Fragrance comparison

Eau Noire vs Risala Special Blend

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 1,542 ratings analysed

4 wins

Eau Noire

Dior · 2004

3.841,530 votes

Rank #1,092 AromaticSoft Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

12%scent match

Clearly different

Risala Special Blend

Risala

4.0812 votes

Rank #53,366 FloralWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Eau Noire takes 4 of 5 categories.

Eau Noire
Choose it for a aromatic and soft spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Risala Special Blend
Choose it for a floral and white floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Eau Noire4/5

Risala Special Blend1/5

Ratings & consensus: Eau Noire
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Eau Noire
Sillage & projection: Eau Noire
Value for money: Risala Special Blend
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

Risala Special BlendRisala

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.84/ 5 · 1,530 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

4.08/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 31%Had 4%Want 65%

Category winnerEau NoireRating 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

33%Love

58%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

8%Hate

12 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityEau Noire

SillageEau Noire

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value41

¤ Price value89

Category winnerRisala Special BlendBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

soft spicy92%

lavender84%

herbal77%

coffee69%

sweet61%

floral100%

white floral92%

powdery84%

woody77%

fruity69%

sweet61%

Scent match12%Clearly different · both sweet

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

RaspberryLily-of-the-ValleyThymeMandarin OrangeBergamotMagnoliaSaffronLilac

Heart

JasminePeachYlang YlangTuberoseOlibanumVioletBulgarian RoseCarnation

Base

LeatherIrisAmberSandalwoodMuskWoody NotesVanillaClove

InformationalShared notesThyme, Saffron, Vanilla and Violet. 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–

Spring100

Summer14

Fall100

Winter71

Day25

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex46

Women4

Men29

Unisex43

Women29

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,092

PerfumerFrancis Kurkdjian

Launched2004

Reviews293

Overall rank#53,366

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

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 →

Risala Special Blend opens like a bright floral-fruity blend, with raspberry and citrus quickly meeting a dense bouquet of white florals, rose, and soft powder. As it settles, the scent turns warmer and smoother, bringing in leather, amber, sandalwood, and vanilla. It reads unisex with a slightly dressy feel, and it m…

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, Eau Noire or Risala Special Blend?

Eau Noire takes 4 of 5 categories. Eau Noire is rated 3.84/5 from 1,530 votes; Risala Special Blend is rated 4.08/5 from 12 votes. Choose Eau Noire for a aromatic and soft spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Risala Special Blend for a floral and white floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Eau Noire or Risala Special Blend?

Eau Noire lasts longest (Eau Noire 78/100, Risala Special Blend 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Eau Noire or Risala Special Blend?

Eau Noire projects furthest (Eau Noire 68/100, Risala Special Blend 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Eau Noire and Risala Special Blend smell similar?

Clearly different: a 12% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet accords. Common notes include Thyme, Saffron, Vanilla and Violet.

Is Eau Noire or Risala Special Blend better for summer or winter?

Risala Special Blend suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Eau Noire and Risala Special Blend?

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. Risala Special Blend has top notes of Raspberry, Lily-of-the-Valley, Thyme and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Jasmine, Peach, Ylang Ylang and Tuberose, a base of Leather, Iris, Amber and Sandalwood.