Fragrance comparison

Around Midnight vs Back to Black

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 7,655 ratings analysed

4 wins

Around Midnight

Mark Buxton

4.1771 votes

Rank #20,553 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

14%scent match

Clearly different

Back to Black

By Kilian

3.967,584 votes

Rank #988 SweetHoney

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Around Midnight takes 4 of 7 categories.

Around Midnight
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Back to Black
Choose it for a sweet and honey character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Around Midnight4/7

Back to Black3/7

Ratings & consensus: Around Midnight
Community sentiment: Around Midnight
Longevity: Back to Black
Sillage & projection: Back to Black
Value for money: Around Midnight
Versatility: Around Midnight
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Back to Black

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Around MidnightMark Buxton

Back to BlackBy Kilian

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.17/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 30%Had 14%Want 56%

3.96/ 5 · 7,584 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerAround MidnightRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

42%Love

42%Like

6%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

71 votes

44%Love

33%Like

6%Ok

15%Dislike

2%Hate

6,340 votes

Category winnerAround MidnightMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityBack to Black

SillageBack to Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value69

¤ Price value38

Category winnerAround MidnightBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

herbal77%

aromatic69%

warm spicy61%

sweet100%

honey92%

tobacco84%

amber77%

fruity69%

cherry61%

Scent match14%Clearly different · both amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

PepperChamomileGeranium

Heart1 to 2 hours

Jasmine

Base3 to 5 hours

French labdanumCedarStyraxPatchouli

Notes

White HoneyTobaccoCherryVanillaRaspberryAlmondGingerbreadTonka BeanAmberNutmegBenzoinChamomile

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesChamomile. Durations are only published for Around Midnight, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring27

Summer20

Fall80

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Spring24

Summer13

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAround MidnightMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men75

Unisex25

Women0

Men22

Unisex57

Women21

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,553

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#988

PerfumerCalice Becker

Launched—

Reviews517

Category winnerBack to BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Around Midnight by Mark Buxton is a dry, resinous oriental fougere centered on smoky woods and herbal warmth. The scent opens with a sharp burst of black pepper and aromatic chamomile, balanced by the crisp greenery of geranium. As the initial spice settles, a quiet jasmine note softens the heart before shifting into …

Reviews →

Back to Black by By Kilian offers a rich, honey-drenched tobacco experience that balances gourmand sweetness with woody depth. It is a dense, unapologetic scent tailored for chilly evenings and formal winter gatherings, where its narcotic, warm character can fully project without overwhelming the wearer. This complex …

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, Around Midnight or Back to Black?

Around Midnight takes 4 of 7 categories. Around Midnight is rated 4.17/5 from 71 votes; Back to Black is rated 3.96/5 from 7,584 votes. Choose Around Midnight for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Back to Black for a sweet and honey character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Around Midnight or Back to Black?

Back to Black lasts longest (Back to Black 81/100, Around Midnight 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Around Midnight or Back to Black?

Back to Black projects furthest (Back to Black 68/100, Around Midnight 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Around Midnight and Back to Black smell similar?

Clearly different: a 14% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Chamomile.

Is Around Midnight or Back to Black better for summer or winter?

For summer, Around Midnight is the stronger pick. For winter, Around Midnight is the stronger pick. Around Midnight suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Around Midnight and Back to Black?

Around Midnight has top notes of Pepper, Chamomile and Geranium, heart notes of Jasmine, a base of French labdanum, Cedar, Styrax and Patchouli. Back to Black features White Honey, Tobacco, Cherry, Vanilla and Raspberry.