Fragrance comparison

Apex vs Black Leather

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 1,883 ratings analysed

5 wins

Apex

Roja Dove

3.841,785 votes

Rank #1,380 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

11%scent match

Clearly different

Black Leather

J-Scent

3.7398 votes

Rank #14,351 LeatherMossy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Apex takes 5 of 7 categories.

Apex
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Black Leather
Choose it for a leather and mossy character. Wins on community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.

Apex5/7

Black Leather2/7

Ratings & consensus: Apex
Community sentiment: Black Leather
Longevity: Apex
Sillage & projection: Apex
Value for money: Black Leather
Versatility: Apex
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Apex

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ApexRoja Dove

Black LeatherJ-Scent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.84/ 5 · 1,785 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

3.73/ 5 · 98 votes

Have 39%Had 6%Want 55%

Category winnerApexRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

24%Like

13%Ok

8%Dislike

10%Hate

1,136 votes

27%Love

42%Like

16%Ok

9%Dislike

6%Hate

98 votes

Category winnerBlack LeatherMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityApex

SillageApex

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value36

¤ Price value67

Category winnerBlack LeatherBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

woody100%

aromatic92%

fresh spicy84%

citrus77%

amber69%

sweet61%

leather100%

mossy92%

animalic84%

tobacco77%

earthy69%

white floral61%

Scent match11%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotOrangeMandarin OrangeLemon

Heart

PineappleCistus IncanusJasmine

Base

CypressBalsam FirOakmossLeatherPatchouliTobaccoJuniper BerriesOlibanum

Notes

LeatherOakmossTobaccoJasmineMuskAmberBergamotVanilla

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Jasmine, Oakmoss and Leather. 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

Summer0

Fall0

Winter83

Day–

Night–

Spring65

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerApexMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men94

Unisex3

Women2

Men40

Unisex60

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,380

PerfumerRoja Dove

Launched—

Reviews413

Overall rank#14,351

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews18

Category winnerApexHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Apex opens bright with citrus and pineapple, then quickly turns greener, woodsier, and more old-school in character. Cypress, oakmoss, leather, and fir give it a masculine, outdoorsy feel that many find polished, while others find dated or too forceful. It suits someone who likes classic chypre structure with a modern…

Reviews →

Black Leather opens with a sharp burst of bergamot and dry pipe tobacco before settling into a damp oakmoss base. Soft vanilla and white jasmine tame the raw tannic leather, keeping the scent smooth rather than aggressive on skin. Designed for cold crisp days, it suits casual evening wear or quiet indoor settings whe…

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, Apex or Black Leather?

Apex takes 5 of 7 categories. Apex is rated 3.84/5 from 1,785 votes; Black Leather is rated 3.73/5 from 98 votes. Choose Apex for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring. Choose Black Leather for a leather and mossy character. Wins on community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Apex or Black Leather?

Apex lasts longest (Apex 76/100, Black Leather 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Apex or Black Leather?

Apex projects furthest (Apex 67/100, Black Leather 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Apex and Black Leather smell similar?

Clearly different: a 11% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Jasmine, Oakmoss and Leather.

Is Apex or Black Leather better for summer or winter?

For summer, Apex is the stronger pick. For winter, Black Leather is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Apex and Black Leather?

Apex has top notes of Bergamot, Orange, Mandarin Orange and Lemon, heart notes of Pineapple, Cistus Incanus and Jasmine, a base of Cypress, Balsam Fir, Oakmoss and Leather. Black Leather features Leather, Oakmoss, Tobacco, Jasmine and Musk.