Fragrance comparison

Black Essential Dark vs Paris – Édimbourg

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 1,409 ratings analysed

5 wins

Black Essential Dark

Avon

4.01119 votes

Rank #27,597 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

60%scent match

Closely related

Paris – Édimbourg

Chanel

4.291,290 votes

Rank #27,894 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Essential Dark takes 5 of 7 categories.

Black Essential Dark
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Paris – Édimbourg
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Black Essential Dark5/7

Paris – Édimbourg2/7

Ratings & consensus: Paris – Édimbourg
Community sentiment: Paris – Édimbourg
Longevity: Black Essential Dark
Sillage & projection: Black Essential Dark
Value for money: Black Essential Dark
Versatility: Black Essential Dark
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Black Essential Dark

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black Essential DarkAvon

Paris – ÉdimbourgChanel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.01/ 5 · 119 votes

Have 54%Had 24%Want 22%

4.29/ 5 · 1,290 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerParis – ÉdimbourgRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

35%Love

46%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

4%Hate

119 votes

50%Love

34%Like

11%Ok

4%Dislike

1%Hate

1,290 votes

Category winnerParis – ÉdimbourgMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage46

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityBlack Essential Dark

SillageBlack Essential Dark

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value89

¤ Price value43

Category winnerBlack Essential DarkBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody86%

leather72%

fresh spicy58%

animalic44%

earthy30%

woody100%

aromatic83%

fresh spicy65%

lavender48%

powdery30%

Scent match60%Closely related · both woody, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Juniper BerriesCosmos FlowerCardamom

Heart

Russian LeatherSageOat

Base

VetiverCypressVanilla

Top20-30 mins

CypressJuniper Berries

Heart2-4 hrs

CedarLavenderVetiver

Base5-7 hrs

MuskVanilla

InformationalShared notesJuniper Berries, Vetiver, Cypress and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Paris – Édimbourg, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer12

Fall87

Winter100

Day39

Night100

Spring100

Summer97

Fall0

Winter34

Day100

Night29

Category winnerBlack Essential DarkMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men93

Unisex7

Women0

Men46

Unisex48

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,597

PerfumerMike Parrot

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#27,894

PerfumerOlivier Polge

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBlack Essential DarkHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Avon Black Essential Dark opens with a sharp burst of juniper berries and crushed cardamom, lined with a light floral touch from cosmos flower. The scent quickly settles into a dry heart dominated by Russian leather, herbal sage, and a dusty oat accord. As it dries down further on skin, cypress and vetiver provide a d…

Reviews →

The opening is bracing. Chanel Paris - Edimbourg kicks off with a sharp blast of cold juniper berries and fresh green cypress that feels like stepping into a northern pine grove at sunrise. After ten minutes, the piercing freshness softens into aromatic lavender, earthy vetiver, and dry pencil-shaving cedar. A delica…

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 Essential Dark or Paris – Édimbourg?

Black Essential Dark takes 5 of 7 categories. Black Essential Dark is rated 4.01/5 from 119 votes; Paris – Édimbourg is rated 4.29/5 from 1,290 votes. Choose Black Essential Dark for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Paris – Édimbourg for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Essential Dark or Paris – Édimbourg?

Black Essential Dark lasts longest (Black Essential Dark 66/100, Paris – Édimbourg 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Essential Dark or Paris – Édimbourg?

Black Essential Dark projects furthest (Black Essential Dark 54/100, Paris – Édimbourg 46/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Essential Dark and Paris – Édimbourg smell similar?

Closely related: a 60% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Juniper Berries, Vetiver, Cypress and Vanilla.

Is Black Essential Dark or Paris – Édimbourg better for summer or winter?

For summer, Paris – Édimbourg is the stronger pick. For winter, Black Essential Dark is the stronger pick. Black Essential Dark suits evening wear; Paris – Édimbourg suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Essential Dark and Paris – Édimbourg?

Black Essential Dark has top notes of Juniper Berries, Cosmos Flower and Cardamom, heart notes of Russian Leather, Sage and Oat, a base of Vetiver, Cypress and Vanilla. Paris – Édimbourg has top notes of Cypress and Juniper Berries, heart notes of Cedar, Lavender and Vetiver, a base of Musk and Vanilla.