Fragrance comparison

Cé Noir vs Illicit

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 3,052 ratings analysed

4 wins

Cé Noir

Beyoncé

3.91335 votes

Rank #1,389 AmberHoney

Full profile Similar & dupes

58%scent match

Closely related

Illicit

Jimmy Choo

4.052,717 votes

Rank #1,865 HoneySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cé Noir takes 4 of 7 categories.

Cé Noir
Choose it for a amber and honey character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Illicit
Choose it for a honey and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.

Cé Noir4/7

Illicit3/7

Ratings & consensus: Illicit
Community sentiment: Illicit
Longevity: Cé Noir
Sillage & projection: Cé Noir
Value for money: Illicit
Versatility: Cé Noir
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Cé Noir

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Cé NoirBeyoncé

IllicitJimmy Choo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.91/ 5 · 335 votes

Have 92%Had 8%Want 0%

4.05/ 5 · 2,717 votes

Have 74%Had 26%Want 0%

Category winnerIllicitRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

12%Like

4%Ok

3%Dislike

13%Hate

314 votes

35%Love

46%Like

10%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

2,717 votes

Category winnerIllicitMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityCé Noir

SillageCé Noir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value59

¤ Price value64

Category winnerIllicitBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

honey90%

sweet80%

white floral70%

floral60%

rose50%

honey100%

sweet92%

citrus84%

white floral77%

amber69%

woody61%

Scent match58%Closely related · both honey, sweet and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

HoneyClementine

Heart

Jasmine SambacRose

Base

AmberMyrrh

Top

GingerBitter Orange

Heart

Jasmine SambacOrange BlossomRose

Base

HoneyAmberCaramelVanillaSandalwoodCashmere Wood

InformationalShared notesHoney, Jasmine Sambac, Rose and Amber. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring83

Summer64

Fall100

Winter93

Day87

Night100

Spring71

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerCé NoirMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex50

Women46

Men1

Unisex6

Women94

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,389

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews83

Overall rank#1,865

PerfumerAnne Flipo

Launched—

Reviews209

Category winnerCé NoirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cé Noir by Beyoncé is a sweet amber-floral fragrance that centers on realistic honey and clementine. It balances white florals with a warm, resinous base of myrrh and amber. Designed for those seeking a modern gourmand, it performs well during the cooler months and transitions effectively from late afternoon gathering…

Reviews →

Jimmy Choo Illicit opens with a zesty sparkle of fresh ginger and tangy bitter orange that immediately grabs your attention without feeling sharp. Within minutes, the citrus settles into a warm heart of creamy orange blossom and soft jasmine sambac, draped in a rich layer of golden honey and sweet caramel. A smooth ba…

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, Cé Noir or Illicit?

Cé Noir takes 4 of 7 categories. Cé Noir is rated 3.91/5 from 335 votes; Illicit is rated 4.05/5 from 2,717 votes. Choose Cé Noir for a amber and honey character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Illicit for a honey and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Cé Noir or Illicit?

Cé Noir lasts longest (Cé Noir 83/100, Illicit 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cé Noir or Illicit?

Cé Noir projects furthest (Cé Noir 76/100, Illicit 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cé Noir and Illicit smell similar?

Closely related: a 58% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share honey, sweet and amber accords. Common notes include Honey, Jasmine Sambac, Rose and Amber.

Is Cé Noir or Illicit better for summer or winter?

For summer, Cé Noir is the stronger pick. For winter, Illicit is the stronger pick. Cé Noir suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cé Noir and Illicit?

Cé Noir has top notes of Honey and Clementine, heart notes of Jasmine Sambac and Rose, a base of Amber and Myrrh. Illicit has top notes of Ginger and Bitter Orange, heart notes of Jasmine Sambac, Orange Blossom and Rose, a base of Honey, Amber, Caramel and Vanilla.