Fragrance comparison

Ensign vs Ground Control

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 13 ratings analysed

2 wins

Ensign

Insider Parfums

3.867 votes

Rank #50,576 HerbalSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

Ground Control

AromAtom

4.676 votes

Rank #46,060 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ensign takes 2 of 3 categories.

Ensign
Choose it for a herbal and smoky character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.
Ground Control
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Ensign2/3

Ground Control1/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

EnsignInsider Parfums

Ground ControlAromAtom

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 29%Had 7%Want 64%

4.67/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 26%Had 0%Want 74%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityEnsign

SillageEnsign

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

herbal100%

smoky90%

oud80%

amber70%

balsamic60%

fresh spicy50%

woody100%

aromatic90%

amber80%

smoky70%

earthy60%

fresh spicy50%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both smoky, amber and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

ArtemisiaJasmineBergamotSaffron

Heart

GeraniumWhite RoseAmber

Base

IncenseAgarwoodOudSandalwoodPatchouliVetiverCedar

Top

Balsam FirHemlockOzonic notesCedar Leaves

Heart

IncenseGuaiac WoodSandalwoodCedar

Base

VetiverPetrichorAgarwoodAmberMoss

InformationalShared notesAmber, Incense, Agarwood and Sandalwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex67

Women33

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#50,576

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#46,060

PerfumerMarina Barcenilla

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerGround ControlHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ensign by Insider Parfums is a bold, woody aromatic scent for those who gravitate toward intense, resinous profiles. Opening with a sharp hit of saffron and bergamot, it quickly moves into a deep heart of amber and white rose. The fragrance relies on a robust base of incense, oud, and cedar, making it an ideal choice …

Reviews →

Ground Control by AromAtom opens with sharp balsam fir needle, cold ozonic air, and dark hemlock. As the crisp canopy settles, smoky guaiac wood and incense emerge over a damp bed of petrichor, vetiver, and oakmoss. Built by astrobiologist Marina Barcenilla, this unisex eau de parfum suits crisp autumn walks, rainy la…

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, Ensign or Ground Control?

Ensign takes 2 of 3 categories. Ensign is rated 3.86/5 from 7 votes; Ground Control is rated 4.67/5 from 6 votes. Choose Ensign for a herbal and smoky character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Ground Control for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Ensign or Ground Control?

Ensign lasts longest (Ensign 100/100, Ground Control 80/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ensign or Ground Control?

Ensign projects furthest (Ensign 100/100, Ground Control 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ensign and Ground Control smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share smoky, amber and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Amber, Incense, Agarwood and Sandalwood.

Is Ensign or Ground Control better for summer or winter?

Ensign suits evening wear; Ground Control suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ensign and Ground Control?

Ensign has top notes of Artemisia, Jasmine, Bergamot and Saffron, heart notes of Geranium, White Rose and Amber, a base of Incense, Agarwood, Oud and Sandalwood. Ground Control has top notes of Balsam Fir, Hemlock, Ozonic notes and Cedar Leaves, heart notes of Incense, Guaiac Wood, Sandalwood and Cedar, a base of Vetiver, Petrichor, Agarwood and Amber.