Fragrance comparison

Ilanguara vs Sous Bois

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 71 ratings analysed

2 wins

Ilanguara

Phaedon

3.8268 votes

Rank #19,325 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Sous Bois

Parfums Retro

3.673 votes

Rank #56,867 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ilanguara takes 2 of 3 categories.

Ilanguara
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Sous Bois
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Ilanguara2/3

Sous Bois1/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

IlanguaraPhaedon

Sous BoisParfums Retro

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.82/ 5 · 68 votes

Have 21%Had 13%Want 67%

3.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 0%Had 8%Want 92%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

28%Love

46%Like

10%Ok

13%Dislike

3%Hate

68 votes

33%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

33%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevitySous Bois

SillageIlanguara

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value30

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

vanilla84%

almond77%

sweet69%

yellow floral61%

woody100%

powdery92%

citrus84%

aromatic77%

musky69%

amber61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Ylang-YlangLemon

Heart

AlmondBenzoinCopaiba balmGurjan balsamIncense

Base

VanillaGuaiac WoodVetiverCedar

Top30 to 45 minutes

AlmondVioletLemonYlang-YlangOrange BlossomGeraniumRoseMimosa

Heart2 to 4 hours

Guaiac WoodOakmossLabdanum

Base5 to 8 hours

CedarCivetBenzoinVetiverMuskCoumarin

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Lemon, Almond and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Sous Bois, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring59

Summer32

Fall100

Winter77

Day100

Night63

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men11

Unisex39

Women50

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#19,325

PerfumerGerard Bertrand

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#56,867

PerfumerHugh Spencer

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerIlanguaraHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Phaedon Ilanguara opens with heavy benzoin resins and sweet ylang ylang over a powdery almond backdrop. Built around dense balsamic woods, the fragrance shifts into a dark vanilla base grounded by cedar and guaiac wood. It sits best in crisp fall air when cool breezes keep its thick, edible amber sweetness from feelin…

Reviews →

Sous Bois by Parfums Retro is a classic woody chypre that balances bright citrus notes with an earthy forest floor atmosphere. Created by perfumer Hugh Spencer, it opens with a quick flash of lemon, bergamot, and neroli paired with almond and powdery iris. As the opening settles, middle notes of guaiac wood, oakmoss, …

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Saffron AmberIlluminumRUNNER-UP vs

Septieme Sens (7e Sens)Sonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP vs

Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER

3 people compared this today

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Ilanguara or Sous Bois?

Ilanguara takes 2 of 3 categories. Ilanguara is rated 3.82/5 from 68 votes; Sous Bois is rated 3.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Ilanguara for a woody and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Sous Bois for a woody and powdery character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Ilanguara or Sous Bois?

Sous Bois lasts longest (Sous Bois 80/100, Ilanguara 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ilanguara or Sous Bois?

Ilanguara projects furthest (Ilanguara 61/100, Sous Bois 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ilanguara and Sous Bois smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Lemon, Almond and Benzoin.

Is Ilanguara or Sous Bois better for summer or winter?

Ilanguara suits daytime wear; Sous Bois suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ilanguara and Sous Bois?

Ilanguara has top notes of Ylang-Ylang and Lemon, heart notes of Almond, Benzoin, Copaiba balm and Gurjan balsam, a base of Vanilla, Guaiac Wood, Vetiver and Cedar. Sous Bois has top notes of Almond, Violet, Lemon and Ylang-Ylang, heart notes of Guaiac Wood, Oakmoss and Labdanum, a base of Cedar, Civet, Benzoin and Vetiver.