Fragrance comparison

Ébène vs Narciso

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 135 ratings analysed

3 wins

Ébène

Pierre Balmain · 2024

4.37122 votes

Rank #25,364 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

Narciso

DFG1924

4.6213 votes

Rank #31,456 Warm SpicySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ébène takes 3 of 5 categories.

Ébène
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Narciso
Choose it for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Ébène3/5

Narciso2/5

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

NarcisoDFG1924

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.37/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

4.62/ 5 · 13 votes

Have 41%Had 13%Want 47%

Category winnerNarcisoRating 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

77%Love

15%Like

0%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

13 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate90

Category winners

LongevityÉbène

SillageÉbène

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value75

Category winnerNarcisoBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

amber77%

green69%

mossy61%

warm spicy100%

sweet92%

anis84%

woody77%

tobacco69%

citrus61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both woody

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

CinnamonBergamotBitter Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

TobaccoIncense

Base6-9+ hrs

VetiverPatchouliVanillaTonka BeanLabdanum

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Patchouli, Cinnamon and Labdanum. Durations are only published for Narciso, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring71

Summer34

Fall100

Winter94

Day80

Night100

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter50

Day75

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men88

Unisex8

Women4

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Date 33%Casual 27%Work 25%Party 15%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,364

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched2024

Reviews0

Overall rank#31,456

PerfumerRoberto Dario

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 →

DFG1924 Narciso delivers an immediate spark of spicy warmth that quickly settles into something relaxed and comforting. The cinnamon hits hard. Then dry bitter orange rind cuts through before a wave of rich pipe tobacco takes over. It smells like unlit tobacco leaves resting on an old wooden table beside a bowl of dri…

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 Narciso?

Ébène takes 3 of 5 categories. Ébène is rated 4.37/5 from 122 votes; Narciso is rated 4.62/5 from 13 votes. Choose Ébène for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Narciso for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Ébène or Narciso?

They last about the same: Ébène 75/100, Narciso 74/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Ébène or Narciso?

Ébène projects furthest (Ébène 69/100, Narciso 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ébène and Narciso smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Patchouli, Cinnamon and Labdanum.

Is Ébène or Narciso better for summer or winter?

Ébène suits evening wear; Narciso suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ébène and Narciso?

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. Narciso has top notes of Cinnamon, Bergamot and Bitter Orange, heart notes of Tobacco and Incense, a base of Vetiver, Patchouli, Vanilla and Tonka Bean.