Fragrance comparison

Fougere Royale vs Jil Sander No. 4

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 2,112 ratings analysed

Fougere Royale

Houbigant

4.28107 votes

Rank #25,421 AromaticVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Jil Sander No. 4

Jil Sander

4.032,005 votes

Rank #663 AromaticPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Jil Sander No. 4 takes 4 of 7 categories.

Fougere Royale
Choose it for a aromatic and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Jil Sander No. 4
Choose it for a aromatic and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Fougere Royale3/7

Jil Sander No. 44/7

Ratings & consensus: Fougere Royale
Community sentiment: Fougere Royale
Longevity: Jil Sander No. 4
Sillage & projection: Jil Sander No. 4
Value for money: Jil Sander No. 4
Versatility: Fougere Royale
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Jil Sander No. 4

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Fougere RoyaleHoubigant

Jil Sander No. 4Jil Sander

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.28/ 5 · 107 votes

Have 18%Had 5%Want 77%

4.03/ 5 · 2,005 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerFougere RoyaleRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

58%Love

27%Like

2%Ok

11%Dislike

2%Hate

107 votes

38%Love

43%Like

5%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

2,005 votes

Category winnerFougere RoyaleMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityJil Sander No. 4

SillageJil Sander No. 4

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value70

Category winnerJil Sander No. 4Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

vanilla92%

fresh spicy84%

floral77%

sweet69%

lavender61%

aromatic100%

powdery92%

woody84%

white floral77%

sweet69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both aromatic and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

LavenderBergamotClary Sage

Heart2-4 hrs

GeraniumHeliotropeCarnationOrchidRose

Base6-8 hrs

OakmossCoumarinTonka BeanVanillaMusk

Top

PlumGalbanumPeachGeraniumRoseAniseBergamot

Heart

TuberoseCarnationNutmegYlang-YlangMyrrhJasmineHeliotropeTarragon

Base

CivetSandalwoodOakmossCorianderVanillaTonka BeanMuskAmbergris

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Geranium, Heliotrope and Carnation. Durations are only published for Fougere Royale, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer41

Fall73

Winter45

Day100

Night64

Spring39

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerFougere RoyaleMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex19

Women14

Work 43%Casual 33%Date 18%Party 8%

Men2

Unisex21

Women77

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,421

PerfumerPaul Parquet

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#663

PerfumerMichel Almairac

Launched—

Reviews193

Category winnerJil Sander No. 4Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Fougere Royale by Houbigant is the historical blueprint for masculine barbershop perfumery. The first spray punches through with bright bergamot and dry French lavender. It bites slightly. Within fifteen minutes, the herbal sting relaxes into geranium and warm clary sage. Sweet coumarin, tonka bean, and earthy oakmoss…

Reviews →

Jil Sander No. 4 delivers a lush blend of spiced dark plum, velvety peach, and creamy tuberose layered over an earthy base of oakmoss, sandalwood, and warm vanilla. It opens with an unmistakable burst of sweet fruit and aromatic green galbanum before settling into a powdery floral heart warmed by nutmeg and carnation.…

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, Fougere Royale or Jil Sander No. 4?

Jil Sander No. 4 takes 4 of 7 categories. Fougere Royale is rated 4.28/5 from 107 votes; Jil Sander No. 4 is rated 4.03/5 from 2,005 votes. Choose Fougere Royale for a aromatic and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Jil Sander No. 4 for a aromatic and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Fougere Royale or Jil Sander No. 4?

Jil Sander No. 4 lasts longest (Jil Sander No. 4 74/100, Fougere Royale 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Fougere Royale or Jil Sander No. 4?

Jil Sander No. 4 projects furthest (Jil Sander No. 4 68/100, Fougere Royale 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Fougere Royale and Jil Sander No. 4 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and sweet accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Geranium, Heliotrope and Carnation.

Is Fougere Royale or Jil Sander No. 4 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Fougere Royale is the stronger pick. For winter, Jil Sander No. 4 is the stronger pick. Fougere Royale suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Fougere Royale and Jil Sander No. 4?

Fougere Royale has top notes of Lavender, Bergamot and Clary Sage, heart notes of Geranium, Heliotrope, Carnation and Orchid, a base of Oakmoss, Coumarin, Tonka Bean and Vanilla. Jil Sander No. 4 has top notes of Plum, Galbanum, Peach and Geranium, heart notes of Tuberose, Carnation, Nutmeg and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Civet, Sandalwood, Oakmoss and Coriander.