Fragrance comparison

Back to Black vs Panache

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

Updated 23 Oct 2026 7,632 ratings analysed

4 wins

Back to Black

By Kilian

3.967,584 votes

Rank #974 SweetHoney

Full profile Similar & dupes

3%scent match

Clearly different

Panache

Parfums DelRae

4.0848 votes

Rank #18,648 MuskyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Back to Black takes 4 of 6 categories.

Back to Black
Choose it for a sweet and honey character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Panache
Choose it for a musky and woody character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Back to Black4/6

Panache2/6

Ratings & consensus: Back to Black
Community sentiment: Panache
Longevity: Back to Black
Sillage & projection: Back to Black
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Panache
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

Back to BlackBy Kilian

PanacheParfums DelRae

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.96/ 5 · 7,584 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.08/ 5 · 48 votes

Have 19%Had 10%Want 71%

Category winnerBack to BlackRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

33%Like

6%Ok

15%Dislike

2%Hate

6,340 votes

31%Love

56%Like

2%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

48 votes

Category winnerPanacheMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityBack to Black

SillageBack to Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value38

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

sweet100%

honey92%

tobacco84%

amber77%

fruity69%

cherry61%

musky100%

woody92%

floral84%

aromatic77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

Scent match3%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

White HoneyTobaccoCherryVanillaRaspberryAlmondGingerbreadTonka BeanAmberNutmegBenzoinChamomile

No top / heart / base split published

Top20-30 mins

Ambrette (Musk Mallow)RumMagnoliaPink PepperBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

VetiverOakYlang-YlangCardamomJasmineHoneysuckleIrisGeranium

Base6-8+ hrs

MuskWhite HoneyAmberOlibanumCedar

InformationalShared notesWhite Honey and Amber. Durations are only published for Panache, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring24

Summer13

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring81

Summer31

Fall100

Winter56

Day85

Night100

Category winnerPanacheMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men22

Unisex57

Women21

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 33%Casual 26%Work 24%Party 18%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#974

PerfumerCalice Becker

Launched—

Reviews517

Overall rank#18,648

PerfumerYann Vasnier

Launched—

Reviews10

Category winnerBack to BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Panache by Parfums DelRae is a dense floral woody musk built on intriguing olfactive contrasts. The fragrance opens with an unexpected splash of dark rum and peppery ambrette seed, cutting through a crisp halo of bergamot. It dries down warm. As the top notes evaporate, earthy vetiver and dry oak take over the core, 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, Back to Black or Panache?

Back to Black takes 4 of 6 categories. Back to Black is rated 3.96/5 from 7,584 votes; Panache is rated 4.08/5 from 48 votes. Choose Back to Black for a sweet and honey character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Panache for a musky and woody character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Back to Black or Panache?

Back to Black lasts longest (Back to Black 81/100, Panache 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Back to Black or Panache?

Projection is very close: Back to Black 68/100, Panache 66/100 for sillage.

Do Back to Black and Panache smell similar?

Clearly different: a 3% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include White Honey and Amber.

Is Back to Black or Panache better for summer or winter?

For summer, Panache is the stronger pick. For winter, Back to Black is the stronger pick. Panache suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Back to Black and Panache?

Back to Black features White Honey, Tobacco, Cherry, Vanilla and Raspberry. Panache has top notes of Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Rum, Magnolia and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Vetiver, Oak, Ylang-Ylang and Cardamom, a base of Musk, White Honey, Amber and Olibanum.