Fragrance comparison

Illustrious Unknown vs Semi-Bespoke No. 5

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 19 ratings analysed

Illustrious Unknown

PARUM

4.502 votes

Rank #60,315 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

1 wins

Semi-Bespoke No. 5

Roja Dove

4.5317 votes

Rank #30,478 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Semi-Bespoke No. 5 takes 1 of 1 categories.

Illustrious Unknown
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character.
Semi-Bespoke No. 5
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Illustrious Unknown0/1

Semi-Bespoke No. 51/1

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Not scored
Sillage & projection: Not scored
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Semi-Bespoke No. 5

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Illustrious UnknownPARUM

Semi-Bespoke No. 5Roja Dove

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 36%Had 0%Want 64%

4.53/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 27%Had 8%Want 65%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

82%Love

6%Like

0%Ok

6%Dislike

6%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value25

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

citrus69%

balsamic61%

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

balsamic77%

powdery69%

earthy61%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both woody, amber and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

OrangeBergamotRosemary

Heart

Clary SageCoumarinCinnamonLavenderAglaiaYlang-Ylang

Base

BenzoinIncenseAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliCedarOlibanumVetiver

Top

BergamotPeach

Heart

Orange BlossomJasmineVioletYlang-YlangRoseHeliotrope

Base

AmbergrisVetiverPeru BalsamCedarLeatherGingerPatchouliBenzoin

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Ylang-Ylang, Benzoin and Ambergris. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

No season votes yet

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men67

Unisex0

Women33

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#60,315

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#30,478

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerSemi-Bespoke No. 5Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Illustrious Unknown by PARUM opens with a sharp burst of bitter orange, bergamot, and culinary rosemary that quickly commands attention. As the initial citrus sparkle recedes, the composition reveals a complex aromatic heart centered on clary sage, dry cinnamon, and French lavender. The foundation settles into a dark,…

Reviews →

Semi-Bespoke No. 5 reads as a rich, polished chypre with a soft peach and bergamot lift, a floral heart, and a deep woody amber base. On skin, it usually turns warmer, spicier, and more balsamic as the moss, resins, leather, and powdery facets settle in. It suits wearers who enjoy classical structure with real weight …

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, Illustrious Unknown or Semi-Bespoke No. 5?

Semi-Bespoke No. 5 takes 1 of 1 categories. Illustrious Unknown is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes; Semi-Bespoke No. 5 is rated 4.53/5 from 17 votes. Choose Illustrious Unknown for a woody and aromatic character. Choose Semi-Bespoke No. 5 for a woody and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Do Illustrious Unknown and Semi-Bespoke No. 5 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Ylang-Ylang, Benzoin and Ambergris.

Is Illustrious Unknown or Semi-Bespoke No. 5 better for summer or winter?

Semi-Bespoke No. 5 suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Illustrious Unknown and Semi-Bespoke No. 5?

Illustrious Unknown has top notes of Orange, Bergamot and Rosemary, heart notes of Clary Sage, Coumarin, Cinnamon and Lavender, a base of Benzoin, Incense, Ambergris and Sandalwood. Semi-Bespoke No. 5 has top notes of Bergamot and Peach, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Violet and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Ambergris, Vetiver, Peru Balsam and Cedar.