Fragrance comparison

Narcisse Noir vs Van Cleef

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

Updated 17 Oct 2026 1,313 ratings analysed

Narcisse Noir

Caron · 1911

4.5578 votes

Rank #23,155 White FloralMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

17%scent match

Clearly different

6 wins

Van Cleef

Van Cleef & Arpels

4.121,235 votes

Rank #696 AromaticSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Van Cleef takes 6 of 8 categories.

Narcisse Noir
Choose it for a white floral and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Van Cleef
Choose it for a aromatic and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Narcisse Noir2/8

Van Cleef6/8

Ratings & consensus: Narcisse Noir
Community sentiment: Van Cleef
Longevity: Van Cleef
Sillage & projection: Van Cleef
Value for money: Van Cleef
Versatility: Narcisse Noir
Note pyramid (duration): Van Cleef
Fragranxe ranking: Van Cleef

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Narcisse NoirCaron

Van CleefVan Cleef & Arpels

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.55/ 5 · 78 votes

Have 40%Had 11%Want 50%

4.12/ 5 · 1,235 votes

Have 62%Had 38%Want 0%

Category winnerNarcisse NoirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

56%Love

27%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

2%Hate

48 votes

43%Love

41%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

1,235 votes

Category winnerVan CleefMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityVan Cleef

SillageVan Cleef

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value37

¤ Price value47

Category winnerVan CleefBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

white floral100%

musky92%

powdery84%

woody77%

citrus61%

aromatic100%

sweet92%

fresh spicy84%

balsamic77%

vanilla69%

green61%

Scent match17%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Orange BlossomNeroli

Heart2-4 hrs

JasmineRose

Base8-12 hrs

MuskSandalwood

Top20-30 mins

MarigoldGalbanumNeroliRaspberryBergamot

Heart3-4 hrs

GeraniumOrange BlossomJasmineRose

Base8-10+ hrs

Tonka BeanVanillaSandalwoodCedarMusk

Category winnerVan CleefLongest dry-down: 8-10+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring83

Summer83

Fall100

Winter92

Day35

Night100

Spring32

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day53

Night100

Category winnerNarcisse NoirMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex29

Women71

Date 42%Party 27%Casual 18%Work 13%

Men1

Unisex12

Women88

Date 38%Casual 27%Work 19%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,155

PerfumerErnest Daltroff

Launched1911

Reviews4

Overall rank#696

PerfumerPascal Giraux

Launched—

Reviews104

Category winnerVan CleefHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Caron Narcisse Noir offers a bold contrast to bright, sugary white florals. The first spritz unleashes bitter orange blossom and sharp neroli, cutting through the air with a brisk citrus snap. Within twenty minutes, that initial bite yields to a dense heart of velvety rose and heady jasmine. A dark, powdery veil wraps…

Reviews →

Van Cleef by Van Cleef & Arpels delivers a bold, golden warmth reminiscent of classic 1990s perfumery. The fragrance opens with an intriguing herbal splash of bitter galbanum and marigold petals, brightened by tart raspberry and sunny bergamot. As the initial sharp green bite softens, a generous bouquet of spicy geran…

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, Narcisse Noir or Van Cleef?

Van Cleef takes 6 of 8 categories. Narcisse Noir is rated 4.55/5 from 78 votes; Van Cleef is rated 4.12/5 from 1,235 votes. Choose Narcisse Noir for a white floral and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Van Cleef for a aromatic and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Narcisse Noir or Van Cleef?

Van Cleef lasts longest (Van Cleef 79/100, Narcisse Noir 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Narcisse Noir or Van Cleef?

Van Cleef projects furthest (Van Cleef 72/100, Narcisse Noir 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Narcisse Noir and Van Cleef smell similar?

Clearly different: a 17% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Orange Blossom, Neroli, Jasmine and Rose.

Is Narcisse Noir or Van Cleef better for summer or winter?

For summer, Narcisse Noir is the stronger pick. For winter, Van Cleef is the stronger pick. Narcisse Noir suits evening wear; Van Cleef suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Narcisse Noir and Van Cleef?

Narcisse Noir has top notes of Orange Blossom and Neroli, heart notes of Jasmine and Rose, a base of Musk and Sandalwood. Van Cleef has top notes of Marigold, Galbanum, Neroli and Raspberry, heart notes of Geranium, Orange Blossom, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Cedar.