Fragrance comparison

Indulgence vs Shihan (Sensei)

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 407 ratings analysed

3 wins

Indulgence

Crystal Water · 2022

5.001 votes

Rank #46,387 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Shihan (Sensei)

Piotr Czarnecki

4.07406 votes

Rank #3,751 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Indulgence takes 3 of 4 categories.

Indulgence
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, day or night wear.
Shihan (Sensei)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Indulgence3/4

Shihan (Sensei)1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Indulgence
Sillage & projection: Indulgence
Value for money: Indulgence
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Shihan (Sensei)

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

IndulgenceCrystal Water

Shihan (Sensei)Piotr Czarnecki

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 22%Had 0%Want 78%

4.07/ 5 · 406 votes

Have 63%Had 38%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

39%Love

43%Like

5%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

406 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityIndulgence

SillageIndulgence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value51

Category winnerIndulgenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber83%

rose65%

whiskey48%

floral30%

warm spicy100%

amber92%

whiskey84%

coffee77%

tobacco69%

woody61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both amber, woody and whiskey

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Whiskey

Heart

RoseWoodsy Notes

Base

Amber

Top

WhiskeyCoffeeTobacco

Heart

Spicy NotesMyrrhIncense

Base

AmberLabdanumAmbrette (Musk Mallow)Musk

InformationalShared notesWhiskey and Amber. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall50

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring23

Summer6

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

Men50

Unisex44

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#46,387

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2022

Reviews0

Overall rank#3,751

PerfumerPiotr Czarnecki

Launched—

Reviews56

Category winnerShihan (Sensei)Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Indulgence by Crystal Water is a comforting blend of warm barrel whiskey, velvety red rose petals, and dry cedar woodsy notes, all resting on a base of sweet golden amber. It opens with an inviting splash of oak-aged spirit before settling into smooth timber and gentle floral sweetness. This fragrance is built for co…

Reviews →

Shihan (Sensei) opens with a heavy splash of warm whiskey and roasted coffee beans. This unisex blend settles into a dry, resinous cloud of myrrh and incense, wrapping the wearer in a dense amber haze. It is best suited for freezing winter nights when you want a rich, dark scent that clings to wool coats.

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, Indulgence or Shihan (Sensei)?

Indulgence takes 3 of 4 categories. Indulgence is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes; Shihan (Sensei) is rated 4.07/5 from 406 votes. Choose Indulgence for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, day or night wear. Choose Shihan (Sensei) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Indulgence or Shihan (Sensei)?

Indulgence lasts longest (Indulgence 100/100, Shihan (Sensei) 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Indulgence or Shihan (Sensei)?

Indulgence projects furthest (Indulgence 100/100, Shihan (Sensei) 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Indulgence and Shihan (Sensei) smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and whiskey accords. Common notes include Whiskey and Amber.

Is Indulgence or Shihan (Sensei) better for summer or winter?

Indulgence suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Indulgence and Shihan (Sensei)?

Indulgence has top notes of Whiskey, heart notes of Rose and Woodsy Notes, a base of Amber. Shihan (Sensei) has top notes of Whiskey, Coffee and Tobacco, heart notes of Spicy Notes, Myrrh and Incense, a base of Amber, Labdanum, Ambrette (Musk Mallow) and Musk.