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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Reserve vs Amber Wood Noir

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

Updated 245 ratings analysed
Closely related
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Amber Wood Noir takes 6 of 7 categories.

  • Reserve

    Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring.

  • Amber Wood Noir

    Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Reserve1/7
Amber Wood Noir6/7
Ratings & consensus
Amber Wood Noir
Community sentiment
Amber Wood Noir
Longevity
Amber Wood Noir
Sillage & projection
Amber Wood Noir
Value for money
Reserve
Versatility
Amber Wood Noir
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Amber Wood Noir

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
ReserveOriginal Penguin
Amber Wood NoirAjmal
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
3.27/ 5 · 95 votes
Have 54%Had 18%Want 28%
4.06/ 5 · 150 votes
Have 36%Had 9%Want 55%
Category winnerAmber Wood NoirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
24%Love
56%Like
1%Ok
19%Dislike
0%Hate

89 votes

51%Love
30%Like
11%Ok
7%Dislike
2%Hate

121 votes

Category winnerAmber Wood NoirMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity61
〰 Sillage59
♥ Love / hate71
⏱ Longevity75
〰 Sillage71
♥ Love / hate80
Category winners

LongevityAmber Wood Noir

SillageAmber Wood Noir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value75
¤ Price value56
Category winnerReserveBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
citrus100%
woody86%
warm spicy72%
amber58%
fresh44%
fresh spicy30%
amber100%
woody91%
citrus83%
musky74%
warm spicy65%
powdery56%
Scent match65%Closely related · both citrus, woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top
Citruses
Heart
Spicy Notes
Base
Woodsy NotesAmber
Top
Aromatic SpicesCitruses
Heart
Woodsy NotesFloral Notes
Base
AmberMusk
InformationalShared notesCitruses, Woodsy Notes and Amber. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring100
Summer0
Fall0
Winter93
Day–
Night–
Spring53
Summer25
Fall100
Winter99
Day51
Night100
Category winnerAmber Wood NoirMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men94
Unisex0
Women6
Men51
Unisex40
Women9
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,980

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews15

Overall rank#9,346

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerAmber Wood NoirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Reserve by Original Penguin is a fresh spicy woody fragrance with bright citrus up top, a peppery heart, and a warm amber wood dry-down. Reviews often describe it as masculine, subtle, easy to wear, and good value, with a slightly vintage feel. It suits shoppers who want an affordable casual scent with spice and fresh…

Reviews →

Amber Wood Noir is a warm, ambery wood scent with a bright, spicy citrus lift at the start. It settles into smooth woods with a soft floral haze, then dries down to amber and musk that can feel slightly powdery in wear. It tends to suit cooler weather and evenings best, especially if you like confident amber woods th…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Reserve or Amber Wood Noir?

Amber Wood Noir takes 6 of 7 categories. Reserve is rated 3.27/5 from 95 votes; Amber Wood Noir is rated 4.06/5 from 150 votes. Choose Reserve for a citrus and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring. Choose Amber Wood Noir for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Reserve or Amber Wood Noir?

Amber Wood Noir lasts longest (Amber Wood Noir 75/100, Reserve 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Reserve or Amber Wood Noir?

Amber Wood Noir projects furthest (Amber Wood Noir 71/100, Reserve 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Reserve and Amber Wood Noir smell similar?

Closely related: a 65% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, woody and amber accords. Common notes include Citruses, Woodsy Notes and Amber.

Is Reserve or Amber Wood Noir better for summer or winter?

For summer, Amber Wood Noir is the stronger pick. For winter, Amber Wood Noir is the stronger pick. Amber Wood Noir suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Reserve and Amber Wood Noir?

Reserve has top notes of Citruses, heart notes of Spicy Notes, a base of Woodsy Notes and Amber. Amber Wood Noir has top notes of Aromatic Spices and Citruses, heart notes of Woodsy Notes and Floral Notes, a base of Amber and Musk.

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