Fragrance comparison

Patchouli Antique vs Illustrious Unknown

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 302 ratings analysed

1 wins

Patchouli Antique

Les Nereides

4.05300 votes

Rank #4,523 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

Illustrious Unknown

PARUM

4.502 votes

Rank #60,994 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Patchouli Antique takes 1 of 1 categories.

Patchouli Antique
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Illustrious Unknown
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character.

Patchouli Antique1/1

Illustrious Unknown0/1

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Patchouli AntiqueLes Nereides

Illustrious UnknownPARUM

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.05/ 5 · 300 votes

Have 86%Had 14%Want 0%

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 36%Had 0%Want 64%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

34%Like

9%Ok

8%Dislike

5%Hate

300 votes

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value70

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody91%

patchouli83%

warm spicy74%

balsamic65%

earthy56%

woody100%

aromatic92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

citrus69%

balsamic61%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both woody, amber and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Incense

Heart2-4 hrs

PatchouliTexas Cedar

Base6-8+ hrs

AmberBenzoinOakmossVanilla

Top

OrangeBergamotRosemary

Heart

Clary SageCoumarinCinnamonLavenderAglaiaYlang-Ylang

Base

BenzoinIncenseAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliCedarOlibanumVetiver

InformationalShared notesIncense, Patchouli and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Patchouli Antique, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring34

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day68

Night100

No season votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex70

Women18

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,523

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews34

Overall rank#60,994

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerPatchouli AntiqueHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Les Nereides Patchouli Antique opens with an immediate plume of dry incense and potent, earthy patchouli that brings to mind old libraries and antique wooden chests. As the opening sharpness breathes out, the composition warms up with Texas cedar and powdery benzoin, stripping away any medicinal harshness. The dry-dow…

Reviews →

Illustrious Unknown by PARUM opens with a sharp burst of bitter orange, bergamot, and culinary rosemary that quickly commands attention. As the initial citrus sparkle recedes, the composition reveals a complex aromatic heart centered on clary sage, dry cinnamon, and French lavender. The foundation settles into a dark,…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Patchouli Antique or Illustrious Unknown?

Patchouli Antique takes 1 of 1 categories. Patchouli Antique is rated 4.05/5 from 300 votes; Illustrious Unknown is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose Patchouli Antique for a amber and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Illustrious Unknown for a woody and aromatic character.

Do Patchouli Antique and Illustrious Unknown smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Incense, Patchouli and Benzoin.

Is Patchouli Antique or Illustrious Unknown better for summer or winter?

Patchouli Antique suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Patchouli Antique and Illustrious Unknown?

Patchouli Antique has top notes of Incense, heart notes of Patchouli and Texas Cedar, a base of Amber, Benzoin, Oakmoss and Vanilla. Illustrious Unknown has top notes of Orange, Bergamot and Rosemary, heart notes of Clary Sage, Coumarin, Cinnamon and Lavender, a base of Benzoin, Incense, Ambergris and Sandalwood.