Fragrance comparison

Black Essential Self vs Boston

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 21 ratings analysed

Black Essential Self

Avon

4.1021 votes

Rank #50,508 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

Boston

Guy Bouchara

—0 votes

Rank #74,381 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 2 categories split 1–1.

Black Essential Self
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Boston
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity.

Black Essential Self1/2

Boston1/2

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black Essential SelfAvon

BostonGuy Bouchara

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.10/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 58%Had 10%Want 32%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity60

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityBoston

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy88%

woody77%

green65%

earthy53%

herbal42%

aromatic100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

warm spicy77%

citrus69%

herbal61%

Scent match54%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

Top15-30 mins

GrapefruitBergamotBasilThymeMint

Heart2-4 hrs

ClovesPine needlesGreen AppleGeraniumSageJasmineLavender

Base6-8 hrs

Balsam FirSandalwoodCedarPatchouliMuskVetiverSuede

InformationalShared notesMint, Geranium, Sage and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Boston, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer76

Fall82

Winter47

Day100

Night47

No season votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men82

Unisex12

Women6

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#50,508

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#74,381

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBlack Essential SelfHigher 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 →

Boston by Guy Bouchara delivers a crisp, traditional aromatic fougere built around forest greenery, culinary herbs, and dry woods. The scent opens with a sharp burst of bitter grapefruit, bergamot, and crushed mint leaves, paired with savory culinary cuts of garden thyme and sweet basil. Within twenty minutes, the bri…

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 lasts longer, Black Essential Self or Boston?

Boston lasts longest (Boston 60/100, Black Essential Self 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Essential Self and Boston smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Mint, Geranium, Sage and Vetiver.

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

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

What are the notes in Black Essential Self and Boston?

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. Boston has top notes of Grapefruit, Bergamot, Basil and Thyme, heart notes of Cloves, Pine needles, Green Apple and Geranium, a base of Balsam Fir, Sandalwood, Cedar and Patchouli.