Fragrance comparison

Merit vs Sous Bois

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 23 ratings analysed

3 wins

Merit

Nilafar du Nil

4.2020 votes

Rank #34,785 SweetFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

17%scent match

Clearly different

Sous Bois

Parfums Retro

3.673 votes

Rank #56,867 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Merit takes 3 of 3 categories.

Merit
Choose it for a sweet and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.
Sous Bois
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Merit3/3

Sous Bois0/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MeritNilafar du Nil

Sous BoisParfums Retro

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.20/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 16%Had 4%Want 80%

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

55%Love

30%Like

5%Ok

0%Dislike

10%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

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

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage83

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityMerit

SillageMerit

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value93

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

fruity92%

white floral84%

powdery77%

floral69%

yellow floral61%

woody100%

powdery92%

citrus84%

aromatic77%

musky69%

amber61%

Scent match17%Clearly different · both powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

QuinceNeroliAlmondTobacco LeafCoconut

Heart

MimosaTiare FlowerSuedeMatePatchouliPlumelemiTolu Balsam

Base

Violet LeafCedarMuskVanillaOakmoss

Top30 to 45 minutes

AlmondVioletLemonYlang-YlangOrange BlossomGeraniumRoseMimosa

Heart2 to 4 hours

Guaiac WoodOakmossLabdanum

Base5 to 8 hours

CedarCivetBenzoinVetiverMuskCoumarin

InformationalShared notesAlmond, Mimosa, Cedar and Musk. Durations are only published for Sous Bois, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer83

Fall92

Winter83

Day92

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex30

Women70

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#34,785

PerfumerAbdelFattah Nassar

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#56,867

PerfumerHugh Spencer

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerMeritHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Merit by Nilafar du Nil is a complex, sweet chypre floral that hinges on a rich blend of creamy coconut and almond against an earthy oakmoss base. It is a mature, gourmand-leaning scent that performs remarkably well, making it a bold choice for cooler weather days or evening outings when you want a signature that proj…

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

Mexx Ice Touch ManMexxRUNNER-UP vs

White NoiseRoadsWINNER

1 person compared this today

CreatorARgENTUMWINNER vs

Forget Me Not 勿忘我RECLASSIFIED RE调香室RUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

NabroAZYARUNNER-UP vs

Mila Schön (Original)Mila SchönWINNER

1 person compared this today

Saffron AmberIlluminumRUNNER-UP vs

Septieme Sens (7e Sens)Sonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Merit or Sous Bois?

Merit takes 3 of 3 categories. Merit is rated 4.20/5 from 20 votes; Sous Bois is rated 3.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Merit for a sweet and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Sous Bois for a woody and powdery character. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Merit or Sous Bois?

Merit lasts longest (Merit 90/100, Sous Bois 80/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Merit or Sous Bois?

Merit projects furthest (Merit 83/100, Sous Bois 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Merit and Sous Bois smell similar?

Clearly different: a 17% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery accords. Common notes include Almond, Mimosa, Cedar and Musk.

Is Merit or Sous Bois better for summer or winter?

Merit suits evening wear; Sous Bois suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Merit and Sous Bois?

Merit has top notes of Quince, Neroli, Almond and Tobacco Leaf, heart notes of Mimosa, Tiare Flower, Suede and Mate, a base of Violet Leaf, Cedar, Musk and Vanilla. 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.