Fragrance comparison

Black Orchid vs Ex Voto

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 31,507 ratings analysed

4 wins

Black Orchid

Tom Ford · 2006

3.8531,503 votes

Rank #446 Warm SpicyEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

Ex Voto

Varriale Profumi

4.004 votes

Rank #56,075 PowderyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Orchid takes 4 of 4 categories.

Black Orchid
Choose it for a warm spicy and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Ex Voto
Choose it for a powdery and citrus character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Black Orchid4/4

Ex Voto0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black OrchidTom Ford

Ex VotoVarriale Profumi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.85/ 5 · 31,503 votes

Have 55%Had 17%Want 28%

4.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 45%Had 5%Want 50%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

9%Like

6%Ok

21%Dislike

14%Hate

Share of community votes

50%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityBlack Orchid

SillageBlack Orchid

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value44

Category winnerBlack OrchidBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

earthy85%

woody84%

sweet76%

amber67%

patchouli64%

powdery100%

citrus92%

woody84%

aromatic77%

amber69%

yellow floral61%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

TruffleGardeniaBlack CurrantYlang-YlangJasmineBergamotMandarin OrangeAmalfi Lemon

Heart

OrchidSpicesGardeniaFruity NotesYlang-YlangJasmineLotus

Base

Mexican chocolatePatchouliVanilleIncenseAmberSandalwoodVetiverWhite Musk

Top15-30 mins

Ylang-YlangBergamotLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

Talc

Base6-8+ hrs

White MuskPatchouliVetiverAmber

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Bergamot, Patchouli and Amber. Durations are only published for Ex Voto, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring25

Summer15

Fall83

Winter100

Day29

Night100

Spring100

Summer67

Fall67

Winter67

Day100

Night41

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex56

Women32

Men20

Unisex60

Women20

Work 40%Casual 34%Date 17%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#446

PerfumerDavid Apel

Launched2006

Reviews1,594

Overall rank#56,075

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBlack OrchidHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Orchid by Tom Ford is a Oriental Floral fragrance for women. Black Orchid was launched in 2006. Black Orchid was created by David Apel and Pierre Negrin. Top notes are Truffle, Gardenia, Black Currant, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Amalfi Lemon; middle notes are Orchid, Spices, Gardenia, Fr…

Reviews →

Ex Voto by Varriale Profumi delivers an unusual collision of bright Mediterranean zest and vintage barber-soft powder. The first spritz unleashes a tart burst of sun-drenched lemon and sharp bergamot, rounded by a touch of sunny ylang-ylang. Within minutes, the zesty sparkle yields to a dense, pillowy heart of cosmeti…

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 Orchid or Ex Voto?

Black Orchid takes 4 of 4 categories. Black Orchid is rated 3.85/5 from 31,503 votes; Ex Voto is rated 4.00/5 from 4 votes. Choose Black Orchid for a warm spicy and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Ex Voto for a powdery and citrus character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Orchid or Ex Voto?

Black Orchid lasts longest (Black Orchid 83/100, Ex Voto 76/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Orchid or Ex Voto?

Black Orchid projects furthest (Black Orchid 75/100, Ex Voto 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Orchid and Ex Voto smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot, Patchouli and Amber.

Is Black Orchid or Ex Voto better for summer or winter?

Black Orchid suits evening wear; Ex Voto suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Orchid and Ex Voto?

Black Orchid has top notes of Truffle, Gardenia, Black Currant and Ylang-Ylang, heart notes of Orchid, Spices, Gardenia and Fruity Notes, a base of Mexican chocolate, Patchouli, Vanille and Incense. Ex Voto has top notes of Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Lemon, heart notes of Talc, a base of White Musk, Patchouli, Vetiver and Amber.