Back to Black vs Smoke
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
15%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Back to Black takes 4 of 7 categories.
Back to BlackChoose it for a sweet and honey character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
SmokeChoose it for a amber and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Back to Black4/7
Smoke3/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Back to Black
- Community sentiment
- Smoke
- Longevity
- Back to Black
- Sillage & projection
- Back to Black
- Value for money
- Smoke
- Versatility
- Smoke
- 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 KilianSmokePerfumer HWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.96/ 5 · 7,584 votes
Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%
4.02/ 5 · 132 votes
Have 33%Had 4%Want 62%
Category winnerBack to BlackRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate44%Love
33%Like
6%Ok
15%Dislike
2%Hate
6,340 votes
46%Love
31%Like
13%Ok
7%Dislike
1%Hate
67 votes
Category winnerSmokeMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityBack to Black
SillageBack to Black
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerSmokeBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothsweet100%
honey92%
tobacco84%
amber77%
fruity69%
cherry61%
amber100%
aromatic91%
leather83%
warm spicy74%
woody65%
fresh spicy56%
Scent match15%Clearly different · both amber
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedNotes
White HoneyTobaccoCherryVanillaRaspberryAlmondGingerbreadTonka BeanAmberNutmegBenzoinChamomile
No top / heart / base split published
Top
Spanish LabdanumCorianderGalbanum
Heart
ChamomileRoseCardamom
Base
OlibanumBirch TarBenzoinAgarwood (Oud)Atlas CedarSandalwood
InformationalShared notesBenzoin and Chamomile. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring24
Summer13
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Spring37
Summer5
Fall100
Winter100
Day88
Night100
Category winnerSmokeMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#1,000
PerfumerCalice Becker
Launched—
Reviews517
Overall rank#5,614
PerfumerLyn Harris
Launched—
Reviews42
Category winnerBack to BlackHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotBack 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 →Smoke by Perfumer H is a refined incense and resin fragrance with coriander, galbanum, olibanum, birch tar and warm woods at its core. Despite the name, it is not always a heavy campfire smoke. On many wearers it reads as ambered, woody, lightly leathery and quietly spicy. It suits people who like subtle niche incense…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
Recent comparisons
Head-to-head activity from live history
♛
Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER
vs
Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP
1 person compared this today
Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER
vs
Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP
♛
PrometheuNecalliWINNER
vs
Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP
1 person compared this today
PrometheuNecalliWINNER
vs
Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP
Super CedarByredoRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
NorthMendittorosaWINNER
BohemeSegreti di LuccaRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
Soir de LuneSisleyWINNER
Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Back to Black or Smoke?
Back to Black takes 4 of 7 categories. Back to Black is rated 3.96/5 from 7,584 votes; Smoke is rated 4.02/5 from 132 votes. Choose Back to Black for a sweet and honey character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Smoke for a amber and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Which lasts longer, Back to Black or Smoke?
Back to Black lasts longest (Back to Black 81/100, Smoke 74/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Back to Black or Smoke?
Back to Black projects furthest (Back to Black 68/100, Smoke 62/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Back to Black and Smoke smell similar?
Clearly different: a 15% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Benzoin and Chamomile.
Is Back to Black or Smoke better for summer or winter?
For summer, Back to Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Back to Black is the stronger pick. Smoke suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Back to Black and Smoke?
Back to Black features White Honey, Tobacco, Cherry, Vanilla and Raspberry. Smoke has top notes of Spanish Labdanum, Coriander and Galbanum, heart notes of Chamomile, Rose and Cardamom, a base of Olibanum, Birch Tar, Benzoin and Agarwood (Oud).
Popular fragrance comparisons
The matchups people have compared most on Fragranxe.
vs
Sauvage vs Bleu de Chanel
Dior · Chanel · 36 comparisons
vs
Paco Rabanne Pour Homme Rabanne for men vs Shiyaaka Shadow
Rabanne · Khadlaj Perfumes · 30 comparisons
vs
Baccarat Rouge 540 vs Khamrah
Maison Francis Kurkdjian · Lattafa Perfumes · 21 comparisons
vs
Birth of Venus vs Brioni Eau de Parfum Intense
Argos · Brioni · 17 comparisons
vs
Supremacy Not Only Intense vs Arabians Tonka
Afnan · Montale · 14 comparisons
vs
Secret De Venus Eau de Parfum vs # What Matters is Inside - Italy
Weil · Jovoy Paris · 14 comparisons