Fragrance comparison

Black & White vs The Secret Flame

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 98 ratings analysed

5 wins

Black & White

Mandarina Duck

4.5040 votes

Rank #16,411 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

The Secret Flame

Antonio Banderas

4.3858 votes

Rank #13,245 SweetAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black & White takes 5 of 7 categories.

Black & White
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.
The Secret Flame
Choose it for a sweet and amber character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Black & White5/7

The Secret Flame2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black & WhiteMandarina Duck

The Secret FlameAntonio Banderas

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 40 votes

Have 44%Had 9%Want 47%

4.38/ 5 · 58 votes

Have 49%Had 7%Want 44%

Category winnerBlack & WhiteRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

58%Love

38%Like

3%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

40 votes

48%Love

45%Like

3%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

58 votes

Category winnerBlack & WhiteMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityBlack & White

SillageBlack & White

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value74

¤ Price value78

Category winnerThe Secret FlameBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody92%

white floral84%

ozonic77%

vanilla69%

sweet61%

sweet100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

fruity77%

rose69%

citrus61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both citrus and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Violet LeafCitruses

Heart2-4 hrs

Tonka BeanOrange Blossom

Base5-7 hrs

Woodsy Notes

Top

Spicy NotesFruitsCitruses

Heart

RoseAromatic NotesOrange BlossomGeranium

Base

Gourmand AccordAmberTonka BeanWoodsy Notes

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Tonka Bean, Orange Blossom and Woodsy Notes. Durations are only published for Black & White, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer87

Fall78

Winter30

Day100

Night50

Spring55

Summer23

Fall93

Winter100

Day45

Night100

Category winnerBlack & WhiteMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men83

Unisex17

Women0

Casual 42%Work 32%Date 16%Party 11%

Men92

Unisex8

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,411

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#13,245

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerThe Secret FlameHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mandarina Duck Black & White delivers a clean, brisk snap right out of the nozzle. The initial blast pairs sharp citruses with crisp green violet leaf. It wakes you up immediately. Within twenty minutes, the tart edges round out into sweet orange blossom and warm tonka bean. The texture turns noticeably soapy, resembl…

Reviews →

The Secret Flame is a sweet, spicy amber with a fruity-citrus opening, a floral heart, and a softer tonka-amber dry-down. Reviews suggest it wears like an affordable, youthful evening scent, with a noticeable rose-orange blossom phase before the sweeter base takes over. Best if you enjoy warm, slightly gourmand design…

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 & White or The Secret Flame?

Black & White takes 5 of 7 categories. Black & White is rated 4.50/5 from 40 votes; The Secret Flame is rated 4.38/5 from 58 votes. Choose Black & White for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose The Secret Flame for a sweet and amber character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Black & White or The Secret Flame?

They last about the same: Black & White 65/100, The Secret Flame 63/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Black & White or The Secret Flame?

Black & White projects furthest (Black & White 60/100, The Secret Flame 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black & White and The Secret Flame smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and sweet accords. Common notes include Citruses, Tonka Bean, Orange Blossom and Woodsy Notes.

Is Black & White or The Secret Flame better for summer or winter?

For summer, Black & White is the stronger pick. For winter, The Secret Flame is the stronger pick. Black & White suits daytime wear; The Secret Flame suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black & White and The Secret Flame?

Black & White has top notes of Violet Leaf and Citruses, heart notes of Tonka Bean and Orange Blossom, a base of Woodsy Notes. The Secret Flame has top notes of Spicy Notes, Fruits and Citruses, heart notes of Rose, Aromatic Notes, Orange Blossom and Geranium, a base of Gourmand Accord, Amber, Tonka Bean and Woodsy Notes.