Fragrance comparison

Black Heart vs Assenza

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 27 ratings analysed

Black Heart

Landgrim

3.004 votes

Rank #60,854 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Assenza

Pollini Profumi

3.3523 votes

Rank #48,146 AmberSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Assenza takes 3 of 4 categories.

Black Heart
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity. Best in winter, day or night wear.
Assenza
Choose it for a amber and smoky character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Black Heart1/4

Assenza3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black HeartLandgrim

AssenzaPollini Profumi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 15%Had 3%Want 82%

3.35/ 5 · 23 votes

Have 28%Had 0%Want 72%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

50%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

39%Love

22%Like

4%Ok

4%Dislike

30%Hate

23 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate50

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate59

Category winners

LongevityBlack Heart

SillageAssenza

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value38

¤ Price value59

Category winnerAssenzaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody88%

earthy77%

smoky65%

animalic53%

balsamic42%

amber100%

smoky83%

warm spicy65%

balsamic48%

woody30%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both amber, smoky and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Bergamot

Heart

AmbergrisSandalBurnt Sugar

Base

Earthy NotesSmokeDriftwoodBenzoin

Top

IncenseSmokeCardamomCloves

Heart

OlibanumAmbraromeCedar

Base

CypriolBenzoinAmbergris

InformationalShared notesAmbergris, Smoke and Benzoin. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer50

Fall50

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring75

Summer75

Fall88

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men75

Unisex25

Women0

Men39

Unisex33

Women28

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#60,854

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#48,146

PerfumerMichele Pollini

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerAssenzaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Heart leans dark, resinous, and smoky, with bergamot up top before ambergris, burnt sugar, sandalwood, and benzoin pull it into warmer territory. The driftwood and earthy base keeps it textured rather than dessert-like. This reads like a woody amber with a charred, slightly animalic edge. It may suit shoppers wh…

Reviews →

Assenza by Pollini Profumi presents a dark oriental woody profile centered on smoke, resin, and spice. Nose Michele Pollini built this 2025 release around contrast and stillness. The composition opens with a sharp burst of smoky incense, clove, and crushed cardamom before revealing a heart of olibanum and cedar. As t…

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 Heart or Assenza?

Assenza takes 3 of 4 categories. Black Heart is rated 3.00/5 from 4 votes; Assenza is rated 3.35/5 from 23 votes. Choose Black Heart for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity. Best in winter, day or night wear. Choose Assenza for a amber and smoky character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Heart or Assenza?

Black Heart lasts longest (Black Heart 80/100, Assenza 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Heart or Assenza?

Assenza projects furthest (Assenza 58/100, Black Heart 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Heart and Assenza smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, smoky and woody accords. Common notes include Ambergris, Smoke and Benzoin.

Is Black Heart or Assenza better for summer or winter?

Black Heart suits day or night wear; Assenza suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Heart and Assenza?

Black Heart has top notes of Bergamot, heart notes of Ambergris, Sandal and Burnt Sugar, a base of Earthy Notes, Smoke, Driftwood and Benzoin. Assenza has top notes of Incense, Smoke, Cardamom and Cloves, heart notes of Olibanum, Ambrarome and Cedar, a base of Cypriol, Benzoin and Ambergris.