Fragrance comparison

Aromatics in Black vs Oud

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 1,220 ratings analysed

Aromatics in Black

Clinique

4.001,060 votes

Rank #28,761 AmberWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

24%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Oud

The Spirit of Dubai

4.22160 votes

Rank #24,619 WoodyOud

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Oud takes 5 of 7 categories.

Aromatics in Black
Choose it for a amber and white floral character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Oud
Choose it for a woody and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Aromatics in Black2/7

Oud5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Aromatics in BlackClinique

OudThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 1,060 votes

Have 48%Had 19%Want 33%

4.22/ 5 · 160 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

Category winnerOudRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

34%Love

46%Like

6%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

1,060 votes

59%Love

21%Like

9%Ok

4%Dislike

6%Hate

160 votes

Category winnerOudMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity86

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityOud

SillageOud

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value59

¤ Price value25

Category winnerAromatics in BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

white floral92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

floral69%

citrus61%

woody100%

oud92%

warm spicy84%

amber77%

sweet69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match24%Clearly different · both amber and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

Plum TreePink GrapefruitBergamot

Heart2 to 4 hours

JasmineOsmanthusNeroli

Base4 to 7 hours

MyrhhTonka BeanVetiver

Top

SaffronPineappleLimePineBlack PepperDamask RoseIncenseCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)JasmineGuaiac WoodResinsOlibanumRed RoseRoseEarthy Notes

Base

Indian OudPatchouliSandalwoodLeatherCedarWoodsy NotesAmbergrisTobacco

InformationalShared notesJasmine. Durations are only published for Aromatics in Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring38

Summer15

Fall100

Winter96

Day81

Night100

Spring47

Summer33

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAromatics in BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex22

Women74

Men69

Unisex25

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,761

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#24,619

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerOudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Aromatics in Black by Clinique is an amber floral eau de parfum built around a resinous base and lush white florals. The scent opens with bright pink grapefruit, tart bergamot, and a dark plum tree accord that feels juicy rather than syrupy. As the citrus settles, creamy jasmine, osmanthus, and crisp neroli form a vel…

Reviews →

The Spirit of Dubai Oud opens with a sharp burst of bitter lime, pungent saffron, and prickly black pepper before dropping straight into dense Indian agarwood. The wood here smells raw and medicinal at first, heavily saturated with dark leather, smoky incense, and dry cypriol oil. As the initial sharpness burns off, s…

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, Aromatics in Black or Oud?

Oud takes 5 of 7 categories. Aromatics in Black is rated 4.00/5 from 1,060 votes; Oud is rated 4.22/5 from 160 votes. Choose Aromatics in Black for a amber and white floral character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Oud for a woody and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Aromatics in Black or Oud?

Oud lasts longest (Oud 86/100, Aromatics in Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Aromatics in Black or Oud?

Oud projects furthest (Oud 78/100, Aromatics in Black 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Aromatics in Black and Oud smell similar?

Clearly different: a 24% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and woody accords. Common notes include Jasmine.

Is Aromatics in Black or Oud better for summer or winter?

For summer, Oud is the stronger pick. For winter, Oud is the stronger pick. Aromatics in Black suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Aromatics in Black and Oud?

Aromatics in Black has top notes of Plum Tree, Pink Grapefruit and Bergamot, heart notes of Jasmine, Osmanthus and Neroli, a base of Myrhh, Tonka Bean and Vetiver. Oud has top notes of Saffron, Pineapple, Lime and Pine, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Jasmine, Guaiac Wood and Resins, a base of Indian Oud, Patchouli, Sandalwood and Leather.