Fragrance comparison

Explorer vs Noir

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 23,419 ratings analysed

4 wins

Explorer

Montblanc

4.0719,083 votes

Rank #435 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

Noir

Tom Ford

4.064,336 votes

Rank #26,627 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Explorer takes 4 of 7 categories.

Explorer
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.
Noir
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter.

Explorer4/7

Noir3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ExplorerMontblanc

NoirTom Ford

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 19,083 votes

Have 81%Had 19%Want 0%

4.06/ 5 · 4,336 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

Category winnerExplorerRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

38%Like

10%Ok

5%Dislike

1%Hate

15,407 votes

43%Love

37%Like

6%Ok

13%Dislike

2%Hate

4,336 votes

Category winnerExplorerMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityNoir

SillageNoir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value73

¤ Price value41

Category winnerExplorerBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

citrus92%

aromatic84%

amber77%

musky69%

fresh spicy61%

amber100%

powdery92%

fresh spicy84%

woody77%

violet69%

patchouli61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both woody, amber and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotPink PepperClary Sage

Heart

Haitian VetiverLeather

Base

AmbroxanAkigalawoodIndonesian Patchouli LeafCacao Pod

Top

VioletPink PepperCarawayBergamotVerbena

Heart

Tuscan IrisBulgarian RoseBlack PepperNutmegGeraniumClary Sage

Base

Indonesian Patchouli LeafAmberVanillaLeatherCivetOpoponaxBenzoinVetiver

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Pink Pepper, Clary Sage and Haitian Vetiver. 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

Fall0

Winter47

Day–

Night–

Spring38

Summer13

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNoirMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men97

Unisex3

Women1

Men73

Unisex23

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#435

PerfumerAntoine Maisondieu, Jordi Fernández, Olivier Pescheux

Launched—

Reviews1,231

Overall rank#26,627

PerfumerOlivier Gillotin

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerExplorerHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Montblanc Explorer opens with bright bergamot and pepper, then settles into a dry woody blend of vetiver, leather and ambroxan. It is clean, masculine and easy to wear, with an Aventus-style profile that feels smoother and more affordable, though less distinctive. This suits daily use, office wear and casual nights ou…

Reviews →

Tom Ford Noir opens with a clean, sharp burst of bergamot and verbena, but this bright start quickly fades as a heavy blanket of powdery violet and caraway seeds takes over. On the skin, the fragrance warms up and shifts from a fresh, spicy herbal blend into a dense, dark floral heart dominated by Tuscan iris and Bulg…

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, Explorer or Noir?

Explorer takes 4 of 7 categories. Explorer is rated 4.07/5 from 19,083 votes; Noir is rated 4.06/5 from 4,336 votes. Choose Explorer for a woody and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring. Choose Noir for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Explorer or Noir?

Noir lasts longest (Noir 71/100, Explorer 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Explorer or Noir?

Noir projects furthest (Noir 59/100, Explorer 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Explorer and Noir smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Clary Sage and Haitian Vetiver.

Is Explorer or Noir better for summer or winter?

For summer, Noir is the stronger pick. For winter, Noir is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Explorer and Noir?

Explorer has top notes of Bergamot, Pink Pepper and Clary Sage, heart notes of Haitian Vetiver and Leather, a base of Ambroxan, Akigalawood, Indonesian Patchouli Leaf and Cacao Pod. Noir has top notes of Violet, Pink Pepper, Caraway and Bergamot, heart notes of Tuscan Iris, Bulgarian Rose, Black Pepper and Nutmeg, a base of Indonesian Patchouli Leaf, Amber, Vanilla and Leather.