Fragrance comparison

Black Forest Elixir vs Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 171 ratings analysed

5 wins

Black Forest Elixir

Al Ambra

4.2453 votes

Rank #5,472 CitrusMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016

Marc Jacobs

3.69118 votes

Rank #18,796 PowderyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Forest Elixir takes 5 of 5 categories.

Black Forest Elixir
Choose it for a citrus and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016
Choose it for a powdery and citrus character. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Black Forest Elixir5/5

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 20160/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black Forest ElixirAl Ambra

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016Marc Jacobs

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.24/ 5 · 53 votes

Have 20%Had 5%Want 74%

3.69/ 5 · 118 votes

Have 35%Had 16%Want 49%

Category winnerBlack Forest ElixirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

50%Like

6%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

21%Love

50%Like

5%Ok

24%Dislike

0%Hate

118 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity45

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityBlack Forest Elixir

SillageBlack Forest Elixir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value84

¤ Price value64

Category winnerBlack Forest ElixirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

musky92%

aldehydic84%

white floral77%

woody69%

fresh61%

powdery100%

citrus91%

aquatic83%

woody74%

fresh65%

musky56%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both citrus, musky and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AldehydesMandarin OrangeWhite PeachBergamot

Heart

Orange BlossomLily-of-the-ValleyAmbretteVetiverMahonia

Base

AmbroxanVanillaMuskAkigalawoodPatchouli

Top15-30 mins

Watery NotesBergamotWhite PeachMandarin OrangeOrange

Heart1.5-3 hrs

Cotton FlowerLavenderJasmineLily-of-the-Valley

Base3-5 hrs

MuskWhite WoodsSuedeSandalwood

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, White Peach, Bergamot and Lily-of-the-Valley. Durations are only published for Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter25

Day100

Night57

Spring97

Summer100

Fall41

Winter28

Day100

Night17

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men27

Unisex45

Women27

Men18

Unisex73

Women9

Casual 48%Work 39%Date 8%Party 5%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,472

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Overall rank#18,796

PerfumerSteven Claisse

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerBlack Forest ElixirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Forest Elixir is a bright, clean aldehydic floral musk with a juicy peach and citrus lift. It opens sparkly and soapy-fresh, then settles into orange blossom and soft white florals over musky ambroxan, with a touch of vanilla and woods. It is often described as polished and airy, but it can lean more feminine on…

Reviews →

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 captures the comforting smell of freshly laundered cotton t-shirts drying in the summer breeze. It is remarkably light. The fragrance opens with a bright splash of mandarin orange, watery notes, and crisp bergamot before softening into a delicate heart of cotton flower and lily-of-the-va…

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 Forest Elixir or Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016?

Black Forest Elixir takes 5 of 5 categories. Black Forest Elixir is rated 4.24/5 from 53 votes; Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 is rated 3.69/5 from 118 votes. Choose Black Forest Elixir for a citrus and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 for a powdery and citrus character. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Forest Elixir or Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016?

Black Forest Elixir lasts longest (Black Forest Elixir 84/100, Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Forest Elixir or Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016?

Black Forest Elixir projects furthest (Black Forest Elixir 76/100, Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Forest Elixir and Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, musky and woody accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, White Peach, Bergamot and Lily-of-the-Valley.

Is Black Forest Elixir or Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 better for summer or winter?

Black Forest Elixir suits daytime wear; Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Forest Elixir and Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016?

Black Forest Elixir has top notes of Aldehydes, Mandarin Orange, White Peach and Bergamot, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Lily-of-the-Valley, Ambrette and Vetiver, a base of Ambroxan, Vanilla, Musk and Akigalawood. Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 has top notes of Watery Notes, Bergamot, White Peach and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Cotton Flower, Lavender, Jasmine and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Musk, White Woods, Suede and Sandalwood.