Fragrance comparison

Black Bold vs Cretus

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 193 ratings analysed

3 wins

Black Bold

L'Orientale Fragrances

5.004 votes

Rank #30,248 FruityLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

76%scent match

Very similar

Cretus

LPDO

3.52189 votes

Rank #9,444 FruityWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Bold takes 3 of 4 categories.

Black Bold
Choose it for a fruity and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Cretus
Choose it for a fruity and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Black Bold3/4

Cretus1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black BoldL'Orientale Fragrances

CretusLPDO

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 9%Had 0%Want 91%

3.52/ 5 · 189 votes

Have 54%Had 21%Want 26%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

19%Love

33%Like

24%Ok

23%Dislike

0%Hate

99 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity96

〰 Sillage94

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate66

Category winners

LongevityBlack Bold

SillageBlack Bold

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value77

Category winnerBlack BoldBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

leather91%

sweet83%

woody74%

smoky65%

fresh56%

fruity100%

woody92%

leather84%

smoky77%

citrus69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match76%Very similar · both fruity, leather and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

PineappleBlack CurrantAppleBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

BirchRosePatchouliJasmine

Base6-10 hrs

AmbergrisVanillaMusk

Top

BergamotPineappleBlack CurrantApple

Heart

BirchJasmineJuniper BerriesPatchouli

Base

AmbergrisMuskOakmossVanilla

InformationalShared notesPineapple, Black Currant, Apple and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Black Bold, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night79

Spring100

Summer87

Fall0

Winter30

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Casual 31%Work 27%Date 23%Party 19%

Men78

Unisex20

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,248

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#9,444

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews44

Category winnerCretusHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Bold by L'Orientale Fragrances delivers a punchy burst of tart pineapple, juicy black currant, and crisp bergamot right out of the nozzle. Give it three minutes. The initial alcohol flash quickly settles into a rich core of smoky birch wood and earthy patchouli. You get that classic fruity-meets-smoky profile pe…

Reviews →

Cretus by LPDO is a crisp, fruity fragrance for both women and men. It features a bright opening of pineapple and bergamot, leading into a heart of birch and juniper berries. This scent relies on base notes of oakmoss and musk, creating a clean, casual profile perfect for daily wear in warmer weather or casual office …

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 Bold or Cretus?

Black Bold takes 3 of 4 categories. Black Bold is rated 5.00/5 from 4 votes; Cretus is rated 3.52/5 from 189 votes. Choose Black Bold for a fruity and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Cretus for a fruity and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Black Bold or Cretus?

Black Bold lasts longest (Black Bold 96/100, Cretus 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Bold or Cretus?

Black Bold projects furthest (Black Bold 94/100, Cretus 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Bold and Cretus smell similar?

Very similar: a 76% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, leather and woody accords. Common notes include Pineapple, Black Currant, Apple and Bergamot.

Is Black Bold or Cretus better for summer or winter?

Black Bold suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Bold and Cretus?

Black Bold has top notes of Pineapple, Black Currant, Apple and Bergamot, heart notes of Birch, Rose, Patchouli and Jasmine, a base of Ambergris, Vanilla and Musk. Cretus has top notes of Bergamot, Pineapple, Black Currant and Apple, heart notes of Birch, Jasmine, Juniper Berries and Patchouli, a base of Ambergris, Musk, Oakmoss and Vanilla.