Fragrance comparison

Black & Red vs Malbec Duo

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 96 ratings analysed

5 wins

Black & Red

Mandarina Duck

4.2931 votes

Rank #17,681 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

Malbec Duo

O Boticário

3.7765 votes

Rank #33,212 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black & Red takes 5 of 7 categories.

Black & Red
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Malbec Duo
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity. Best in winter.

Black & Red5/7

Malbec Duo1/7

Ratings & consensus: Black & Red
Community sentiment: Black & Red
Longevity: Malbec Duo
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Black & Red
Versatility: Black & Red
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

Malbec DuoO Boticário

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.29/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 42%Had 9%Want 49%

3.77/ 5 · 65 votes

Have 29%Had 54%Want 17%

Category winnerBlack & RedRating 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

34%Love

38%Like

2%Ok

23%Dislike

3%Hate

65 votes

Category winnerBlack & RedMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityMalbec Duo

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value62

Category winnerBlack & RedBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

citrus77%

herbal69%

earthy61%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

aromatic84%

fruity77%

earthy69%

sweet61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and earthy

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

FigCarambola (Star Fruit)CardamomPink PepperViolet LeafSaffronLemonBergamot

Heart

ChocolateOakRoseIris FlowerCassisGeranium

Base

CedarAmberVetiverPatchouliMossMusk

InformationalShared notesViolet Leaf, Geranium, Moss and Cedar. 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

Spring71

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBlack & RedMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men94

Unisex6

Women0

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

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,681

PerfumerNathalie Lorson

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#33,212

PerfumerNapoleão Bastos

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 →

Malbec Duo by O Boticário takes the deep, wine-barrel woodiness of the original Malbec DNA and blends it with rich dark chocolate, ripe fig, and crushed pink pepper. It opens with an unexpected splash of tart star fruit, crisp bergamot, and herbal violet leaf before settling into a warm core of bitter cocoa, earthy oa…

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 Malbec Duo?

Black & Red takes 5 of 7 categories. Black & Red is rated 4.29/5 from 31 votes; Malbec Duo is rated 3.77/5 from 65 votes. Choose Black & Red for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Malbec Duo for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Black & Red or Malbec Duo?

Malbec Duo lasts longest (Malbec Duo 68/100, Black & Red 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black & Red or Malbec Duo?

Projection is very close: Black & Red 66/100, Malbec Duo 66/100 for sillage.

Do Black & Red and Malbec Duo smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and earthy accords. Common notes include Violet Leaf, Geranium, Moss and Cedar.

Is Black & Red or Malbec Duo better for summer or winter?

For summer, Black & Red is the stronger pick. For winter, Malbec Duo is the stronger pick. Black & Red suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black & Red and Malbec Duo?

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. Malbec Duo has top notes of Fig, Carambola (Star Fruit), Cardamom and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Chocolate, Oak, Rose and Iris Flower, a base of Cedar, Amber, Vetiver and Patchouli.