Fragrance comparison

King's Harem vs Serge Noire

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 2,037 ratings analysed

6 wins

King's Harem

Ahwaz Fragrance

4.0537 votes

Rank #13,104 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Serge Noire

Serge Lutens

3.932,000 votes

Rank #24,579 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

King's Harem takes 6 of 7 categories.

King's Harem
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Serge Noire
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in winter.

King's Harem6/7

Serge Noire1/7

Ratings & consensus: Serge Noire
Community sentiment: King's Harem
Longevity: King's Harem
Sillage & projection: King's Harem
Value for money: King's Harem
Versatility: King's Harem
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: King's Harem

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

King's HaremAhwaz Fragrance

Serge NoireSerge Lutens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.05/ 5 · 37 votes

Have 24%Had 14%Want 63%

3.93/ 5 · 2,000 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

Category winnerSerge NoireRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

57%Love

22%Like

3%Ok

8%Dislike

11%Hate

37 votes

38%Love

38%Like

5%Ok

19%Dislike

1%Hate

2,000 votes

Category winnerKing's HaremMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity89

〰 Sillage87

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityKing's Harem

SillageKing's Harem

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value45

Category winnerKing's HaremBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy91%

vanilla83%

rose74%

balsamic65%

patchouli56%

warm spicy100%

woody83%

amber65%

smoky48%

balsamic30%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both warm spicy, amber and balsamic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

AmberMadagascar VanillaRoseIncenseSpicesPatchouli

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

CloveIncenseSpicesEbony WoodWoody NotesCinnamonAmberPatchouli

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesAmber, Incense, Spices and Patchouli. 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

Summer87

Fall93

Winter93

Day100

Night93

Spring22

Summer16

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerKing's HaremMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men24

Unisex59

Women18

Men38

Unisex56

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,104

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#24,579

PerfumerChristopher Sheldrake, Serge Lutens

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerKing's HaremHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

King's Harem wears like a rich amber vanilla wrapped in soft spice, light smoke, and a faint powdery texture. Reviews consistently describe it as smooth, comforting, and elegant rather than harsh or overly spicy. On skin, rose and incense often stay quiet while the amber, vanilla, and resinous warmth do most of the wo…

Reviews →

Serge Lutens Serge Noire is a dark, dry oriental fragrance built around smoky incense and harsh spices. Christopher Sheldrake crafted this unisex scent in 2008 to challenge traditional warm perfumes. It wears best during freezing winter nights, wrapping the wearer in a dense, medicinal cloud of black wood and ash.

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, King's Harem or Serge Noire?

King's Harem takes 6 of 7 categories. King's Harem is rated 4.05/5 from 37 votes; Serge Noire is rated 3.93/5 from 2,000 votes. Choose King's Harem for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Serge Noire for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, King's Harem or Serge Noire?

King's Harem lasts longest (King's Harem 89/100, Serge Noire 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, King's Harem or Serge Noire?

King's Harem projects furthest (King's Harem 87/100, Serge Noire 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do King's Harem and Serge Noire smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, amber and balsamic accords. Common notes include Amber, Incense, Spices and Patchouli.

Is King's Harem or Serge Noire better for summer or winter?

For summer, King's Harem is the stronger pick. For winter, Serge Noire is the stronger pick. King's Harem suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.