Fragrance comparison

Behind the Curtain vs Belief Black

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 29 ratings analysed

Behind the Curtain

House of Matriarch

3.3611 votes

Rank #61,906 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Belief Black

Marc Joseph

4.0618 votes

Rank #41,168 FruityFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Belief Black takes 4 of 5 categories.

Behind the Curtain
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on note pyramid duration.
Belief Black
Choose it for a fruity and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Behind the Curtain1/5

Belief Black4/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Behind the CurtainHouse of Matriarch

Belief BlackMarc Joseph

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.36/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 17%Had 7%Want 77%

4.06/ 5 · 18 votes

Have 49%Had 2%Want 49%

Category winnerBelief BlackRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

36%Love

18%Like

0%Ok

36%Dislike

9%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

44%Love

33%Like

6%Ok

17%Dislike

0%Hate

18 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate59

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityBelief Black

SillageBelief Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value68

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

sweet92%

powdery84%

leather77%

oud69%

animalic61%

fruity100%

floral88%

fresh77%

sweet65%

rose53%

animalic42%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both fruity, sweet and animalic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

RaspberryBlack CurrantBlack ElderHoneysuckle

Heart3-4 hrs

LeatherLitchiCassiaPeonyWhite AmberYlang-YlangExotic Woods

Base8-10 hrs

Agarwood (Oud)White MuskOrris RootPowdery NotesVanillaPatchouli

Top15-30 mins

Black CurrantRaspberry

Heart2-4 hrs

Peony

Base6-8 hrs

AmberLeatherWhite Musk

Category winnerBehind the CurtainLongest dry-down: 8-10 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day41

Night100

Spring75

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day41

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Date 40%Party 34%Casual 17%Work 9%

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

Date 36%Party 30%Casual 20%Work 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,906

PerfumerChristi Meshell

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#41,168

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerBelief BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

House of Matriarch Behind the Curtain is a dark, complex blend of tart fruit, worn leather, and resinous wood. The opening hits fast with sour black currant, sweet raspberry, and black elder. Within minutes, a dense jacket leather note pulls the sweetness into moody territory. Powdery orris root, agarwood oud, and dar…

Reviews →

Belief Black by Marc Joseph opens with a tart, juicy rush of black currant and dark raspberry. It wastes no time making an impression. Within minutes, the sharp berry bite settles into a fresh, dewy peony heart that keeps the sweetness from feeling sticky or juvenile. The real backbone arrives in the drydown. A smooth…

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, Behind the Curtain or Belief Black?

Belief Black takes 4 of 5 categories. Behind the Curtain is rated 3.36/5 from 11 votes; Belief Black is rated 4.06/5 from 18 votes. Choose Behind the Curtain for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on note pyramid duration. Choose Belief Black for a fruity and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Behind the Curtain or Belief Black?

Belief Black lasts longest (Belief Black 66/100, Behind the Curtain 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Behind the Curtain or Belief Black?

Belief Black projects furthest (Belief Black 61/100, Behind the Curtain 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Behind the Curtain and Belief Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, sweet and animalic accords. Common notes include Raspberry, Black Currant, Leather and Peony.

Is Behind the Curtain or Belief Black better for summer or winter?

Behind the Curtain suits evening wear; Belief Black suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Behind the Curtain and Belief Black?

Behind the Curtain has top notes of Raspberry, Black Currant, Black Elder and Honeysuckle, heart notes of Leather, Litchi, Cassia and Peony, a base of Agarwood (Oud), White Musk, Orris Root and Powdery Notes. Belief Black has top notes of Black Currant and Raspberry, heart notes of Peony, a base of Amber, Leather and White Musk.