Fragrance comparison

Black Essential Self vs al03

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 148 ratings analysed

Black Essential Self

Avon

4.1021 votes

Rank #50,508 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

al03

biehl parfumkunstwerke

3.78127 votes

Rank #9,721 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

al03 takes 3 of 5 categories.

Black Essential Self
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
al03
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Black Essential Self2/5

al033/5

Ratings & consensus: Black Essential Self
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: al03
Sillage & projection: al03
Value for money: Black Essential Self
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: al03

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black Essential SelfAvon

al03biehl parfumkunstwerke

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.10/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 58%Had 10%Want 32%

3.78/ 5 · 127 votes

Have 29%Had 19%Want 52%

Category winnerBlack Essential SelfRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

29%Love

57%Like

10%Ok

5%Dislike

0%Hate

21 votes · too few to score

28%Love

46%Like

3%Ok

22%Dislike

0%Hate

67 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

Longevityal03

Sillageal03

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value57

Category winnerBlack Essential SelfBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy88%

woody77%

green65%

earthy53%

herbal42%

aromatic100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

leather77%

amber69%

citrus61%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both aromatic, fresh spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CitrusesBasil LeafMint

Heart

TruffleGeraniumSage

Base

VetiverCedarLabdanum

Top

LimeBergamotLavenderMintGardeniaLemonPetitgrainPineapple

Heart

RosemaryStar AniseArtemisiaGeraniumTarragonNutmegCarnationIris

Base

CedarLeatherVetiverIncensePatchouliCastoreumLabdanumOakmoss

InformationalShared notesMint, Geranium, Vetiver and Cedar. 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

Summer76

Fall82

Winter47

Day100

Night47

Spring74

Summer37

Fall100

Winter84

Day100

Night67

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men82

Unisex12

Women6

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#50,508

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#9,721

PerfumerArturetto Landi

Launched—

Reviews27

Category winneral03Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Essential Self by Avon opens with a sharp burst of crushed mint leaves, fresh basil, and bright citruses. As the top notes settle, a green herbal heart of sage and geranium emerges alongside an earthy truffle note. The dry-down brings clean cedar and earthy vetiver to the skin, creating an accessible aromatic fr…

Reviews →

al03 by biehl parfumkunstwerke is a Floral Woody Musk fragrance for women and men. The nose behind this fragrance is Arturetto Landi. Top notes are Lime, Bergamot, Lavender, Mint, Gardenia, Lemon, Petitgrain, Pineapple and Peach; middle notes are Rosemary, Star Anise, Artemisia, Geranium, Tarragon, Nutmeg, Carnation, …

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 Essential Self or al03?

al03 takes 3 of 5 categories. Black Essential Self is rated 4.10/5 from 21 votes; al03 is rated 3.78/5 from 127 votes. Choose Black Essential Self for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose al03 for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Essential Self or al03?

al03 lasts longest (al03 77/100, Black Essential Self 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Essential Self or al03?

al03 projects furthest (al03 65/100, Black Essential Self 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Essential Self and al03 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Mint, Geranium, Vetiver and Cedar.

Is Black Essential Self or al03 better for summer or winter?

Black Essential Self suits daytime wear; al03 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Essential Self and al03?

Black Essential Self has top notes of Citruses, Basil Leaf and Mint, heart notes of Truffle, Geranium and Sage, a base of Vetiver, Cedar and Labdanum. al03 has top notes of Lime, Bergamot, Lavender and Mint, heart notes of Rosemary, Star Anise, Artemisia and Geranium, a base of Cedar, Leather, Vetiver and Incense.