Fragrance comparison

Black Forest Elixir vs Valaya

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 4,860 ratings analysed

4 wins

Black Forest Elixir

Al Ambra

4.2453 votes

Rank #5,575 CitrusMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

83%scent match

Very similar

Valaya

Parfums de Marly

3.904,807 votes

Rank #3,325 MuskyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Forest Elixir takes 4 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.
Valaya
Choose it for a musky and citrus character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Black Forest Elixir4/5

Valaya1/5

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: Valaya

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black Forest ElixirAl Ambra

ValayaParfums de Marly

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.24/ 5 · 53 votes

Have 20%Had 5%Want 74%

3.90/ 5 · 4,807 votes

Have 88%Had 12%Want 0%

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

45%Love

24%Like

14%Ok

11%Dislike

6%Hate

4,807 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityBlack Forest Elixir

SillageBlack Forest Elixir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value84

¤ Price value26

Category winnerBlack Forest ElixirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

musky92%

aldehydic84%

white floral77%

woody69%

fresh61%

musky100%

citrus92%

white floral84%

fresh77%

aldehydic69%

powdery61%

Scent match83%Very similar · both citrus, musky and white floral

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

AldehydesWhite PeachBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

Orange BlossomLily-of-the-ValleyPetaliaNympheal™VetiverMahonia

Base8-12 hrs

MuskAmbroxanAkigalawoodVanilla

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Mandarin Orange, White Peach and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Valaya, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter25

Day100

Night57

Spring100

Summer90

Fall0

Winter36

Day100

Night32

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men27

Unisex45

Women27

Men2

Unisex12

Women86

Work 38%Casual 33%Date 18%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,575

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Overall rank#3,325

PerfumerQuentin Bisch

Launched—

Reviews208

Category winnerValayaHigher 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 →

Parfums de Marly Valaya reimagines clean laundry as high-end luxury. The first spray releases a brisk flash of aldehydes, bright mandarin orange, and fuzzy white peach. It feels crisp. The initial mist carries a slight sting of perfumer alcohol, but that evaporates within two minutes. Soon, orange blossom and dewy lil…

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 Valaya?

Black Forest Elixir takes 4 of 5 categories. Black Forest Elixir is rated 4.24/5 from 53 votes; Valaya is rated 3.90/5 from 4,807 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 Valaya for a musky and citrus character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Forest Elixir or Valaya?

Black Forest Elixir lasts longest (Black Forest Elixir 84/100, Valaya 76/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Forest Elixir or Valaya?

Black Forest Elixir projects furthest (Black Forest Elixir 76/100, Valaya 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Forest Elixir and Valaya smell similar?

Very similar: a 83% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, musky and white floral accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Mandarin Orange, White Peach and Bergamot.

Is Black Forest Elixir or Valaya better for summer or winter?

Black Forest Elixir suits daytime wear; Valaya suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Forest Elixir and Valaya?

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. Valaya has top notes of Aldehydes, White Peach, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Lily-of-the-Valley, Petalia and Nympheal™, a base of Musk, Ambroxan, Akigalawood and Vanilla.