Black vs William
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
19%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Black takes 4 of 7 categories.
BlackChoose it for a leather and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.
WilliamChoose it for a aromatic and mossy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Black4/7
William3/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Black
- Community sentiment
- Black
- Longevity
- William
- Sillage & projection
- William
- Value for money
- Black
- Versatility
- William
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Black
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
BlackBvlgariWilliamYanina YakushevaWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.94/ 5 · 6,516 votes
Have 62%Had 38%Want 0%
3.90/ 5 · 42 votes
Have 27%Had 9%Want 64%
Category winnerBlackRating 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
36%Love
36%Like
14%Ok
12%Dislike
2%Hate
42 votes
Category winnerBlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityWilliam
SillageWilliam
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerBlackBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothleather100%
vanilla91%
powdery83%
animalic74%
woody65%
amber56%
aromatic100%
mossy92%
soft spicy84%
amber77%
anis69%
earthy61%
Scent match19%Clearly different · both 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
TarragonTulipBergamot
Heart2-4 hrs
VermouthGreen TeaPatchouliCedar
Base6-8+ hrs
OakmossAmbergrisAmber
InformationalShared notesGreen Tea, Bergamot, Cedar and Amber. Durations are only published for William, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring42
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Spring100
Summer65
Fall82
Winter24
Day100
Night43
Category winnerWilliamMost 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#50,709
PerfumerYanina Yakusheva
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 →William by Yanina Yakusheva opens with the crisp, dewy scent of a florist cold room filled with fresh cut tulip stems. Tarragon adds a peppery, liquorice-tinged bite right away, joined by a splash of bitter bergamot that keeps the green floral start awake and energetic. As the perfume settles on your skin, a dry vermo…
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
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Black or William?
Black takes 4 of 7 categories. Black is rated 3.94/5 from 6,516 votes; William is rated 3.90/5 from 42 votes. Choose Black for a leather and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter. Choose William for a aromatic and mossy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Which lasts longer, Black or William?
William lasts longest (William 74/100, Black 66/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Black or William?
William projects furthest (William 58/100, Black 55/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Black and William smell similar?
Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Green Tea, Bergamot, Cedar and Amber.
Is Black or William better for summer or winter?
For summer, William is the stronger pick. For winter, Black is the stronger pick. William suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Black and William?
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. William has top notes of Tarragon, Tulip and Bergamot, heart notes of Vermouth, Green Tea, Patchouli and Cedar, a base of Oakmoss, Ambergris and Amber.
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