Fragrance comparison

5 THE INVESTIGATOR vs Black Lemon

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 1 ratings analysed

5 THE INVESTIGATOR

hOUSE OF hELIOS

5.001 votes

Rank #51,600 AromaticCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Black Lemon

Spezieria di San Marco

—0 votes

Rank #70,986 CitrusEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 2 categories split 1–1.

5 THE INVESTIGATOR
Choose it for a aromatic and citrus character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Black Lemon
Choose it for a citrus and earthy character. Wins on note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.

5 THE INVESTIGATOR1/2

Black Lemon1/2

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Not scored
Sillage & projection: Not scored
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Black Lemon
Fragranxe ranking: 5 THE INVESTIGATOR

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

5 THE INVESTIGATORhOUSE OF hELIOS

Black LemonSpezieria di San Marco

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 9%Had 0%Want 91%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 20%Had 0%Want 80%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

citrus90%

fresh spicy80%

woody70%

green60%

lavender50%

citrus100%

earthy83%

mossy65%

fruity48%

woody30%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both citrus and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

MandarinOrangeLemon

Heart2-3 hrs

LavenderRosemaryNeroliBasil

Base4-6 hrs

Tonka BeanCedarwoodVetiver

Top15-30 mins

LemonGrapefruitMandarinCedarBasil

Heart2-4 hrs

FigNeroliPeonyRosemary

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossVetiverHeliotropeCedarwoodMusk

Category winnerBlack LemonLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night35

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night44

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

Casual 40%Work 36%Date 14%Party 10%

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Casual 37%Work 34%Date 20%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#51,600

PerfumerMarine Mercé

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#70,986

PerfumerAlessandro Olmo

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winner5 THE INVESTIGATORHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

House of Helios 5 The Investigator wakes up your senses with a sharp squeeze of yellow lemon, ripe mandarin, and juicy orange. The citrus burst is bright. It does not linger long, though. Within fifteen minutes, the brisk top notes step aside for an aromatic garden blend of clean lavender, peppery basil, and crisp ros…

Reviews →

Black Lemon by Spezieria di San Marco takes the traditional Italian citrus profile and gives it a shadowy, sun-dried twist. The opening delivers a vibrant splash of tart lemon, bitter grapefruit, and green basil before easing into a lush heart of ripe fig and clean neroli blossom. As the fragrance settles on skin, dee…

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.

Do 5 THE INVESTIGATOR and Black Lemon smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and woody accords. Common notes include Mandarin, Lemon, Rosemary and Neroli.

Is 5 THE INVESTIGATOR or Black Lemon better for summer or winter?

5 THE INVESTIGATOR suits daytime wear; Black Lemon suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in 5 THE INVESTIGATOR and Black Lemon?

5 THE INVESTIGATOR has top notes of Mandarin, Orange and Lemon, heart notes of Lavender, Rosemary, Neroli and Basil, a base of Tonka Bean, Cedarwood and Vetiver. Black Lemon has top notes of Lemon, Grapefruit, Mandarin and Cedar, heart notes of Fig, Neroli, Peony and Rosemary, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Heliotrope and Cedarwood.