Fragrance comparison

Black Intense vs The Opening

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 46 ratings analysed

3 wins

Black Intense

Morris

4.333 votes

Rank #41,437 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

58%scent match

Closely related

The Opening

NEH

3.6043 votes

Rank #18,436 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Intense takes 3 of 4 categories.

Black Intense
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
The Opening
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Black Intense3/4

The Opening1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black IntenseMorris

The OpeningNEH

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 29%Had 0%Want 71%

3.60/ 5 · 43 votes

Have 43%Had 9%Want 48%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

67%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

35%Love

23%Like

19%Ok

14%Dislike

9%Hate

43 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityBlack Intense

SillageBlack Intense

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value47

Category winnerBlack IntenseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody91%

fresh spicy83%

warm spicy74%

powdery65%

violet56%

woody100%

aromatic88%

warm spicy77%

powdery65%

balsamic53%

soft spicy42%

Scent match58%Closely related · both woody, aromatic and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Pink PepperLemonWatery NotesMandarin OrangeOrange

Heart2-4 hrs

VioletBlack PepperCardamomelemiNutmegClary SageLavender

Base6-8+ hrs

VetiverCedarPatchouliMusk

Top

elemiPink PepperCardamom

Heart

LavenderVioletOrris

Base

SandalwoodCedarwoodVetiverPapyrusGaiacSage

InformationalShared notesPink Pepper, Violet, Cardamom and elemi. Durations are only published for Black Intense, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night69

Spring87

Summer67

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night86

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Casual 33%Work 31%Date 22%Party 13%

Men34

Unisex50

Women16

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#41,437

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#18,436

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerThe OpeningHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Intense by Morris is a versatile woody spicy men's eau de toilette that pairs bright citrus with dark pepper and dry woods. The scent opens with a crisp burst of lemon, juicy mandarin orange, and a crackle of pink pepper. As the initial splash calms down, herbal clary sage and powdery violet leaf blend with warm…

Reviews →

The Opening by NEH is a woody aromatic fragrance built around cardamom, violet, and dry cedarwood. It opens with a crisp pop of pink pepper and resinous elemi before settling into a cool, powdery heart of orris. Suited for crisp autumn mornings, professional office wear, and quiet evenings, it stays close to the skin …

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 Intense or The Opening?

Black Intense takes 3 of 4 categories. Black Intense is rated 4.33/5 from 3 votes; The Opening is rated 3.60/5 from 43 votes. Choose Black Intense for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose The Opening for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Intense or The Opening?

Black Intense lasts longest (Black Intense 70/100, The Opening 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Intense or The Opening?

Black Intense projects furthest (Black Intense 63/100, The Opening 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Intense and The Opening smell similar?

Closely related: a 58% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Pink Pepper, Violet, Cardamom and elemi.

Is Black Intense or The Opening better for summer or winter?

Black Intense suits daytime wear; The Opening suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Intense and The Opening?

Black Intense has top notes of Pink Pepper, Lemon, Watery Notes and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Violet, Black Pepper, Cardamom and elemi, a base of Vetiver, Cedar, Patchouli and Musk. The Opening has top notes of elemi, Pink Pepper and Cardamom, heart notes of Lavender, Violet and Orris, a base of Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Vetiver and Papyrus.