Fragrance comparison

Black Gold vs Royal Vanilla

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

Updated 1 Nov 2026 2,322 ratings analysed

6 wins

Black Gold

Mancera · 2017

3.971,859 votes

Rank #483 LavenderFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

Royal Vanilla

Mancera

3.92463 votes

Rank #4,454 VanillaPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Gold takes 6 of 7 categories.

Black Gold
Choose it for a lavender and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Royal Vanilla
Choose it for a vanilla and powdery character. Wins on community sentiment. Best in winter, evening wear.

Black Gold6/7

Royal Vanilla1/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black GoldMancera

Royal VanillaMancera

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.97/ 5 · 1,859 votes

Have 44%Had 13%Want 43%

3.92/ 5 · 463 votes

Have 33%Had 10%Want 57%

Category winnerBlack GoldRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

6%Like

12%Ok

10%Dislike

21%Hate

Share of community votes

40%Love

30%Like

14%Ok

12%Dislike

4%Hate

463 votes

Category winnerRoyal VanillaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityBlack Gold

SillageBlack Gold

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value53

Category winnerBlack GoldBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

lavender100%

fresh spicy99%

woody97%

aromatic88%

powdery85%

violet79%

vanilla100%

powdery92%

amber84%

patchouli77%

violet69%

sweet61%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both powdery and violet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LavenderCinnamonNutmegCitrusesAgarwood (Oud)

Heart

VioletJasminePatchouli LeafSea NotesRose

Base

LeatherWoody NotesWhite MuskAmberVetiver

Top15-30 mins

Rose WaterRoseRhubarb LeafCitruses

Heart2-4 hrs

VioletRose PetalsCaramelOrange Blossom

Base8-12 hrs

VanillaAmberPatchouli LeafWhite Musk

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Violet, Patchouli Leaf and Rose. Durations are only published for Royal Vanilla, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring87

Summer44

Fall100

Winter87

Day100

Night100

Spring50

Summer27

Fall96

Winter100

Day91

Night100

Category winnerBlack GoldMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men69

Unisex24

Women7

Men7

Unisex46

Women47

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#483

PerfumerPierre Montale

Launched2017

Reviews340

Overall rank#4,454

PerfumerPierre Montale

Launched—

Reviews77

Category winnerBlack GoldHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Gold by Mancera is a Leather fragrance for men. Black Gold was launched in 2017. The nose behind this fragrance is Pierre Montale. Top notes are Lavender, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Citruses and Agarwood (Oud); middle notes are Violet, Jasmine, Patchouli Leaf, Sea Notes and Rose; base notes are Leather, Woody Notes, Whit…

Reviews →

Mancera Royal Vanilla opens with a crisp snap of rhubarb leaf and citrus before plunging into a dense bath of spun caramel, damask rose petals, and powdery violet. This is not a simple kitchen vanilla. The base brings forward dark patchouli leaf and golden amber, grounding the confection with serious woodsy backbone. …

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 Gold or Royal Vanilla?

Black Gold takes 6 of 7 categories. Black Gold is rated 3.97/5 from 1,859 votes; Royal Vanilla is rated 3.92/5 from 463 votes. Choose Black Gold for a lavender and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Royal Vanilla for a vanilla and powdery character. Wins on community sentiment. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Gold or Royal Vanilla?

Black Gold lasts longest (Black Gold 78/100, Royal Vanilla 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Gold or Royal Vanilla?

Projection is very close: Black Gold 69/100, Royal Vanilla 68/100 for sillage.

Do Black Gold and Royal Vanilla smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery and violet accords. Common notes include Citruses, Violet, Patchouli Leaf and Rose.

Is Black Gold or Royal Vanilla better for summer or winter?

For summer, Black Gold is the stronger pick. For winter, Royal Vanilla is the stronger pick. Black Gold suits day or night wear; Royal Vanilla suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Gold and Royal Vanilla?

Black Gold has top notes of Lavender, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Citruses, heart notes of Violet, Jasmine, Patchouli Leaf and Sea Notes, a base of Leather, Woody Notes, White Musk and Amber. Royal Vanilla has top notes of Rose Water, Rose, Rhubarb Leaf and Citruses, heart notes of Violet, Rose Petals, Caramel and Orange Blossom, a base of Vanilla, Amber, Patchouli Leaf and White Musk.