Fragrance comparison

Olibanum vs Iris Ardent

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 72 ratings analysed

6 wins

Olibanum

Evocative Perfumes

4.6629 votes

Rank #18,630 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Iris Ardent

Molinard

3.4043 votes

Rank #19,108 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Olibanum takes 6 of 7 categories.

Olibanum
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Iris Ardent
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Olibanum6/7

Iris Ardent1/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

OlibanumEvocative Perfumes

Iris ArdentMolinard

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.66/ 5 · 29 votes

Have 17%Had 5%Want 79%

3.40/ 5 · 43 votes

Have 21%Had 3%Want 75%

Category winnerOlibanumRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

69%Love

28%Like

3%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

29 votes

21%Love

35%Like

21%Ok

9%Dislike

14%Hate

43 votes

Category winnerOlibanumMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate91

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage49

♥ Love / hate60

Category winners

LongevityOlibanum

SillageOlibanum

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value52

Category winnerOlibanumBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fresh spicy90%

aromatic80%

amber70%

smoky60%

iris50%

woody100%

aromatic92%

leather84%

iris77%

earthy69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CypressJuniper

Heart2-4 hrs

OlibanumIris

Base8-12+ hrs

Ash

Top

JuniperCypressAngelicaMandarin

Heart

IrisIncenseViolet LeavesPepper

Base

LeatherVetiverAmberMusk

InformationalShared notesCypress, Juniper and Iris. Durations are only published for Olibanum, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer0

Fall100

Winter83

Day100

Night92

Spring100

Summer25

Fall88

Winter81

Day100

Night90

Category winnerIris ArdentMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex67

Women33

Work 39%Casual 33%Date 19%Party 8%

Men35

Unisex35

Women30

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,630

PerfumerMark Evans

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#19,108

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerOlibanumHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Evocative Perfumes Olibanum strips away modern sweetness to deliver raw, meditative frankincense. The opening hits fast. Fresh crushed cypress and bitter juniper needles deliver a brisk, pine-scented shock to the nose. Within twenty minutes, the coniferous blast calms down. Earthy olibanum resin steps forward alongsi…

Reviews →

Molinard Iris Ardent puts a smoky, aromatic spin on classic iris root. Opening with a sharp burst of fresh cypress, bitter juniper berry, and juicy mandarin, the fragrance quickly settles into a rich core of powdery violet leaves and frankincense. As it warms on the skin, smooth suede leather, earthy vetiver, and clea…

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, Olibanum or Iris Ardent?

Olibanum takes 6 of 7 categories. Olibanum is rated 4.66/5 from 29 votes; Iris Ardent is rated 3.40/5 from 43 votes. Choose Olibanum for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Iris Ardent for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Olibanum or Iris Ardent?

Olibanum lasts longest (Olibanum 76/100, Iris Ardent 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Olibanum or Iris Ardent?

Olibanum projects furthest (Olibanum 54/100, Iris Ardent 49/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Olibanum and Iris Ardent smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Cypress, Juniper and Iris.

Is Olibanum or Iris Ardent better for summer or winter?

For summer, Iris Ardent is the stronger pick. For winter, Olibanum is the stronger pick. Olibanum suits daytime wear; Iris Ardent suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Olibanum and Iris Ardent?

Olibanum has top notes of Cypress and Juniper, heart notes of Olibanum and Iris, a base of Ash. Iris Ardent has top notes of Juniper, Cypress, Angelica and Mandarin, heart notes of Iris, Incense, Violet Leaves and Pepper, a base of Leather, Vetiver, Amber and Musk.