Fragrance comparison

Papier Carbone vs Return

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 237 ratings analysed

Papier Carbone

Ormaie

3.61215 votes

Rank #10,441 Soft SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

13%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Return

Panouge · 1990

4.5022 votes

Rank #41,382 Animalic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Return takes 4 of 5 categories.

Papier Carbone
Choose it for a soft spicy and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Return
Choose it for a animalic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Papier Carbone1/5

Return4/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Papier CarboneOrmaie

ReturnPanouge

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.61/ 5 · 215 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

4.50/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 37%Had 30%Want 33%

Category winnerReturnRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

29%Love

34%Like

21%Ok

10%Dislike

6%Hate

163 votes

32%Love

45%Like

0%Ok

14%Dislike

9%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityReturn

SillageReturn

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value40

¤ Price value88

Category winnerReturnBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

soft spicy100%

aromatic92%

woody84%

anis77%

floral69%

warm spicy61%

animalic61%

Scent match13%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Star AniseCoffeeBergamotCardamom

Heart

Clary SageNutmegCorianderLavender

Base

Ambrette (Musk Mallow)PatchouliGuaiac WoodHaitian Vetiver

Top20-30 mins

CardamomCorianderBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

NutmegCedarGuaiac Wood

Base6-8+ hrs

AmbergrisBirchLeather

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Cardamom, Nutmeg and Coriander. Durations are only published for Return, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter40

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer83

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night47

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex73

Women15

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

Work 38%Casual 32%Date 19%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,441

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews35

Overall rank#41,382

PerfumerNot listed

Launched1990

Reviews1

Category winnerPapier CarboneHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Papier Carbone is a soft spicy, aromatic woody fragrance built around star anise, cardamom, paper-like woods and a musky ambrette base. On skin it often reads as nostalgic and unusual, with impressions of pencil shavings, licorice sweets, old paper, ink, warm spices and dry woods. It suits wearers who enjoy conceptual…

Reviews →

Panouge Return smells like crisp October morning air sweeping over worn saddle leather. Spray it on bare skin, and you get an immediate rush of cool cardamom seeds, peppery green coriander, and bitter bergamot zest. That initial citrus sharpness softens quickly within fifteen minutes. As the top notes evaporate, dry c…

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, Papier Carbone or Return?

Return takes 4 of 5 categories. Papier Carbone is rated 3.61/5 from 215 votes; Return is rated 4.50/5 from 22 votes. Choose Papier Carbone for a soft spicy and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Return for a animalic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Papier Carbone or Return?

Return lasts longest (Return 80/100, Papier Carbone 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Papier Carbone or Return?

Return projects furthest (Return 82/100, Papier Carbone 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Papier Carbone and Return smell similar?

Clearly different: a 13% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Cardamom, Nutmeg and Coriander.

Is Papier Carbone or Return better for summer or winter?

Return suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Papier Carbone and Return?

Papier Carbone has top notes of Star Anise, Coffee, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of Clary Sage, Nutmeg, Coriander and Lavender, a base of Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Patchouli, Guaiac Wood and Haitian Vetiver. Return has top notes of Cardamom, Coriander and Bergamot, heart notes of Nutmeg, Cedar and Guaiac Wood, a base of Ambergris, Birch and Leather.