Fragrance comparison

Black vs Cretus

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 218 ratings analysed

Black

Max Philip

3.6229 votes

Rank #18,526 FruityMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

79%scent match

Very similar

4 wins

Cretus

LPDO

3.52189 votes

Rank #10,515 FruityWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cretus takes 4 of 7 categories.

Black
Choose it for a fruity and musky character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Cretus
Choose it for a fruity and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Black2/7

Cretus4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BlackMax Philip

CretusLPDO

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.62/ 5 · 29 votes

Have 40%Had 19%Want 41%

3.52/ 5 · 189 votes

Have 54%Had 21%Want 26%

Category winnerCretusRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

28%Love

38%Like

10%Ok

17%Dislike

7%Hate

29 votes

19%Love

33%Like

24%Ok

23%Dislike

0%Hate

99 votes

Category winnerBlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate66

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageCretus

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value77

Category winnerCretusBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

musky92%

leather84%

citrus77%

woody69%

smoky61%

fruity100%

woody92%

leather84%

smoky77%

citrus69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match79%Very similar · both fruity, leather and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Black CurrantBergamotPineappleApple

Heart

BirchPatchouliMoroccan JasmineRose

Base

MuskOakmossAmbergrisVanilla

Top

BergamotPineappleBlack CurrantApple

Heart

BirchJasmineJuniper BerriesPatchouli

Base

AmbergrisMuskOakmossVanilla

InformationalShared notesBlack Currant, Bergamot, Pineapple and Apple. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer93

Fall100

Winter29

Day100

Night38

Spring100

Summer87

Fall0

Winter30

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men79

Unisex8

Women13

Men78

Unisex20

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,526

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#10,515

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews44

Category winnerCretusHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black by Max Philip is a fruity chypre with clear Aventus-inspired territory, opening on pineapple, citrus and black currant before moving into birch smoke, patchouli, florals and a musky base. It can feel bright and fairly loud early on, then settles into a drier, floral-musky wear that may suit men who want this sty…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Black or Cretus?

Cretus takes 4 of 7 categories. Black is rated 3.62/5 from 29 votes; Cretus is rated 3.52/5 from 189 votes. Choose Black for a fruity and musky character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Cretus for a fruity and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Black or Cretus?

They last about the same: Black 65/100, Cretus 65/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Black or Cretus?

Projection is very close: Cretus 57/100, Black 55/100 for sillage.

Do Black and Cretus smell similar?

Very similar: a 79% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, leather and woody accords. Common notes include Black Currant, Bergamot, Pineapple and Apple.

Is Black or Cretus better for summer or winter?

For summer, Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Cretus is the stronger pick. Black suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black and Cretus?

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