Fragrance comparison

Black Essential Self vs Sensual Intense Men

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 29 ratings analysed

Black Essential Self

Avon

4.1021 votes

Rank #50,508 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Sensual Intense Men

Johan B

4.508 votes

Rank #36,524 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sensual Intense Men takes 3 of 4 categories.

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

Black Essential Self1/4

Sensual Intense Men3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black Essential SelfAvon

Sensual Intense MenJohan B

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.10/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 58%Had 10%Want 32%

4.50/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 42%Had 5%Want 53%

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

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityBlack Essential Self

SillageSensual Intense Men

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value83

Category winnerSensual Intense MenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy88%

woody77%

green65%

earthy53%

herbal42%

citrus100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

fresh61%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both fresh spicy, aromatic 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

Top20-30 mins

CitrusesPink PepperMintGrapefruit

Heart2-3 hrs

NutmegJasmineGingerCedar

Base5-7 hrs

LabdanumSandalwoodPatchouliVetiverIncense

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Mint, Vetiver and Cedar. Durations are only published for Sensual Intense Men, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer76

Fall82

Winter47

Day100

Night47

Spring67

Summer67

Fall100

Winter33

Day100

Night75

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#36,524

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerSensual Intense MenHigher 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 →

Sensual Intense Men by Johan B delivers an energetic introduction driven by sparkling grapefruit, crushed mint, and sharp pink pepper. The opening feels crisp and invigorating, carrying the refreshing brightness of a chilled citrus tonic. Within twenty minutes, the initial zest softens onto skin, revealing an aromatic…

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 Sensual Intense Men?

Sensual Intense Men takes 3 of 4 categories. Black Essential Self is rated 4.10/5 from 21 votes; Sensual Intense Men is rated 4.50/5 from 8 votes. Choose Black Essential Self for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Sensual Intense Men for a citrus and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Essential Self or Sensual Intense Men?

They last about the same: Black Essential Self 54/100, Sensual Intense Men 53/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Black Essential Self or Sensual Intense Men?

Sensual Intense Men projects furthest (Sensual Intense Men 59/100, Black Essential Self 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Essential Self and Sensual Intense Men smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Citruses, Mint, Vetiver and Cedar.

Is Black Essential Self or Sensual Intense Men better for summer or winter?

Black Essential Self suits daytime wear; Sensual Intense Men suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Essential Self and Sensual Intense Men?

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. Sensual Intense Men has top notes of Citruses, Pink Pepper, Mint and Grapefruit, heart notes of Nutmeg, Jasmine, Ginger and Cedar, a base of Labdanum, Sandalwood, Patchouli and Vetiver.