Fragrance comparison

Ciel vs Bambou Oriental

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 616 ratings analysed

5 wins

Ciel

Ulric de Varens

4.18408 votes

Rank #5,464 VanillaPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

Bambou Oriental

Mahogany

3.66208 votes

Rank #12,093 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ciel takes 5 of 7 categories.

Ciel
Choose it for a vanilla and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Bambou Oriental
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Ciel5/7

Bambou Oriental2/7

Ratings & consensus: Ciel
Community sentiment: Ciel
Longevity: Bambou Oriental
Sillage & projection: Bambou Oriental
Value for money: Ciel
Versatility: Ciel
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Ciel

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CielUlric de Varens

Bambou OrientalMahogany

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 408 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.66/ 5 · 208 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

Category winnerCielRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

41%Like

6%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

408 votes

32%Love

35%Like

7%Ok

20%Dislike

6%Hate

208 votes

Category winnerCielMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityBambou Oriental

SillageBambou Oriental

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price value73

Category winnerCielBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

powdery88%

iris77%

rose65%

violet53%

amber42%

woody100%

white floral92%

fruity84%

sweet77%

powdery69%

ozonic61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

VanilleIrisRoseAmber

No top / heart / base split published

Top

BambooViolet LeavesPear

Heart

GardeniaFigIrisYlang-YlangPlumLily-of-the-ValleyRose

Base

MuskWhite Cedar ExtractSandalwoodAmberVanille

InformationalShared notesVanille, Iris, Rose and Amber. Durations are only published for Ciel, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter98

Day100

Night79

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter39

Day–

Night–

Category winnerCielMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex14

Women85

Casual 46%Work 32%Date 16%Party 7%

Men9

Unisex76

Women16

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,464

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews55

Overall rank#12,093

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews12

Category winnerCielHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The first puff of Ciel by Ulric de Varens brings an unmistakable cloud of cosmetic talcum powder. It hits immediately. A gentle warmth follows, led by creamy Bourbon vanilla and sweet Ispahan rose petals that soften the opening sharpness. As the scent settles on skin, powdery iris root steps forward, providing an eart…

Reviews →

Bambou Oriental by Mahogany opens with a sharp, crisp blend of bamboo and violet leaves. As it settles, a lush gardenia and iris heart develops, supported by a grounding base of sandalwood and white cedar. It is a striking green floral designed for those who appreciate potent, forest-inspired scents that last all day …

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, Ciel or Bambou Oriental?

Ciel takes 5 of 7 categories. Ciel is rated 4.18/5 from 408 votes; Bambou Oriental is rated 3.66/5 from 208 votes. Choose Ciel for a vanilla and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Bambou Oriental for a woody and white floral character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Ciel or Bambou Oriental?

Bambou Oriental lasts longest (Bambou Oriental 74/100, Ciel 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ciel or Bambou Oriental?

Bambou Oriental projects furthest (Bambou Oriental 69/100, Ciel 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ciel and Bambou Oriental smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery accords. Common notes include Vanille, Iris, Rose and Amber.

Is Ciel or Bambou Oriental better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ciel is the stronger pick. For winter, Ciel is the stronger pick. Ciel suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ciel and Bambou Oriental?

Ciel features Vanille, Iris, Rose and Amber. Bambou Oriental has top notes of Bamboo, Violet Leaves and Pear, heart notes of Gardenia, Fig, Iris and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Musk, White Cedar Extract, Sandalwood and Amber.