Fragrance comparison

Black Bold vs Whiff

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 9 ratings analysed

3 wins

Black Bold

Marc Joseph

4.405 votes

Rank #39,673 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

Whiff

Sergey Gubanov

3.004 votes

Rank #63,882 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Bold takes 3 of 3 categories.

Black Bold
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Whiff
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Best in summer, day or night wear.

Black Bold3/3

Whiff0/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black BoldMarc Joseph

WhiffSergey Gubanov

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.40/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 56%Had 17%Want 28%

3.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 29%Had 18%Want 53%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

60%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

0%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

50%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage42

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityBlack Bold

SillageBlack Bold

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value67

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody92%

anis84%

leather77%

aromatic69%

soft spicy61%

woody100%

amber92%

vanilla84%

aromatic77%

powdery69%

soft spicy61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and soft spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

LemonBergamot

Heart2-3 hrs

Guaiac WoodStar Anise

Base5-7 hrs

LeatherTonka Bean

Top

LemonStar AniseCypressPink Pepper

Heart

OlibanumAlmondViolet

Base

VanillaGuaiac WoodSandalwoodTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesLemon, Guaiac Wood, Star Anise and Tonka Bean. Durations are only published for Black Bold, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer50

Fall50

Winter100

Day75

Night100

Spring0

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men78

Unisex22

Women0

Casual 31%Date 29%Work 27%Party 14%

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#39,673

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#63,882

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBlack BoldHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Joseph Black Bold delivers an immediate burst of crisp lemon and tart bergamot that quickly dries down into a warm, shadowy heart. The citrus zest gives way to spicy star anise and smoky guaiac wood within fifteen minutes. As the scent settles against warm skin, smooth leather and sweet tonka bean take over the b…

Reviews →

Whiff by Sergey Gubanov, launched in 2016, offers a complex unisex scent profile. It opens with bright lemon and sharp star anise, settling into a heart of olibanum and violet. The dry-down relies on a grounding base of vanilla, guaiac wood, and tonka bean. It fits casual autumn days where a balanced woody aromatic fr…

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 Whiff?

Black Bold takes 3 of 3 categories. Black Bold is rated 4.40/5 from 5 votes; Whiff is rated 3.00/5 from 4 votes. Choose Black Bold for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Whiff for a woody and amber character. Best in summer, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Bold or Whiff?

Black Bold lasts longest (Black Bold 74/100, Whiff 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Bold or Whiff?

Black Bold projects furthest (Black Bold 58/100, Whiff 42/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Bold and Whiff smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and soft spicy accords. Common notes include Lemon, Guaiac Wood, Star Anise and Tonka Bean.

Is Black Bold or Whiff better for summer or winter?

Black Bold suits evening wear; Whiff suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Bold and Whiff?

Black Bold has top notes of Lemon and Bergamot, heart notes of Guaiac Wood and Star Anise, a base of Leather and Tonka Bean. Whiff has top notes of Lemon, Star Anise, Cypress and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Olibanum, Almond and Violet, a base of Vanilla, Guaiac Wood, Sandalwood and Tonka Bean.