Fragrance comparison

Isabey L'ambre de Carthage vs JCC No. 2

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 426 ratings analysed

Isabey L'ambre de Carthage

Isabey

4.14377 votes

Rank #23,919 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

JCC No. 2

Castelbajac

4.2749 votes

Rank #27,795 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

JCC No. 2 takes 5 of 7 categories.

Isabey L'ambre de Carthage
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
JCC No. 2
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Isabey L'ambre de Carthage2/7

JCC No. 25/7

Ratings & consensus: Isabey L'ambre de Carthage
Community sentiment: JCC No. 2
Longevity: JCC No. 2
Sillage & projection: JCC No. 2
Value for money: JCC No. 2
Versatility: JCC No. 2
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Isabey L'ambre de Carthage

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Isabey L'ambre de CarthageIsabey

JCC No. 2Castelbajac

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.14/ 5 · 377 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.27/ 5 · 49 votes

Have 30%Had 18%Want 52%

Category winnerIsabey L'ambre de CarthageRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

42%Love

42%Like

4%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

377 votes

47%Love

43%Like

0%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

49 votes

Category winnerJCC No. 2Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityJCC No. 2

SillageJCC No. 2

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value83

Category winnerJCC No. 2Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody91%

floral83%

warm spicy74%

powdery65%

fruity56%

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

warm spicy69%

earthy61%

Scent match48%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

AmberFrench labdanumTeaBergamot

Heart

OsmanthusOlibanumJasmine

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliMusk

Top20-35 mins

GalbanumBergamotFruity NotesAmalfi LemonGardenia

Heart2-4 hrs

Ylang-YlangCarnationIrisSandalwoodRoseJasmineLily-of-the-Valley

Base7-10+ hrs

Castoreumoak mossLeatherOlibanumPatchouliAmberFrench labdanum

InformationalShared notesAmber, French labdanum, Bergamot and Olibanum. Durations are only published for JCC No. 2, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring41

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring58

Summer42

Fall100

Winter33

Day81

Night100

Category winnerJCC No. 2Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men46

Unisex43

Women11

Men0

Unisex80

Women20

Date 30%Party 26%Casual 23%Work 20%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,919

PerfumerJean Jacques

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#27,795

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIsabey L'ambre de CarthageHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Isabey L'ambre de Carthage opens with sharp bergamot cut through dark tea leaves and golden labdanum. As it warms on skin, smoky olibanum and apricot-tinged osmanthus balance the rich resinous core. Sandalwood and dry patchouli anchor the dry down. It suits cold late-autumn evenings when you want a dry, warm amber rat…

Reviews →

Castelbajac JCC No. 2 is an assertive green chypre floral launched in 1987 that pairs bitter crushed galbanum with deep leather and earthy oakmoss. The opening delivers a sharp burst of tart Amalfi lemon and bitter green foliage before melting into a spiced floral heart filled with carnation, powdery iris, and sweet j…

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, Isabey L'ambre de Carthage or JCC No. 2?

JCC No. 2 takes 5 of 7 categories. Isabey L'ambre de Carthage is rated 4.14/5 from 377 votes; JCC No. 2 is rated 4.27/5 from 49 votes. Choose Isabey L'ambre de Carthage for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose JCC No. 2 for a woody and leather character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Isabey L'ambre de Carthage or JCC No. 2?

JCC No. 2 lasts longest (JCC No. 2 81/100, Isabey L'ambre de Carthage 78/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Isabey L'ambre de Carthage or JCC No. 2?

JCC No. 2 projects furthest (JCC No. 2 73/100, Isabey L'ambre de Carthage 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Isabey L'ambre de Carthage and JCC No. 2 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Amber, French labdanum, Bergamot and Olibanum.

Is Isabey L'ambre de Carthage or JCC No. 2 better for summer or winter?

For summer, JCC No. 2 is the stronger pick. For winter, Isabey L'ambre de Carthage is the stronger pick. JCC No. 2 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Isabey L'ambre de Carthage and JCC No. 2?

Isabey L'ambre de Carthage has top notes of Amber, French labdanum, Tea and Bergamot, heart notes of Osmanthus, Olibanum and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli and Musk. JCC No. 2 has top notes of Galbanum, Bergamot, Fruity Notes and Amalfi Lemon, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Carnation, Iris and Sandalwood, a base of Castoreum, oak moss, Leather and Olibanum.