Fragrance comparison

Black Label vs Wood and Absinth

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 199 ratings analysed

5 wins

Black Label

Yardley

4.0932 votes

Rank #45,313 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

Wood and Absinth

Mark Buxton · 2008

3.85167 votes

Rank #17,741 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Label takes 5 of 8 categories.

Black Label
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Wood and Absinth
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Black Label5/8

Wood and Absinth2/8

Ratings & consensus: Black Label
Community sentiment: Black Label
Longevity: Black Label
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Black Label
Versatility: Wood and Absinth
Note pyramid (duration): Black Label
Fragranxe ranking: Wood and Absinth

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black LabelYardley

Wood and AbsinthMark Buxton

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.09/ 5 · 32 votes

Have 32%Had 27%Want 41%

3.85/ 5 · 167 votes

Have 39%Had 12%Want 48%

Category winnerBlack LabelRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

31%Love

53%Like

9%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

32 votes

24%Love

46%Like

25%Ok

2%Dislike

3%Hate

116 votes

Category winnerBlack LabelMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityBlack Label

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value47

Category winnerBlack LabelBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

citrus92%

aromatic84%

earthy77%

fresh spicy69%

lavender61%

aromatic100%

woody88%

soft spicy77%

earthy30%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

BergamotAmalfi LemonOrangeLemon Verbena

Heart2-3 hrs

LavenderBrazilian RosewoodGeraniumClary Sage

Base5-7 hrs

SandalwoodVetiverPatchoulioak moss

Top15 to 30 minutes

WormwoodClary SageStar AniseCitrusesOrange

Heart1 to 2 hours

Brazilian RosewoodJasmine

Base2 to 4 hours

VetiverCedar

Category winnerBlack LabelLongest dry-down: 5-7 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer11

Fall100

Winter22

Day100

Night27

Spring85

Summer73

Fall100

Winter34

Day100

Night58

Category winnerWood and AbsinthMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men83

Unisex0

Women17

Men55

Unisex43

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#45,313

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#17,741

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched2008

Reviews6

Category winnerWood and AbsinthHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Yardley Black Label is an earthy, brisk woody chypre that smells like stepping straight out of a traditional barbershop on a crisp morning. It hits the skin with an invigorating burst of zesty bergamot, lemon, and tangy orange before settling into an herbal heart of aromatic lavender and clean geranium. As the citrus …

Reviews →

Wood and Absinth by Mark Buxton is an aromatic, woody scent built on the tension between bitter botanicals and dry timber. The fragrance opens with a bracing splash of citruses and sweet orange, paired with the culinary herbal snap of clary sage, star anise, and pungent wormwood. As that initial citrus burst settles, …

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 Label or Wood and Absinth?

Black Label takes 5 of 8 categories. Black Label is rated 4.09/5 from 32 votes; Wood and Absinth is rated 3.85/5 from 167 votes. Choose Black Label for a woody and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Wood and Absinth for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Label or Wood and Absinth?

Black Label lasts longest (Black Label 62/100, Wood and Absinth 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Label or Wood and Absinth?

Projection is very close: Black Label 53/100, Wood and Absinth 53/100 for sillage.

Do Black Label and Wood and Absinth smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and earthy accords. Common notes include Orange, Brazilian Rosewood, Clary Sage and Vetiver.

Is Black Label or Wood and Absinth better for summer or winter?

For summer, Wood and Absinth is the stronger pick. For winter, Wood and Absinth is the stronger pick. Black Label suits daytime wear; Wood and Absinth suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Label and Wood and Absinth?

Black Label has top notes of Bergamot, Amalfi Lemon, Orange and Lemon Verbena, heart notes of Lavender, Brazilian Rosewood, Geranium and Clary Sage, a base of Sandalwood, Vetiver, Patchouli and oak moss. Wood and Absinth has top notes of Wormwood, Clary Sage, Star Anise and Citruses, heart notes of Brazilian Rosewood and Jasmine, a base of Vetiver and Cedar.