Fragrance comparison

Substance vs Ambrette de Noir

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 296 ratings analysed

Substance

Brocard

3.754 votes

Rank #59,989 AmberMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Ambrette de Noir

Aerin

3.87292 votes

Rank #4,407 VanillaFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ambrette de Noir takes 3 of 4 categories.

Substance
Choose it for a amber and musky character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter.
Ambrette de Noir
Choose it for a vanilla and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Substance1/4

Ambrette de Noir3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Ambrette de Noir
Sillage & projection: Ambrette de Noir
Value for money: Substance
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Ambrette de Noir

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

SubstanceBrocard

Ambrette de NoirAerin

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 32%Had 5%Want 63%

3.87/ 5 · 292 votes

Have 27%Had 8%Want 66%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

25%Love

25%Like

50%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

38%Love

33%Like

16%Ok

10%Dislike

3%Hate

198 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage38

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityAmbrette de Noir

SillageAmbrette de Noir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value40

Category winnerSubstanceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

musky83%

woody65%

marine48%

aromatic30%

vanilla100%

floral92%

musky84%

amber77%

white floral69%

sweet61%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both amber and musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

AmbroxanCedarSea Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Top

RoseFreesia

Heart

Orange BlossomJasminePeony

Base

Ambrette (Musk Mallow)Tonka BeanBourbon VanillaAmbroxanCedar

InformationalShared notesAmbroxan and Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring53

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex67

Women33

Men0

Unisex16

Women84

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#59,989

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#4,407

PerfumerOlivier Cresp

Launched—

Reviews64

Category winnerAmbrette de NoirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Substance by Brocard opens with a crisp wave of sea notes that carries a distinct salty kick. At its core, ambroxan delivers a warm, skin-like amber accord supported by dry cedar shavings. As the bright maritime opening settles, a smoky musky quality emerges, turning the salty breeze into a quiet mineral woodiness. Th…

Reviews →

Ambrette de Noir is a soft, musky vanilla floral with a polished, cosy feel. Rose and freesia brighten the opening, then orange blossom and peony fold into ambrette, tonka and bourbon vanilla, giving it a fluffy, powdery warmth. It usually reads feminine, smooth and autumn-friendly, with enough cedar and ambroxan to k…

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, Substance or Ambrette de Noir?

Ambrette de Noir takes 3 of 4 categories. Substance is rated 3.75/5 from 4 votes; Ambrette de Noir is rated 3.87/5 from 292 votes. Choose Substance for a amber and musky character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter. Choose Ambrette de Noir for a vanilla and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Substance or Ambrette de Noir?

Ambrette de Noir lasts longest (Ambrette de Noir 72/100, Substance 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Substance or Ambrette de Noir?

Ambrette de Noir projects furthest (Ambrette de Noir 60/100, Substance 38/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Substance and Ambrette de Noir smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and musky accords. Common notes include Ambroxan and Cedar.

What are the notes in Substance and Ambrette de Noir?

Substance features Ambroxan, Cedar and Sea Notes. Ambrette de Noir has top notes of Rose and Freesia, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Jasmine and Peony, a base of Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Tonka Bean, Bourbon Vanilla and Ambroxan.