Fragrance comparison

Dear John vs Noir Gem

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 368 ratings analysed

4 wins

Dear John

Lush

3.77358 votes

Rank #11,486 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Noir Gem

I-Scents Premium

3.5010 votes

Rank #66,161 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dear John takes 4 of 5 categories.

Dear John
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Noir Gem
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Dear John4/5

Noir Gem1/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dear JohnLush

Noir GemI-Scents Premium

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.77/ 5 · 358 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

3.50/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 59%Had 18%Want 24%

Category winnerDear JohnRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

31%Love

44%Like

11%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

300 votes

20%Love

20%Like

50%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage38

♥ Love / hate63

Category winners

LongevityDear John

SillageDear John

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value57

¤ Price value86

Category winnerNoir GemBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic90%

warm spicy80%

citrus70%

conifer60%

green50%

woody100%

aromatic92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

fresh spicy69%

earthy61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

LimeCloveVetiverPineVirginia CedarCorianderCoffee

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

RosemaryArtemisiaLavenderBasilLimeBergamotLemonMint

Heart2-3 hrs

CloveCinnamonJuniperJasmineAngelicaCorianderAbsinthe

Base4-6 hrs

LeatherAmberPatchouliOakmossVetiverPine needlesResinFir

InformationalShared notesLime, Clove, Vetiver and Coriander. Durations are only published for Noir Gem, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring51

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer100

Fall80

Winter40

Day100

Night80

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men49

Unisex46

Women4

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#11,486

PerfumerMark Constantine

Launched—

Reviews17

Overall rank#66,161

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDear JohnHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dear John is a dry, smoky woody scent with clove spice, cedar, vetiver and a small but noticeable coffee twist. It opens brighter with lime and aromatic lift, then settles into something warmer, earthier and more nostalgic. The overall feel is unisex, slightly masculine leaning, and best suited to cool weather or anyo…

Reviews →

Noir Gem by I-Scents Premium opens with an aggressive burst of cold mint, bitter artemisia, and crushed rosemary. Within three minutes, the sharp alcohol flash recedes, revealing a brisk barbershop heart driven by soapy lavender and warm cinnamon. The composition smells distinctly classic. It recalls the assertive aro…

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, Dear John or Noir Gem?

Dear John takes 4 of 5 categories. Dear John is rated 3.77/5 from 358 votes; Noir Gem is rated 3.50/5 from 10 votes. Choose Dear John for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Noir Gem for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Dear John or Noir Gem?

Dear John lasts longest (Dear John 62/100, Noir Gem 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dear John or Noir Gem?

Dear John projects furthest (Dear John 56/100, Noir Gem 38/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dear John and Noir Gem smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Lime, Clove, Vetiver and Coriander.

Is Dear John or Noir Gem better for summer or winter?

Noir Gem suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dear John and Noir Gem?

Dear John features Lime, Clove, Vetiver, Pine and Virginia Cedar. Noir Gem has top notes of Rosemary, Artemisia, Lavender and Basil, heart notes of Clove, Cinnamon, Juniper and Jasmine, a base of Leather, Amber, Patchouli and Oakmoss.