Fragrance comparison

Black Extreme vs Sacred Flame

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 500 ratings analysed

4 wins

Black Extreme

Mandarina Duck

4.39239 votes

Rank #3,284 VanillaCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Sacred Flame

Argos

4.21261 votes

Rank #2,640 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Extreme takes 4 of 7 categories.

Black Extreme
Choose it for a vanilla and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Sacred Flame
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Black Extreme4/7

Sacred Flame3/7

Ratings & consensus: Black Extreme
Community sentiment: Black Extreme
Longevity: Sacred Flame
Sillage & projection: Sacred Flame
Value for money: Black Extreme
Versatility: Black Extreme
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Sacred Flame

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black ExtremeMandarina Duck

Sacred FlameArgos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.39/ 5 · 239 votes

Have 45%Had 11%Want 44%

4.21/ 5 · 261 votes

Have 82%Had 18%Want 0%

Category winnerBlack ExtremeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

58%Love

29%Like

7%Ok

5%Dislike

0%Hate

239 votes

56%Love

25%Like

10%Ok

5%Dislike

5%Hate

261 votes

Category winnerBlack ExtremeMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevitySacred Flame

SillageSacred Flame

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value71

¤ Price value44

Category winnerBlack ExtremeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

citrus92%

woody84%

sweet77%

white floral69%

fresh spicy61%

warm spicy100%

amber92%

citrus84%

fresh spicy77%

woody69%

powdery61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both citrus, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

TangerineBergamotPepper

Heart2-4 hrs

Tonka BeanOrange BlossomTiare Flower

Base6-8+ hrs

VanillaSandalwoodCedar

Top

GingerPeachTangerineGrapefruitBergamotClovePepper

Heart

CinnamonRosePatchouliTuberoseJasmineOrrisVioletBark

Base

AmberVanillaBenzoinSandalwoodTonka BeanOpoponaxCashmeranVetiver

InformationalShared notesTangerine, Bergamot, Pepper and Tonka Bean. Durations are only published for Black Extreme, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring84

Summer30

Fall100

Winter90

Day79

Night100

Spring50

Summer13

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBlack ExtremeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men76

Unisex24

Women0

Date 30%Casual 26%Party 24%Work 20%

Men63

Unisex32

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,284

PerfumerNathalie Lorson

Launched—

Reviews63

Overall rank#2,640

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews58

Category winnerSacred FlameHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mandarina Duck Black Extreme puts a rich, comforting spin on the modern oriental fougere category. Spray it on and you immediately get a bright burst of juicy tangerine and bergamot, cut swiftly by a dash of prickly black pepper. Within twenty minutes, the citrus settles into a warm, creamy heart where toasted tonka b…

Reviews →

Argos Sacred Flame opens with a fiery pop of ginger, tangerine, and sugared peach that quickly hits a heavy wave of clove and pepper. The citrus stays sharp for twenty minutes before cinnamon, rose, and tuberose take over the middle phase. As the floral heat settles, Mysore sandalwood, tonka bean, and resinous benzoi…

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 Extreme or Sacred Flame?

Black Extreme takes 4 of 7 categories. Black Extreme is rated 4.39/5 from 239 votes; Sacred Flame is rated 4.21/5 from 261 votes. Choose Black Extreme for a vanilla and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Sacred Flame for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Black Extreme or Sacred Flame?

Sacred Flame lasts longest (Sacred Flame 79/100, Black Extreme 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Extreme or Sacred Flame?

Sacred Flame projects furthest (Sacred Flame 68/100, Black Extreme 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Extreme and Sacred Flame smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Tangerine, Bergamot, Pepper and Tonka Bean.

Is Black Extreme or Sacred Flame better for summer or winter?

For summer, Black Extreme is the stronger pick. For winter, Sacred Flame is the stronger pick. Black Extreme suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Extreme and Sacred Flame?

Black Extreme has top notes of Tangerine, Bergamot and Pepper, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Orange Blossom and Tiare Flower, a base of Vanilla, Sandalwood and Cedar. Sacred Flame has top notes of Ginger, Peach, Tangerine and Grapefruit, heart notes of Cinnamon, Rose, Patchouli and Tuberose, a base of Amber, Vanilla, Benzoin and Sandalwood.