Fragrance comparison

Arsenale vs Black Smoky

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 22 ratings analysed

Arsenale

Le Cult 1944

—0 votes

Rank #80,126 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Black Smoky

Areej

4.1822 votes

Rank #31,483 SmokyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Smoky takes 4 of 4 categories.

Arsenale
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Best in fall, evening wear.
Black Smoky
Choose it for a smoky and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer.

Arsenale0/4

Black Smoky4/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ArsenaleLe Cult 1944

Black SmokyAreej

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 0%Had 17%Want 83%

4.18/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 50%Had 0%Want 50%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

Not enough votes yet

73%Love

9%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

18%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hateN/A

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityBlack Smoky

SillageBlack Smoky

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price value95

Category winnerBlack SmokyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

balsamic84%

tobacco77%

amber69%

vanilla61%

smoky100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

amber77%

oud69%

coffee61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

elemiSaffron

Heart2 to 4 hours

PatchouliSandalwoodTobacco

Base4 to 8 hours

AmbergrisGurjan balsamVanilla

Top

cannabisGreen NotesSaffronDavanaThyme

Heart

CoffeeTobaccoVioletWoody NotesRaspberryCinnamonResins

Base

Guaiac WoodIncenseOudTonka BeanAnimal notesVanillaCedarAmber

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Tobacco and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Arsenale, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Spring0

Summer100

Fall50

Winter50

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#80,126

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#31,483

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBlack SmokyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Arsenale by Le Cult 1944 is an oriental woody fragrance built around rich woods, dry spice, and resinous warmth. The scent begins with a distinct flash of elemi resin and dry saffron, offering a mildly aromatic, peppery sparkle. As it settles, earthy patchouli, smooth sandalwood, and unburned tobacco leaf create a den…

Reviews →

Black Smoky opens with an aggressive herbal strike of cannabis, green thyme, and dry saffron. Bitter roasted coffee and dry tobacco leaves emerge within twenty minutes, cutting through the initial green harshness while spicy cinnamon and sweet violet ground the dark heart. As the fragrance settles during cold winter …

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which lasts longer, Arsenale or Black Smoky?

Black Smoky lasts longest (Black Smoky 100/100, Arsenale 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Arsenale or Black Smoky?

Black Smoky projects furthest (Black Smoky 100/100, Arsenale 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Arsenale and Black Smoky smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Saffron, Tobacco and Vanilla.

Is Arsenale or Black Smoky better for summer or winter?

Arsenale suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Arsenale and Black Smoky?

Arsenale has top notes of elemi and Saffron, heart notes of Patchouli, Sandalwood and Tobacco, a base of Ambergris, Gurjan balsam and Vanilla. Black Smoky has top notes of cannabis, Green Notes, Saffron and Davana, heart notes of Coffee, Tobacco, Violet and Woody Notes, a base of Guaiac Wood, Incense, Oud and Tonka Bean.