Black vs Silver
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
38%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Black takes 3 of 4 categories.
BlackChoose it for a leather and vanilla character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
SilverChoose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Black3/4
Silver1/4
- Ratings & consensus
- Not scored
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- Black
- Sillage & projection
- Black
- Value for money
- Silver
- Versatility
- Not scored
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Black
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
BlackBvlgariSilverJohn Player SpecialWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.94/ 5 · 6,516 votes
Have 62%Had 38%Want 0%
2.50/ 5 · 2 votes
Have 17%Had 17%Want 67%
Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate44%Love
39%Like
3%Ok
14%Dislike
1%Hate
5,962 votes
0%Love
0%Like
50%Ok
50%Dislike
0%Hate
2 votes · too few to score
Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityBlack
SillageBlack
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerSilverBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothleather100%
vanilla91%
powdery83%
animalic74%
woody65%
amber56%
citrus100%
woody92%
floral84%
powdery77%
amber69%
fresh61%
Scent match38%Some overlap · both powdery, woody and amber
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
Green TeaBergamotRose
Heart
SandalwoodCedarJasmine
Base
LeatherVanillaAmberMuskOakmoss
Top15-30 mins
Mandarin OrangeBergamotLemonGreen Tea
Heart2-3 hrs
FreesiaPalisander RosewoodJasmineCyclamenIris
Base4-6 hrs
CedarMuskOakmossAmbergris
InformationalShared notesGreen Tea, Bergamot, Cedar and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Silver, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring42
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Spring100
Summer100
Fall100
Winter100
Day100
Night100
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#1,424
PerfumerAnnick Menardo
Launched—
Reviews127
Overall rank#73,549
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews0
Category winnerBlackHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotBlack by Bvlgari is a smoky leather vanilla fragrance with a cult urban character. It opens with green tea, bergamot and rose, then moves into dry woods before settling into rubbery leather, amber, musk and soft vanilla. It suits cooler weather and people who enjoy unusual designer fragrances. Sample first if you disl…
Reviews →Silver by John Player Special kicks off with an unapologetic burst of sharp lemon, zesty bergamot, and bitter green tea. It feels brisk and cooling on the skin. The initial citrus rush calms down within fifteen minutes. As the sharp edges soften, you get a clean heart of powdery iris, light freesia, and palisander ros…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Black or Silver?
Black takes 3 of 4 categories. Black is rated 3.94/5 from 6,516 votes; Silver is rated 2.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose Black for a leather and vanilla character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Silver for a citrus and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Which lasts longer, Black or Silver?
Black lasts longest (Black 66/100, Silver 50/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Black or Silver?
Black projects furthest (Black 55/100, Silver 50/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Black and Silver smell similar?
Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, woody and amber accords. Common notes include Green Tea, Bergamot, Cedar and Jasmine.
Is Black or Silver better for summer or winter?
Silver suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Black and Silver?
Black has top notes of Green Tea, Bergamot and Rose, heart notes of Sandalwood, Cedar and Jasmine, a base of Leather, Vanilla, Amber and Musk. Silver has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Bergamot, Lemon and Green Tea, heart notes of Freesia, Palisander Rosewood, Jasmine and Cyclamen, a base of Cedar, Musk, Oakmoss and Ambergris.
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