Fragrance comparison

Black Dianthus vs Colour Me Red

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 132 ratings analysed

4 wins

Black Dianthus

Il Profvmo

3.2589 votes

Rank #14,629 AromaticFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

Colour Me Red

Milton Lloyd

3.5643 votes

Rank #18,783 FloralWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Dianthus takes 4 of 7 categories.

Black Dianthus
Choose it for a aromatic and floral character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Colour Me Red
Choose it for a floral and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Black Dianthus4/7

Colour Me Red3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black DianthusIl Profvmo

Colour Me RedMilton Lloyd

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.25/ 5 · 89 votes

Have 21%Had 15%Want 64%

3.56/ 5 · 43 votes

Have 49%Had 20%Want 31%

Category winnerColour Me RedRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

39%Love

32%Like

3%Ok

26%Dislike

0%Hate

74 votes

19%Love

47%Like

7%Ok

28%Dislike

0%Hate

43 votes

Category winnerBlack DianthusMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityColour Me Red

SillageBlack Dianthus

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value67

Category winnerColour Me RedBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

floral91%

fruity83%

sweet74%

warm spicy65%

green56%

floral100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

fresh77%

powdery69%

fruity61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both floral, warm spicy and fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

CarnationRhubarbThymeRed BerriesBelladonnaLicoriceVetiverCherry

No top / heart / base split published

Top

FreesiaSpicy NotesPeonyBergamot

Heart

Red BerriesCarnationOakmossVioletJasmine

Base

VetiverOrris RootSandalwoodVanilla

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Red Berries and Vetiver. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring60

Summer60

Fall100

Winter96

Day100

Night89

Spring73

Summer27

Fall91

Winter100

Day80

Night100

Category winnerBlack DianthusMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men46

Unisex46

Women8

Men0

Unisex39

Women61

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,629

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews17

Overall rank#18,783

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerBlack DianthusHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Dianthus is a dark, aromatic take on carnation that opens bitter and red, with rhubarb and green thyme, then pulls in tart berries and cherry before settling into a smoky, herbal, slightly soapy, peppery floral. It can feel gothic and potion-like rather than pretty. If you enjoy bitter-sweet florals with a shado…

Reviews →

Milton Lloyd Colour Me Red greets you with an intense floral buzz, leaning heavily on the clean, peppery punch of freesia mixed with hot spices. As the pressurized spray settles on your skin, the initial sharpness yields to a heart of tart red berries and a powdery violet note, all resting on an earthy base of oakmoss…

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 Dianthus or Colour Me Red?

Black Dianthus takes 4 of 7 categories. Black Dianthus is rated 3.25/5 from 89 votes; Colour Me Red is rated 3.56/5 from 43 votes. Choose Black Dianthus for a aromatic and floral character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Colour Me Red for a floral and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Dianthus or Colour Me Red?

Colour Me Red lasts longest (Colour Me Red 71/100, Black Dianthus 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Dianthus or Colour Me Red?

Projection is very close: Black Dianthus 66/100, Colour Me Red 65/100 for sillage.

Do Black Dianthus and Colour Me Red smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, warm spicy and fruity accords. Common notes include Carnation, Red Berries and Vetiver.

Is Black Dianthus or Colour Me Red better for summer or winter?

For summer, Black Dianthus is the stronger pick. For winter, Colour Me Red is the stronger pick. Black Dianthus suits daytime wear; Colour Me Red suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Dianthus and Colour Me Red?

Black Dianthus features Carnation, Rhubarb, Thyme, Red Berries and Belladonna. Colour Me Red has top notes of Freesia, Spicy Notes, Peony and Bergamot, heart notes of Red Berries, Carnation, Oakmoss and Violet, a base of Vetiver, Orris Root, Sandalwood and Vanilla.