Fragrance comparison

No.18 Bête Noir vs Prelude

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 27 ratings analysed

No.18 Bête Noir

Arcadia

3.009 votes

Rank #64,349 MuskyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

Prelude

G Parfums

3.2818 votes

Rank #64,096 IrisPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

No.18 Bête Noir
Choose it for a musky and powdery character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in winter, day or night wear.
Prelude
Choose it for a iris and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

No.18 Bête Noir2/4

Prelude2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: No.18 Bête Noir
Sillage & projection: Prelude
Value for money: No.18 Bête Noir
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Prelude

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

No.18 Bête NoirArcadia

PreludeG Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.00/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 47%Had 9%Want 44%

3.28/ 5 · 18 votes

Have 17%Had 21%Want 61%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

0%Like

22%Ok

22%Dislike

22%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

17%Love

39%Like

6%Ok

33%Dislike

6%Hate

18 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate50

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage79

♥ Love / hate57

Category winners

LongevityNo.18 Bête Noir

SillagePrelude

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value25

Category winnerNo.18 Bête NoirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

musky100%

powdery92%

earthy84%

sweet77%

woody69%

floral61%

iris100%

powdery86%

musky72%

violet58%

earthy44%

woody30%

Scent match53%Some overlap · both powdery, musky and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

HyacinthPineapple

Heart

IrisJasminePink Pepper

Base

MuskVetiverPatchouliAmberVanilla

Notes

IrisMuskAmberJasmine

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesIris, Jasmine, Musk and Amber. Durations are only published for Prelude, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring20

Summer20

Fall60

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring83

Summer100

Fall67

Winter33

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex50

Women17

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Work 36%Casual 33%Date 22%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#64,349

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#64,096

PerfumerOleg Grabchuk

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerPreludeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Arcadia No.18 Bête Noir opens green and slightly fruity, with hyacinth and pineapple giving it a cool, polished lift before iris, jasmine, and pink pepper soften the centre. The dry-down leans musky, powdery, earthy, and gently sweet. It reads more like a textured floral musk than a bright fruity scent. If you enjoy p…

Reviews →

Prelude by G Parfums delivers a cool, rooty burst of earthy iris wrapped in a soft blanket of clean white musk. Right after the first spray, you notice a sharp, crisp solvent lift that quickly softens into powdery violet tones and sweet jasmine petals. The texture feels remarkably dry and suede-like on the skin, avoid…

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, No.18 Bête Noir or Prelude?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. No.18 Bête Noir is rated 3.00/5 from 9 votes; Prelude is rated 3.28/5 from 18 votes. Choose No.18 Bête Noir for a musky and powdery character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in winter, day or night wear. Choose Prelude for a iris and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, No.18 Bête Noir or Prelude?

They last about the same: No.18 Bête Noir 67/100, Prelude 65/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, No.18 Bête Noir or Prelude?

Prelude projects furthest (Prelude 79/100, No.18 Bête Noir 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do No.18 Bête Noir and Prelude smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, musky and earthy accords. Common notes include Iris, Jasmine, Musk and Amber.

Is No.18 Bête Noir or Prelude better for summer or winter?

No.18 Bête Noir suits day or night wear; Prelude suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in No.18 Bête Noir and Prelude?

No.18 Bête Noir has top notes of Hyacinth and Pineapple, heart notes of Iris, Jasmine and Pink Pepper, a base of Musk, Vetiver, Patchouli and Amber. Prelude features Iris, Musk, Amber and Jasmine.