Fragrance comparison

Explorer vs Racine Carrée

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 19,230 ratings analysed

4 wins

Explorer

Montblanc

4.0719,083 votes

Rank #435 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

Racine Carrée

Anatole Lebreton

3.75147 votes

Rank #8,634 AromaticEarthy

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.
Racine Carrée
Choose it for a aromatic and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring.

Explorer4/7

Racine Carrée3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ExplorerMontblanc

Racine CarréeAnatole Lebreton

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 19,083 votes

Have 81%Had 19%Want 0%

3.75/ 5 · 147 votes

Have 23%Had 7%Want 70%

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

41%Love

30%Like

13%Ok

13%Dislike

3%Hate

104 votes

Category winnerExplorerMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityRacine Carrée

SillageRacine Carrée

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value73

¤ Price value55

Category winnerExplorerBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

citrus92%

aromatic84%

amber77%

musky69%

fresh spicy61%

aromatic100%

earthy88%

soft spicy77%

woody65%

powdery53%

green42%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both aromatic and woody

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

CeleryCarrotChamomile

Heart

LicoriceIrisClary Sage

Base

Haitian VetiverCypriol Oil or NagarmothaAmbroxan

InformationalShared notesClary Sage, Haitian Vetiver and Ambroxan. 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–

Spring100

Summer49

Fall97

Winter49

Day–

Night–

Category winnerRacine CarréeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men97

Unisex3

Women1

Men29

Unisex63

Women8

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#8,634

PerfumerAnatole Lebreton

Launched—

Reviews34

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 →

Anatole Lebreton's Racine Carrée is a striking study of roots and soil. It features sharp, spicy celery and carrot notes that evolve into an earthy, herbal profile dominated by iris and vetiver. This unisex fragrance defies traditional floral conventions, offering a raw, contemplative experience for those who prefer t…

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 Racine Carrée?

Explorer takes 4 of 7 categories. Explorer is rated 4.07/5 from 19,083 votes; Racine Carrée is rated 3.75/5 from 147 votes. Choose Explorer for a woody and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring. Choose Racine Carrée for a aromatic and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Explorer or Racine Carrée?

Racine Carrée lasts longest (Racine Carrée 72/100, Explorer 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Explorer or Racine Carrée?

Projection is very close: Racine Carrée 58/100, Explorer 56/100 for sillage.

Do Explorer and Racine Carrée smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Clary Sage, Haitian Vetiver and Ambroxan.

Is Explorer or Racine Carrée better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Explorer and Racine Carrée?

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. Racine Carrée has top notes of Celery, Carrot and Chamomile, heart notes of Licorice, Iris and Clary Sage, a base of Haitian Vetiver, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha and Ambroxan.