Fragrance comparison

Ciao vs Nombre Noir

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 150 ratings analysed

3 wins

Ciao

Houbigant

4.2524 votes

Rank #47,593 WoodyGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

Nombre Noir

Shiseido

4.48126 votes

Rank #24,369 AromaticFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ciao takes 3 of 5 categories.

Ciao
Choose it for a woody and green character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Nombre Noir
Choose it for a aromatic and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Ciao3/5

Nombre Noir2/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CiaoHoubigant

Nombre NoirShiseido

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.25/ 5 · 24 votes

Have 35%Had 17%Want 48%

4.48/ 5 · 126 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

Category winnerNombre NoirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

33%Like

8%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

62%Love

30%Like

2%Ok

5%Dislike

1%Hate

126 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity93

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityCiao

SillageCiao

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value46

Category winnerCiaoBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

green92%

earthy84%

floral77%

fresh spicy69%

aromatic61%

aromatic100%

floral92%

woody84%

rose77%

amber69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both woody, floral and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

FruitsCuminGreen NotesLemonPalisander RosewoodBasilOsmanthus

Heart2-4 hrs

Orris RootRoseHyacinthJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyCarnationYlang-YlangCassis

Base8-10+ hrs

OakmossLeatherSandalwoodAmberVetiverPatchouliMuskBenzoin

Top

AldehydesPalisander RosewoodCorianderMarjoramBergamot

Heart

Damask RoseOsmanthusGeraniumCarnationOrrisLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineYlang-Ylang

Base

HoneyVetiverSandalwoodMuskTonka BeanBenzoinAmber

InformationalShared notesPalisander Rosewood, Osmanthus, Rose and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Ciao, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night64

Spring76

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex17

Women83

Casual 39%Work 30%Date 18%Party 12%

Men0

Unisex36

Women64

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#47,593

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#24,369

PerfumerJean-Yves Leroy, Serge Lutens

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerNombre NoirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Houbigant Ciao launches with a sharp crack of green basil, bitter lemon, and pungent cumin. It does not apologize for its vintage power. Give it five minutes to settle past the initial alcohol lift. Soon, a rich bouquet of spicy carnation, hyacinth, and powdery orris root blooms across your skin. The sweetness is mini…

Reviews →

Nombre Noir by Shiseido is a legendary creation that immediately sets itself apart through a dark, ink-like damask rose. The opening combines a sharp blast of aldehydes with green marjoram and palisander rosewood, creating a cold, mysterious atmosphere. As it warms on the skin, a rich ylang-ylang and powdery orris roo…

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, Ciao or Nombre Noir?

Ciao takes 3 of 5 categories. Ciao is rated 4.25/5 from 24 votes; Nombre Noir is rated 4.48/5 from 126 votes. Choose Ciao for a woody and green character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Nombre Noir for a aromatic and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Ciao or Nombre Noir?

Ciao lasts longest (Ciao 93/100, Nombre Noir 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ciao or Nombre Noir?

Ciao projects furthest (Ciao 75/100, Nombre Noir 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ciao and Nombre Noir smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, floral and aromatic accords. Common notes include Palisander Rosewood, Osmanthus, Rose and Jasmine.

Is Ciao or Nombre Noir better for summer or winter?

Ciao suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ciao and Nombre Noir?

Ciao has top notes of Fruits, Cumin, Green Notes and Lemon, heart notes of Orris Root, Rose, Hyacinth and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Leather, Sandalwood and Amber. Nombre Noir has top notes of Aldehydes, Palisander Rosewood, Coriander and Marjoram, heart notes of Damask Rose, Osmanthus, Geranium and Carnation, a base of Honey, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Musk.