Fragrance comparison

Surhomme Noir vs Water Lilies

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 14 ratings analysed

Surhomme Noir

Parfums de Nietzsche

3.577 votes

Rank #55,634 IrisEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

24%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Water Lilies

The Gate Fragrances Paris

4.437 votes

Rank #43,625 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Water Lilies takes 3 of 4 categories.

Surhomme Noir
Choose it for a iris and earthy character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Water Lilies
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Surhomme Noir1/4

Water Lilies3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Water Lilies
Sillage & projection: Water Lilies
Value for money: Surhomme Noir
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Water Lilies

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Surhomme NoirParfums de Nietzsche

Water LiliesThe Gate Fragrances Paris

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.57/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 13%Had 2%Want 85%

4.43/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 8%Had 4%Want 88%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

29%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

71%Love

14%Like

0%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage48

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevityWater Lilies

SillageWater Lilies

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value0

Category winnerSurhomme NoirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

iris100%

earthy92%

powdery84%

woody77%

violet69%

leather61%

white floral100%

floral92%

musky84%

sweet77%

powdery69%

woody61%

Scent match24%Clearly different · both powdery and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Black IrisDark ChocolateLeatherVetiverAmberPatchouli

No top / heart / base split published

Top

GardeniaTuberosePink PepperPearFruity NotesBergamot

Heart

LotusJasmineYlang-YlangSpicesOrchid

Base

MuskAmberPatchouliSandalwoodVetiverDark ChocolateVanilla

InformationalShared notesDark Chocolate, Vetiver, Amber and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Surhomme Noir, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer0

Fall67

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Spring75

Summer0

Fall100

Winter25

Day25

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex50

Women17

Date 41%Party 31%Casual 15%Work 13%

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#55,634

PerfumerCarlos Benaïm

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#43,625

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerWater LiliesHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Surhomme Noir by Parfums de Nietzsche takes a bold, shadowed approach to modern leather. The first three minutes hit with a sharp solvent lift before settling into dense, bitter dark chocolate and dry black iris. It feels thick on the skin. Earthy patchouli and vetiver soon emerge beneath the floral powder, grounding …

Reviews →

Water Lilies by The Gate Fragrances Paris marries lush gardenia and creamy tuberose with a surprisingly rich gourmand foundation. The scent opens with bright bergamot, crisp pear, and a prickly kick of pink pepper before sinking into a dense floral core of aquatic lotus, jasmine, and ylang-ylang. As hours pass on skin…

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, Surhomme Noir or Water Lilies?

Water Lilies takes 3 of 4 categories. Surhomme Noir is rated 3.57/5 from 7 votes; Water Lilies is rated 4.43/5 from 7 votes. Choose Surhomme Noir for a iris and earthy character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Water Lilies for a white floral and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Surhomme Noir or Water Lilies?

They last about the same: Water Lilies 70/100, Surhomme Noir 68/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Surhomme Noir or Water Lilies?

Water Lilies projects furthest (Water Lilies 64/100, Surhomme Noir 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Surhomme Noir and Water Lilies smell similar?

Clearly different: a 24% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery and woody accords. Common notes include Dark Chocolate, Vetiver, Amber and Patchouli.

Is Surhomme Noir or Water Lilies better for summer or winter?

Surhomme Noir suits evening wear; Water Lilies suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Surhomme Noir and Water Lilies?

Surhomme Noir features Black Iris, Dark Chocolate, Leather, Vetiver and Amber. Water Lilies has top notes of Gardenia, Tuberose, Pink Pepper and Pear, heart notes of Lotus, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang and Spices, a base of Musk, Amber, Patchouli and Sandalwood.