Fragrance comparison

Encre Noire A L'Extreme vs Un Bois Sepia

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 7,709 ratings analysed

5 wins

Encre Noire A L'Extreme

Lalique

4.237,516 votes

Rank #444 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

69%scent match

Closely related

Un Bois Sepia

Serge Lutens

3.59193 votes

Rank #33,450 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Encre Noire A L'Extreme takes 5 of 7 categories.

Encre Noire A L'Extreme
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Un Bois Sepia
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Encre Noire A L'Extreme5/7

Un Bois Sepia2/7

Ratings & consensus: Encre Noire A L'Extreme
Community sentiment: Encre Noire A L'Extreme
Longevity: Encre Noire A L'Extreme
Sillage & projection: Un Bois Sepia
Value for money: Encre Noire A L'Extreme
Versatility: Un Bois Sepia
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Encre Noire A L'Extreme

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Encre Noire A L'ExtremeLalique

Un Bois SepiaSerge Lutens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 7,516 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

3.59/ 5 · 193 votes

Have 69%Had 31%Want 0%

Category winnerEncre Noire A L'ExtremeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

34%Like

8%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

7,516 votes

18%Love

51%Like

5%Ok

25%Dislike

1%Hate

193 votes

Category winnerEncre Noire A L'ExtremeMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityEncre Noire A L'Extreme

SillageUn Bois Sepia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value84

¤ Price value35

Category winnerEncre Noire A L'ExtremeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic90%

amber80%

balsamic70%

warm spicy60%

earthy50%

woody100%

aromatic88%

balsamic77%

earthy65%

patchouli53%

amber42%

Scent match69%Closely related · both woody, aromatic and balsamic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CypressElemi resinBergamot

Heart

Haitian VetiverVetiverIncenseOrris

Base

BenzoinSandalwoodPatchouli

Notes

CypressVetiverOpoponaxPatchouliSandalwood

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCypress, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Patchouli. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring45

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring50

Summer32

Fall100

Winter48

Day100

Night31

Category winnerUn Bois SepiaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men89

Unisex9

Women1

Men71

Unisex24

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#444

PerfumerNathalie Lorson

Launched—

Reviews210

Overall rank#33,450

PerfumerChristopher Sheldrake

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerEncre Noire A L'ExtremeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Lalique presents a dark, ink-slicked forest floor that commands attention without screaming. The opening hits with a sharp burst of cypress and resinous elemi, immediately setting a serious, rain-soaked tone. As it settles, the inkiness steps back to let a dry, smoky Haitian vetiver and quiet incense take the lead, so…

Reviews →

Serge Lutens Un Bois Sepia brings a dry, silver-grey woodiness that steps away from the house's signature sweet resins. It wraps cypress and vetiver in a cool, atmospheric haze, creating a quiet shade suitable for cool autumn days. This is a scent for those who prefer understated, earthy wood tones over modern sugary …

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, Encre Noire A L'Extreme or Un Bois Sepia?

Encre Noire A L'Extreme takes 5 of 7 categories. Encre Noire A L'Extreme is rated 4.23/5 from 7,516 votes; Un Bois Sepia is rated 3.59/5 from 193 votes. Choose Encre Noire A L'Extreme for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Un Bois Sepia for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Encre Noire A L'Extreme or Un Bois Sepia?

Encre Noire A L'Extreme lasts longest (Encre Noire A L'Extreme 69/100, Un Bois Sepia 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Encre Noire A L'Extreme or Un Bois Sepia?

Un Bois Sepia projects furthest (Un Bois Sepia 62/100, Encre Noire A L'Extreme 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Encre Noire A L'Extreme and Un Bois Sepia smell similar?

Closely related: a 69% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and balsamic accords. Common notes include Cypress, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Patchouli.

Is Encre Noire A L'Extreme or Un Bois Sepia better for summer or winter?

For summer, Un Bois Sepia is the stronger pick. For winter, Encre Noire A L'Extreme is the stronger pick. Un Bois Sepia suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Encre Noire A L'Extreme and Un Bois Sepia?

Encre Noire A L'Extreme has top notes of Cypress, Elemi resin and Bergamot, heart notes of Haitian Vetiver, Vetiver, Incense and Orris, a base of Benzoin, Sandalwood and Patchouli. Un Bois Sepia features Cypress, Vetiver, Opoponax, Patchouli and Sandalwood.