Fragrance comparison

African Gold vs No.03 L'Etang Noir

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 138 ratings analysed

3 wins

African Gold

Pure Gold Perfumes

4.2512 votes

Rank #33,082 SweetWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

No.03 L'Etang Noir

Maison Louis Marie

4.17126 votes

Rank #6,514 Warm SpicyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

African Gold takes 3 of 5 categories.

African Gold
Choose it for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
No.03 L'Etang Noir
Choose it for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

African Gold3/5

No.03 L'Etang Noir2/5

Ratings & consensus: No.03 L'Etang Noir
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: African Gold
Sillage & projection: African Gold
Value for money: African Gold
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: No.03 L'Etang Noir

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

African GoldPure Gold Perfumes

No.03 L'Etang NoirMaison Louis Marie

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.25/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 15%Had 0%Want 85%

4.17/ 5 · 126 votes

Have 36%Had 5%Want 59%

Category winnerNo.03 L'Etang NoirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

42%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

12 votes · too few to score

49%Love

37%Like

9%Ok

4%Dislike

1%Hate

117 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity89

〰 Sillage94

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityAfrican Gold

SillageAfrican Gold

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value64

Category winnerAfrican GoldBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

warm spicy91%

vanilla83%

fruity74%

cacao65%

amber56%

warm spicy100%

fresh spicy92%

vanilla84%

amber77%

white floral69%

anis61%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both warm spicy, vanilla and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

GingerTobacco LeafAniseCoriander

Heart3-4 hrs

DatesTobacco BlossomClovesNutmegDried PlumFigWood Resin

Base8-12 hrs

Cacao PodVanillaTobaccoTonka BeanBenzoinHoneyCedar

Top

NutmegTobacco BlossomAnise

Heart

ClovesVanillaGinger

Base

BenzoinTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesGinger, Anise, Tobacco Blossom and Cloves. Durations are only published for African Gold, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer50

Fall75

Winter100

Day35

Night100

Spring13

Summer8

Fall100

Winter92

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Date 40%Party 31%Casual 19%Work 10%

Men2

Unisex59

Women39

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#33,082

PerfumerJimmy Anton Studer

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#6,514

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews30

Category winnerNo.03 L'Etang NoirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

African Gold by Pure Gold Perfumes delivers a dark, honeyed wallop of spice from the very first spray. Do not overspray this. The opening strikes with sharp ginger, licorice-tinged anise, and coarse coriander seed before unrolling a sticky feast of dried dates and dark stewed plum. Tobacco blossom and grated nutmeg bu…

Reviews →

No.03 L'Etang Noir is an oriental spicy fragrance that centers on a prominent tobacco flower note. It balances warmth with a rich blend of nutmeg, clove, and ginger, finished by a soft vanilla base. This unisex scent performs well on skin during crisp autumn days or deep winter evenings, offering a cozy profile that a…

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, African Gold or No.03 L'Etang Noir?

African Gold takes 3 of 5 categories. African Gold is rated 4.25/5 from 12 votes; No.03 L'Etang Noir is rated 4.17/5 from 126 votes. Choose African Gold for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose No.03 L'Etang Noir for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, African Gold or No.03 L'Etang Noir?

African Gold lasts longest (African Gold 89/100, No.03 L'Etang Noir 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, African Gold or No.03 L'Etang Noir?

African Gold projects furthest (African Gold 94/100, No.03 L'Etang Noir 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do African Gold and No.03 L'Etang Noir smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, vanilla and amber accords. Common notes include Ginger, Anise, Tobacco Blossom and Cloves.

Is African Gold or No.03 L'Etang Noir better for summer or winter?

African Gold suits evening wear; No.03 L'Etang Noir suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in African Gold and No.03 L'Etang Noir?

African Gold has top notes of Ginger, Tobacco Leaf, Anise and Coriander, heart notes of Dates, Tobacco Blossom, Cloves and Nutmeg, a base of Cacao Pod, Vanilla, Tobacco and Tonka Bean. No.03 L'Etang Noir has top notes of Nutmeg, Tobacco Blossom and Anise, heart notes of Cloves, Vanilla and Ginger, a base of Benzoin and Tonka Bean.