Fragrance comparison

Black Opium Storm Illusion vs CH Men Africa

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

Updated 14 Oct 2026 213 ratings analysed

Black Opium Storm Illusion

Yves Saint Laurent

3.4139 votes

Rank #18,652 White FloralWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

CH Men Africa

Carolina Herrera

4.20174 votes

Rank #6,088 WoodyCoffee

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

CH Men Africa takes 6 of 7 categories.

Black Opium Storm Illusion
Choose it for a white floral and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
CH Men Africa
Choose it for a woody and coffee character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Black Opium Storm Illusion1/7

CH Men Africa6/7

Ratings & consensus: CH Men Africa
Community sentiment: CH Men Africa
Longevity: CH Men Africa
Sillage & projection: Black Opium Storm Illusion
Value for money: CH Men Africa
Versatility: CH Men Africa
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: CH Men Africa

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black Opium Storm IllusionYves Saint Laurent

CH Men AfricaCarolina Herrera

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.41/ 5 · 39 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

4.20/ 5 · 174 votes

Have 42%Had 17%Want 41%

Category winnerCH Men AfricaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

23%Love

38%Like

10%Ok

13%Dislike

15%Hate

39 votes

55%Love

25%Like

5%Ok

14%Dislike

1%Hate

174 votes

Category winnerCH Men AfricaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate60

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityCH Men Africa

SillageBlack Opium Storm Illusion

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value43

¤ Price value51

Category winnerCH Men AfricaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

woody92%

musky84%

sweet77%

soft spicy69%

citrus61%

woody100%

coffee92%

citrus84%

warm spicy77%

musky69%

aromatic61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody, musky and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Pink PepperOrange BlossomMandarin OrangeBergamotPear

Heart

TuberoseLicoriceBitter AlmondCoffeeJasmine Sambac

Base

CashmirwoodWhite MuskVanillaPatchouliCedar

Top15-30 mins

Mandarin OrangePink Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

Blue SagePimento

Base6-8 hrs

CoffeeKashmir woodAtlas Cedar

InformationalShared notesPink Pepper, Mandarin Orange, Coffee and Cedar. Durations are only published for CH Men Africa, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring25

Summer6

Fall69

Winter100

Day31

Night100

Spring100

Summer70

Fall86

Winter52

Day100

Night61

Category winnerCH Men AfricaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex15

Women85

Men80

Unisex11

Women9

Casual 35%Work 29%Date 22%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,652

PerfumerHonorine Blanc, Marie Salamagne, Nathalie Lorson, Olivier Cresp

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#6,088

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews28

Category winnerCH Men AfricaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Storm Illusion is an oriental vanilla perfume that gives the famous coffee and sweet vanilla backbone a brighter, fruitier spark. The opening hits with juicy pear, fresh mandarin orange, and a touch of spicy pink pepper before softening into creamy orange blossom and jasmine. A cozy base…

Reviews →

CH Men Africa by Carolina Herrera brings a refreshing, safari-inspired twist to the brand's classic woody catalog. The scent starts briskly with juicy mandarin orange and a sharp pinch of pink pepper that catches your attention right away. As the initial citrus blast settles after twenty minutes, herbal blue sage and …

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 Opium Storm Illusion or CH Men Africa?

CH Men Africa takes 6 of 7 categories. Black Opium Storm Illusion is rated 3.41/5 from 39 votes; CH Men Africa is rated 4.20/5 from 174 votes. Choose Black Opium Storm Illusion for a white floral and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose CH Men Africa for a woody and coffee character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Opium Storm Illusion or CH Men Africa?

CH Men Africa lasts longest (CH Men Africa 66/100, Black Opium Storm Illusion 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Opium Storm Illusion or CH Men Africa?

Black Opium Storm Illusion projects furthest (Black Opium Storm Illusion 68/100, CH Men Africa 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Opium Storm Illusion and CH Men Africa smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, musky and citrus accords. Common notes include Pink Pepper, Mandarin Orange, Coffee and Cedar.

Is Black Opium Storm Illusion or CH Men Africa better for summer or winter?

For summer, CH Men Africa is the stronger pick. For winter, Black Opium Storm Illusion is the stronger pick. Black Opium Storm Illusion suits evening wear; CH Men Africa suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Opium Storm Illusion and CH Men Africa?

Black Opium Storm Illusion has top notes of Pink Pepper, Orange Blossom, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot, heart notes of Tuberose, Licorice, Bitter Almond and Coffee, a base of Cashmirwood, White Musk, Vanilla and Patchouli. CH Men Africa has top notes of Mandarin Orange and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Blue Sage and Pimento, a base of Coffee, Kashmir wood and Atlas Cedar.