Fragrance comparison

Eau Noire vs Instinct

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 1,534 ratings analysed

4 wins

Eau Noire

Dior · 2004

3.841,530 votes

Rank #1,092 AromaticSoft Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

19%scent match

Clearly different

Instinct

Pisello Parfum

3.004 votes

Rank #68,373 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Eau Noire takes 4 of 4 categories.

Eau Noire
Choose it for a aromatic and soft spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
Instinct
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Eau Noire4/4

Instinct0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Eau NoireDior

InstinctPisello Parfum

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.84/ 5 · 1,530 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

3.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 14%Had 10%Want 76%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

49%Love

30%Like

5%Ok

13%Dislike

4%Hate

1,183 votes

50%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

50%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityEau Noire

SillageEau Noire

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value41

¤ Price value25

Category winnerEau NoireBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

soft spicy92%

lavender84%

herbal77%

coffee69%

sweet61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

fruity84%

warm spicy77%

powdery69%

earthy61%

Scent match19%Clearly different · both aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

ThymeSage

Heart

LavenderCoffeeImmortelleVirginia CedarSaffron

Base

LicoriceVanillaVioletLeatherStems Greens

Top

RaspberrySaffronThymeFruity NotesCypressGreen NotesCardamomItalian Orange

Heart

OlibanumJasmineRoseOrris RootJasmine SambacIrisAmbrette (Musk Mallow)Pear

Base

Woody NotesAmberVetiverVirginia CedarMuskVanillaMossPatchouli

InformationalShared notesThyme, Virginia Cedar, Saffron and Vanilla. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring43

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex46

Women4

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,092

PerfumerFrancis Kurkdjian

Launched2004

Reviews293

Overall rank#68,373

PerfumerManuel Alejandro Bojorquez Segovia

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerEau NoireHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dior Eau Noire takes the crisp structure of a traditional lavender cologne and turns it into a dark, cozy evening fragrance. The scent opens with an earthy kick of crushed garden thyme and wild sage before revealing a rich heart of roasted black coffee, herbal French lavender, and warm immortelle. As the blend settles…

Reviews →

Instinct by Pisello Parfum introduces a dry, heavy leather profile energized by a sharp twist of raspberry and saffron. Launched in 2024, this unisex fragrance balances intense woodiness with green elements like cypress, making it a rugged yet sweet option for crisp autumn evenings.

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Saffron AmberIlluminumRUNNER-UP vs

Septieme Sens (7e Sens)Sonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP vs

Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER

3 people compared this today

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Eau Noire or Instinct?

Eau Noire takes 4 of 4 categories. Eau Noire is rated 3.84/5 from 1,530 votes; Instinct is rated 3.00/5 from 4 votes. Choose Eau Noire for a aromatic and soft spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Instinct for a woody and aromatic character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Eau Noire or Instinct?

Eau Noire lasts longest (Eau Noire 78/100, Instinct 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Eau Noire or Instinct?

Eau Noire projects furthest (Eau Noire 68/100, Instinct 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Eau Noire and Instinct smell similar?

Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic accords. Common notes include Thyme, Virginia Cedar, Saffron and Vanilla.

Is Eau Noire or Instinct better for summer or winter?

Instinct suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Eau Noire and Instinct?

Eau Noire has top notes of Thyme and Sage, heart notes of Lavender, Coffee, Immortelle and Virginia Cedar, a base of Licorice, Vanilla, Violet and Leather. Instinct has top notes of Raspberry, Saffron, Thyme and Fruity Notes, heart notes of Olibanum, Jasmine, Rose and Orris Root, a base of Woody Notes, Amber, Vetiver and Virginia Cedar.