Fragrance comparison

Risque vs Sous Bois

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 421 ratings analysed

2 wins

Risque

Roja Dove

4.07418 votes

Rank #4,877 FloralWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Sous Bois

Parfums Retro

3.673 votes

Rank #57,138 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Risque takes 2 of 3 categories.

Risque
Choose it for a floral and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Sous Bois
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Risque2/3

Sous Bois1/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

RisqueRoja Dove

Sous BoisParfums Retro

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 418 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

3.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 0%Had 8%Want 92%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

48%Love

35%Like

6%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

343 votes

33%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

33%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevitySous Bois

SillageRisque

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value36

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

woody92%

citrus84%

earthy77%

fresh spicy69%

aromatic61%

woody100%

powdery92%

citrus84%

aromatic77%

musky69%

amber61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both woody, citrus and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotLemonLitsea Cubeba

Heart

ChamomileHyacinthRoseJasmineYlang-Ylang

Base

OakmossCivetPatchouliVetiverLabdanumCedar

Top30 to 45 minutes

AlmondVioletLemonYlang-YlangOrange BlossomGeraniumRoseMimosa

Heart2 to 4 hours

Guaiac WoodOakmossLabdanum

Base5 to 8 hours

CedarCivetBenzoinVetiverMuskCoumarin

InformationalShared notesLemon, Rose, Ylang-Ylang and Oakmoss. Durations are only published for Sous Bois, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter74

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men6

Unisex32

Women62

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,877

PerfumerRoja Dove

Launched—

Reviews26

Overall rank#57,138

PerfumerHugh Spencer

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerRisqueHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Risque is a polished green floral chypre with a bright citrus opening, a floral heart led by jasmine, rose and hyacinth, and a mossy, woody base softened by civet and labdanum. It reads elegant, slightly vintage in style, and more modern in texture than some classic chypres. On skin, it can feel airy rather than heavy…

Reviews →

Sous Bois by Parfums Retro is a classic woody chypre that balances bright citrus notes with an earthy forest floor atmosphere. Created by perfumer Hugh Spencer, it opens with a quick flash of lemon, bergamot, and neroli paired with almond and powdery iris. As the opening settles, middle notes of guaiac wood, oakmoss, …

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, Risque or Sous Bois?

Risque takes 2 of 3 categories. Risque is rated 4.07/5 from 418 votes; Sous Bois is rated 3.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Risque for a floral and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Sous Bois for a woody and powdery character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Risque or Sous Bois?

Sous Bois lasts longest (Sous Bois 80/100, Risque 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Risque or Sous Bois?

Risque projects furthest (Risque 69/100, Sous Bois 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Risque and Sous Bois smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, citrus and aromatic accords. Common notes include Lemon, Rose, Ylang-Ylang and Oakmoss.

Is Risque or Sous Bois better for summer or winter?

Sous Bois suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Risque and Sous Bois?

Risque has top notes of Bergamot, Lemon and Litsea Cubeba, heart notes of Chamomile, Hyacinth, Rose and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Civet, Patchouli and Vetiver. Sous Bois has top notes of Almond, Violet, Lemon and Ylang-Ylang, heart notes of Guaiac Wood, Oakmoss and Labdanum, a base of Cedar, Civet, Benzoin and Vetiver.