Fragrance comparison

Steel Grey vs Ambre Noir

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 519 ratings analysed

Steel Grey

Zara

3.8327 votes

Rank #17,055 CitrusMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Ambre Noir

Adnan B.

4.02492 votes

Rank #1,584 AromaticAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ambre Noir takes 4 of 5 categories.

Steel Grey
Choose it for a citrus and musky character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Ambre Noir
Choose it for a aromatic and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Steel Grey1/5

Ambre Noir4/5

Ratings & consensus: Ambre Noir
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Ambre Noir
Sillage & projection: Ambre Noir
Value for money: Steel Grey
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Ambre Noir

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Steel GreyZara

Ambre NoirAdnan B.

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.83/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 55%Had 26%Want 19%

4.02/ 5 · 492 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

Category winnerAmbre NoirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

25%Love

31%Like

38%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

49%Love

37%Like

6%Ok

7%Dislike

1%Hate

298 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityAmbre Noir

SillageAmbre Noir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value89

¤ Price value83

Category winnerSteel GreyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

musky86%

warm spicy72%

aromatic58%

powdery44%

fresh spicy30%

aromatic100%

amber92%

vanilla84%

warm spicy77%

balsamic69%

patchouli61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both aromatic and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Bergamot

Heart

Cardamom

Base

Musk

Top

AppleCardamomBergamot

Heart

elemiOrange BlossomCoriander

Base

AmberVanillaPatchouliMusk

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Cardamom and Musk. 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

Summer89

Fall78

Winter44

Day100

Night63

Spring47

Summer16

Fall96

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men83

Unisex15

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,055

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

Overall rank#1,584

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews64

Category winnerAmbre NoirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Steel Grey is a clean, cardamom-led Zara scent with a brief citrus lift up top and a soft musky base underneath. It reads fresh, lightly spicy, and easy to wear rather than complex. On skin, it usually suits spring and summer best, especially daytime use. If you like simple, crisp fragrances with a smooth spicy edge a…

Reviews →

Ambre Noir by Adnan B. is a Oriental fragrance for men. Top notes are Apple, Cardamom and Bergamot; middle notes are elemi, Orange Blossom and Coriander; base notes are Amber, Vanilla, Patchouli and Musk.

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, Steel Grey or Ambre Noir?

Ambre Noir takes 4 of 5 categories. Steel Grey is rated 3.83/5 from 27 votes; Ambre Noir is rated 4.02/5 from 492 votes. Choose Steel Grey for a citrus and musky character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Ambre Noir for a aromatic and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Steel Grey or Ambre Noir?

Ambre Noir lasts longest (Ambre Noir 76/100, Steel Grey 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Steel Grey or Ambre Noir?

Ambre Noir projects furthest (Ambre Noir 69/100, Steel Grey 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Steel Grey and Ambre Noir smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Cardamom and Musk.

Is Steel Grey or Ambre Noir better for summer or winter?

Steel Grey suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Steel Grey and Ambre Noir?

Steel Grey has top notes of Bergamot, heart notes of Cardamom, a base of Musk. Ambre Noir has top notes of Apple, Cardamom and Bergamot, heart notes of elemi, Orange Blossom and Coriander, a base of Amber, Vanilla, Patchouli and Musk.