Fragrance comparison

Black & Red vs Ancients

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 35 ratings analysed

1 wins

Black & Red

Mandarina Duck

4.2931 votes

Rank #17,681 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

60%scent match

Closely related

Ancients

Tanaïs

4.254 votes

Rank #56,025 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black & Red takes 1 of 1 categories.

Black & Red
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Ancients
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Black & Red1/1

Ancients0/1

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black & RedMandarina Duck

AncientsTanaïs

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.29/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 42%Had 9%Want 49%

4.25/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 13%Had 3%Want 85%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

52%Love

35%Like

3%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

31 votes

50%Love

25%Like

25%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

citrus77%

herbal69%

earthy61%

woody100%

aromatic90%

earthy80%

fresh spicy70%

green60%

ozonic50%

Scent match60%Closely related · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Violet LeafSicilian Citruses

Heart2-3 hrs

GeraniumOrange BlossomSage

Base5-7 hrs

Tonka BeanMossCedarVetiver

Top

CypressPineLavenderVioletBrazilian Rosewood

Heart

Balsam FirViolet LeafGeranium

Base

Soil TinctureAtlas CedarIvyVetiverMossTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesViolet Leaf, Geranium, Tonka Bean and Moss. Durations are only published for Black & Red, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer48

Fall95

Winter57

Day100

Night69

Spring100

Summer33

Fall67

Winter67

Day100

Night67

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men94

Unisex6

Women0

Casual 34%Work 32%Date 20%Party 14%

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,681

PerfumerNathalie Lorson

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#56,025

PerfumerTanaïs

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBlack & RedHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mandarina Duck Black & Red hits skin with a brisk pop of Sicilian citruses and ozonic violet leaf. The initial blast feels crisp. Within ten minutes, aromatic sage and bitter geranium take over the heart, cutting through any sugary sweetness with green herbal bite. The base settles into warm tonka bean, dry cedar, and…

Reviews →

Ancients opens with sharp pine needle and resinous blue cypress, cutting through cool air like foggy morning woods. Damp violet leaf and balsam fir settle over a grounding base of wet soil, atlas cedar, and earthy moss. It wears dark, green, and quiet, capturing damp forest floor rather than a barbershop herbal.

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, Black & Red or Ancients?

Black & Red takes 1 of 1 categories. Black & Red is rated 4.29/5 from 31 votes; Ancients is rated 4.25/5 from 4 votes. Choose Black & Red for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Ancients for a woody and aromatic character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Do Black & Red and Ancients smell similar?

Closely related: a 60% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Violet Leaf, Geranium, Tonka Bean and Moss.

Is Black & Red or Ancients better for summer or winter?

Black & Red suits daytime wear; Ancients suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black & Red and Ancients?

Black & Red has top notes of Violet Leaf and Sicilian Citruses, heart notes of Geranium, Orange Blossom and Sage, a base of Tonka Bean, Moss, Cedar and Vetiver. Ancients has top notes of Cypress, Pine, Lavender and Violet, heart notes of Balsam Fir, Violet Leaf and Geranium, a base of Soil Tincture, Atlas Cedar, Ivy and Vetiver.