Fragrance comparison

Bois Noir vs Puredistance No. 12

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 219 ratings analysed

Bois Noir

Chanel

4.4760 votes

Rank #28,672 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

Puredistance No. 12

Puredistance

3.89159 votes

Rank #13,367 PowderyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4.

Bois Noir
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Puredistance No. 12
Choose it for a powdery and floral character. Wins on value for money, versatility and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Bois Noir4/8

Puredistance No. 124/8

Ratings & consensus: Bois Noir
Community sentiment: Bois Noir
Longevity: Bois Noir
Sillage & projection: Bois Noir
Value for money: Puredistance No. 12
Versatility: Puredistance No. 12
Note pyramid (duration): Puredistance No. 12
Fragranxe ranking: Puredistance No. 12

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bois NoirChanel

Puredistance No. 12Puredistance

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.47/ 5 · 60 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

3.89/ 5 · 159 votes

Have 45%Had 11%Want 43%

Category winnerBois NoirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

70%Love

18%Like

0%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

60 votes

39%Love

31%Like

15%Ok

10%Dislike

5%Hate

159 votes

Category winnerBois NoirMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityBois Noir

SillageBois Noir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value22

¤ Price value23

Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

rose84%

lavender77%

floral69%

citrus61%

powdery100%

floral92%

white floral84%

musky77%

woody69%

aromatic61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both woody, floral and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

SandalwoodRoseLavenderAmbrette (Musk Mallow)Brazilian RosewoodMandarin OrangeCorianderBourbon Vanilla

No top / heart / base split published

Top20-30 mins

NarcissusYlang-YlangBergamotCardamomMandarin OrangeCoriander

Heart3-5 hrs

Orris RootHedioneLily-of-the-ValleyHeliotropeGeraniumJasmineOrange BlossomRose

Base8-12 hrs

MuskAmbroxanPatchouliSandalwoodAmbrette (Musk Mallow)VetiverOakmossVanilla

Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Longest dry-down: 8-12 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring54

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day58

Night100

Spring100

Summer49

Fall0

Winter68

Day100

Night87

Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men78

Unisex17

Women6

Men0

Unisex28

Women72

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,672

PerfumerJacques Polge

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#13,367

PerfumerNathalie Feisthauer

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chanel Bois Noir is a legendary 1987 release that set the blueprint for modern woody perfumery. The scent starts with a bright flash of mandarin orange and crisp coriander before settling into a deep, velvety heart of Turkish rose and lavender. What really anchors the experience is the base. A massive dose of creamy M…

Reviews →

Puredistance No. 12 is a rich floral chypre that feels like slipping into a fine cashmere sweater. Nathalie Feisthauer crafted this 25 percent extrait to deliver seamless luxury. The scent opens with a sharp burst of bergamot, mandarin orange, and crushed coriander seeds. This energetic citrus spark softens quickly as…

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, Bois Noir or Puredistance No. 12?

No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4. Bois Noir is rated 4.47/5 from 60 votes; Puredistance No. 12 is rated 3.89/5 from 159 votes. Choose Bois Noir for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Puredistance No. 12 for a powdery and floral character. Wins on value for money, versatility and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Bois Noir or Puredistance No. 12?

They last about the same: Bois Noir 73/100, Puredistance No. 12 72/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Bois Noir or Puredistance No. 12?

Bois Noir projects furthest (Bois Noir 78/100, Puredistance No. 12 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bois Noir and Puredistance No. 12 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, floral and aromatic accords. Common notes include Sandalwood, Rose, Ambrette (Musk Mallow) and Mandarin Orange.

Is Bois Noir or Puredistance No. 12 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Puredistance No. 12 is the stronger pick. For winter, Bois Noir is the stronger pick. Bois Noir suits evening wear; Puredistance No. 12 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bois Noir and Puredistance No. 12?

Bois Noir features Sandalwood, Rose, Lavender, Ambrette (Musk Mallow) and Brazilian Rosewood. Puredistance No. 12 has top notes of Narcissus, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of Orris Root, Hedione, Lily-of-the-Valley and Heliotrope, a base of Musk, Ambroxan, Patchouli and Sandalwood.