Fragrance comparison

Black Essential Self vs No 6 by Raphael

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 36 ratings analysed

Black Essential Self

Avon

4.1021 votes

Rank #50,257 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

No 6 by Raphael

Milton Lloyd

4.6015 votes

Rank #39,595 CitrusFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No 6 by Raphael takes 5 of 5 categories.

Black Essential Self
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
No 6 by Raphael
Choose it for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Black Essential Self0/5

No 6 by Raphael5/5

Ratings & consensus: No 6 by Raphael
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: No 6 by Raphael
Sillage & projection: No 6 by Raphael
Value for money: No 6 by Raphael
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: No 6 by Raphael

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black Essential SelfAvon

No 6 by RaphaelMilton Lloyd

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.10/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 58%Had 10%Want 32%

4.60/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 31%Had 7%Want 61%

Category winnerNo 6 by RaphaelRating 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

60%Love

40%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate90

Category winners

LongevityNo 6 by Raphael

SillageNo 6 by Raphael

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value86

Category winnerNo 6 by RaphaelBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy88%

woody77%

green65%

earthy53%

herbal42%

citrus100%

fresh spicy92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

warm spicy69%

amber61%

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

VetiverBlack PepperMandarin OrangeLemonMint

Heart

GrapefruitCedarGeraniumNutmegLabdanum

Base

IncenseCardamomPrecious WoodsMusk

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

Spring63

Summer100

Fall75

Winter50

Day100

Night67

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men82

Unisex12

Women6

Men64

Unisex18

Women18

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#50,257

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#39,595

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerNo 6 by RaphaelHigher 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 →

No 6 by Raphael by Milton Lloyd opens with an energetic burst of lemon, mandarin orange, and crisp mint, backed by a sharp kick of black pepper. As the bright citrus top recedes, cedar and geranium lend a clean, structured middle layer that feels fresh and office-ready. The base settles into dry incense, cardamom, pre…

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 No 6 by Raphael?

No 6 by Raphael takes 5 of 5 categories. Black Essential Self is rated 4.10/5 from 21 votes; No 6 by Raphael is rated 4.60/5 from 15 votes. Choose Black Essential Self for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose No 6 by Raphael for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Essential Self or No 6 by Raphael?

No 6 by Raphael lasts longest (No 6 by Raphael 77/100, Black Essential Self 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Essential Self or No 6 by Raphael?

No 6 by Raphael projects furthest (No 6 by Raphael 69/100, Black Essential Self 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Essential Self and No 6 by Raphael 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 No 6 by Raphael better for summer or winter?

Black Essential Self suits daytime wear; No 6 by Raphael suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Essential Self and No 6 by Raphael?

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. No 6 by Raphael has top notes of Vetiver, Black Pepper, Mandarin Orange and Lemon, heart notes of Grapefruit, Cedar, Geranium and Nutmeg, a base of Incense, Cardamom, Precious Woods and Musk.