Fragrance comparison

Encounter vs De L'Ambre Shady

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 1,052 ratings analysed

3 wins

Encounter

Calvin Klein

3.561,042 votes

Rank #31,237 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

De L'Ambre Shady

Jacques Battini

3.4810 votes

Rank #24,303 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Encounter takes 3 of 5 categories.

Encounter
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
De L'Ambre Shady
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Encounter3/5

De L'Ambre Shady2/5

Ratings & consensus: Encounter
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Encounter
Sillage & projection: De L'Ambre Shady
Value for money: Encounter
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: De L'Ambre Shady

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

EncounterCalvin Klein

De L'Ambre ShadyJacques Battini

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.56/ 5 · 1,042 votes

Have 49%Had 31%Want 21%

3.48/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 21%Had 21%Want 58%

Category winnerEncounterRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

18%Love

49%Like

4%Ok

28%Dislike

1%Hate

1,042 votes

0%Love

40%Like

20%Ok

40%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate63

Category winners

LongevityEncounter

SillageDe L'Ambre Shady

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value50

Category winnerEncounterBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

rum84%

oud77%

fresh spicy69%

citrus61%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

balsamic77%

rum69%

white floral61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and rum

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

RumCardamomMandarin Orange

Heart1 to 2 hours

CognacPepperPatchouliJasmine

Base2 to 4 hours

Agarwood (Oud)CedarMusk

Top

RumAppleCardamomNutmegOrange

Heart

CognacJasminePatchouliPink Pepper

Base

AmberCanadian balsamAgarwood (Oud)SandalwoodMusk

InformationalShared notesRum, Cardamom, Cognac and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Encounter, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring52

Summer24

Fall100

Winter84

Day62

Night100

Spring50

Summer0

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men94

Unisex4

Women1

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,237

PerfumerHonorine Blanc, Pierre Negrin

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#24,303

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerDe L'Ambre ShadyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Calvin Klein Encounter is an oriental woody eau de toilette that focuses on dark spirits, gentle spices, and smooth timber. The opening pairs a splash of sweet rum with crushed cardamom and a bright touch of mandarin orange. As the initial brightness settles, the heart reveals warm cognac accented by black pepper, ear…

Reviews →

De L'Ambre Shady by Jacques Battini presents an oriental vanilla profile tailored for cooler weather. It opens with sharp notes of rum and crisp apple before settling into a warmer heart of cognac and spice. This fragrance offers a mature, balanced scent suitable for evening wear, providing a distinct profile that sta…

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, Encounter or De L'Ambre Shady?

Encounter takes 3 of 5 categories. Encounter is rated 3.56/5 from 1,042 votes; De L'Ambre Shady is rated 3.48/5 from 10 votes. Choose Encounter for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose De L'Ambre Shady for a amber and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Encounter or De L'Ambre Shady?

Encounter lasts longest (Encounter 53/100, De L'Ambre Shady 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Encounter or De L'Ambre Shady?

De L'Ambre Shady projects furthest (De L'Ambre Shady 54/100, Encounter 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Encounter and De L'Ambre Shady smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and rum accords. Common notes include Rum, Cardamom, Cognac and Patchouli.

Is Encounter or De L'Ambre Shady better for summer or winter?

Encounter suits evening wear; De L'Ambre Shady suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Encounter and De L'Ambre Shady?

Encounter has top notes of Rum, Cardamom and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Cognac, Pepper, Patchouli and Jasmine, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Cedar and Musk. De L'Ambre Shady has top notes of Rum, Apple, Cardamom and Nutmeg, heart notes of Cognac, Jasmine, Patchouli and Pink Pepper, a base of Amber, Canadian balsam, Agarwood (Oud) and Sandalwood.