent match11%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

MintAldehydesCarawayAniseArtemisiaBasilBergamotLemon

Heart

PineCarnationGeraniumPatchouliJasmineRoseCinnamon

Base

OakmossLeatherLabdanumAmberMuskTonka Bean

Top15-30 mins

Bergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

CarnationIrisIncense

Base6-8+ hrs

TobaccoLeatherVanillaOakmossPatchouli

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Carnation, Patchouli and Oakmoss. Durations are only published for Memory Motel, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring71

Summer34

Fall100

Winter94

Day80

Night100

Spring57

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day42

Night100

Category winnerÉbèneMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men88

Unisex8

Women4

Men30

Unisex61

Women9

Date 34%Casual 28%Party 21%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,763

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched2024

Reviews0

Overall rank#6,667

PerfumerAnnick Menardo

Launched—

Reviews64

Category winnerMemory MotelHigher 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 →

Une Nuit Nomade Memory Motel captures the atmospheric grit and bohemian charm of Montauk in the late 1970s. It is not your typical sugary pipe tobacco scent. Instead, master perfumer Annick Menardo builds a dry, melancholy warmth around unlit cigarette tobacco, bitter bergamot, and a powdery iris heart. Carnation inje…

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 Memory Motel?

Ébène takes 5 of 7 categories. Ébène is rated 4.37/5 from 122 votes; Memory Motel is rated 3.96/5 from 596 votes. Choose Ébène for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Memory Motel for a tobacco and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Ébène or Memory Motel?

Ébène lasts longest (Ébène 75/100, Memory Motel 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ébène or Memory Motel?

Ébène projects furthest (Ébène 69/100, Memory Motel 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ébène and Memory Motel smell similar?

Clearly different: a 11% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Carnation, Patchouli and Oakmoss.

Is Ébène or Memory Motel better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ébène is the stronger pick. For winter, Memory Motel is the stronger pick. Ébène suits evening wear; Memory Motel suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ébène and Memory Motel?

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. Memory Motel has top notes of Bergamot, heart notes of Carnation, Iris and Incense, a base of Tobacco, Leather, Vanilla and Oakmoss.