Fragrance comparison

Hermessence Poivre Samarcande vs Cardin

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 1,271 ratings analysed

Hermessence Poivre Samarcande

Hermès · 2004

4.191,019 votes

Rank #2,159 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Cardin

Pierre Cardin

4.35252 votes

Rank #23,996 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cardin takes 5 of 7 categories.

Hermessence Poivre Samarcande
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Cardin
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Hermessence Poivre Samarcande2/7

Cardin5/7

Ratings & consensus: Cardin
Community sentiment: Cardin
Longevity: Cardin
Sillage & projection: Cardin
Value for money: Cardin
Versatility: Hermessence Poivre Samarcande
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Hermessence Poivre Samarcande

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Hermessence Poivre SamarcandeHermès

CardinPierre Cardin

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.19/ 5 · 1,019 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

4.35/ 5 · 252 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

Category winnerCardinRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

43%Like

6%Ok

7%Dislike

1%Hate

1,019 votes

51%Love

40%Like

3%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

252 votes

Category winnerCardinMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityCardin

SillageCardin

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value58

Category winnerCardinBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fresh spicy88%

warm spicy77%

aromatic65%

earthy53%

mossy42%

woody100%

amber92%

musky84%

aldehydic77%

warm spicy69%

powdery61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both woody and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

PepperOakVirginia CedarCarawayPaprikaoak mossPatchouliGreen Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Top

AldehydesCloveCarawayBergamotCitruses

Heart

Ylang-YlangRoseJasmineOakVirginia Cedar

Base

AmberCivettaoak mossFrench labdanumSandalwoodVetiverMusk

InformationalShared notesOak, Virginia Cedar, Caraway and oak moss. 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

Winter74

Day–

Night–

Spring42

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerHermessence Poivre SamarcandeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men46

Unisex49

Women5

Men3

Unisex36

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,159

PerfumerJean-Claude Ellena

Launched2004

Reviews111

Overall rank#23,996

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerHermessence Poivre SamarcandeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Hermessence Poivre Samarcande opens with a vivid rush of freshly crushed black peppercorns and sweet paprika, creating a dry and energetic warmth without any stinging harshness. As the initial spice settles, seasoned oak wood and Virginia cedar shavings take center stage, giving the scent a calm, organic forest textur…

Reviews →

Pierre Cardin's 1976 debut scent Cardin is a dry, mossy chypre that bypasses modern sugary trends. It pairs fizzy aldehydes with warm clove and a base of earthy oak moss. This fragrance is designed for individuals who appreciate retro structure, dry woods, and low-key animalic warmth during crisp autumn days.

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, Hermessence Poivre Samarcande or Cardin?

Cardin takes 5 of 7 categories. Hermessence Poivre Samarcande is rated 4.19/5 from 1,019 votes; Cardin is rated 4.35/5 from 252 votes. Choose Hermessence Poivre Samarcande for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Cardin for a woody and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Hermessence Poivre Samarcande or Cardin?

Cardin lasts longest (Cardin 76/100, Hermessence Poivre Samarcande 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Hermessence Poivre Samarcande or Cardin?

Cardin projects furthest (Cardin 70/100, Hermessence Poivre Samarcande 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Hermessence Poivre Samarcande and Cardin smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Oak, Virginia Cedar, Caraway and oak moss.

Is Hermessence Poivre Samarcande or Cardin better for summer or winter?

For summer, Hermessence Poivre Samarcande is the stronger pick. For winter, Cardin is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Hermessence Poivre Samarcande and Cardin?

Hermessence Poivre Samarcande features Pepper, Oak, Virginia Cedar, Caraway and Paprika. Cardin has top notes of Aldehydes, Clove, Caraway and Bergamot, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Rose, Jasmine and Oak, a base of Amber, Civetta, oak moss and French labdanum.