Fragrance comparison

Black Orchid vs Malibu Night

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 31,610 ratings analysed

4 wins

Black Orchid

Tom Ford · 2006

3.8531,503 votes

Rank #457 Warm SpicyEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

50%scent match

Some overlap

Malibu Night

Pamela Anderson

3.86107 votes

Rank #9,750 WoodyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Orchid takes 4 of 7 categories.

Black Orchid
Choose it for a warm spicy and earthy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Malibu Night
Choose it for a woody and floral character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in summer, evening wear.

Black Orchid4/7

Malibu Night3/7

Ratings & consensus: Black Orchid
Community sentiment: Malibu Night
Longevity: Black Orchid
Sillage & projection: Black Orchid
Value for money: Malibu Night
Versatility: Malibu Night
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

Malibu NightPamela Anderson

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.85/ 5 · 31,503 votes

Have 55%Had 17%Want 28%

3.86/ 5 · 107 votes

Have 26%Had 14%Want 61%

Category winnerBlack OrchidRating 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

39%Love

33%Like

4%Ok

23%Dislike

1%Hate

107 votes

Category winnerMalibu NightMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityBlack Orchid

SillageBlack Orchid

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value84

Category winnerMalibu NightBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

earthy85%

woody84%

sweet76%

amber67%

patchouli64%

woody100%

floral92%

sweet84%

patchouli77%

warm spicy69%

powdery61%

Scent match50%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and sweet

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

Notes

PatchouliOrchidMexican chocolatePomegranateChampacaGreen NotesVanilleMahoganyAmberLotusViolet

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesOrchid, Lotus, Mexican chocolate and Patchouli. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring25

Summer15

Fall83

Winter100

Day29

Night100

Spring89

Summer100

Fall89

Winter56

Day82

Night100

Category winnerMalibu NightMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex56

Women32

Men0

Unisex11

Women89

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#457

PerfumerDavid Apel

Launched2006

Reviews1,594

Overall rank#9,750

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews36

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 →

Malibu Night by Pamela Anderson blends dark Mexican chocolate, earthy patchouli, and tart pomegranate into a dense nighttime scent. Designed for cool evening outings and late bar runs, it pairs sweet gourmand notes with a woody, slightly spicy backdrop that stands apart from typical light fruity celebrity releases.

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 Malibu Night?

Black Orchid takes 4 of 7 categories. Black Orchid is rated 3.85/5 from 31,503 votes; Malibu Night is rated 3.86/5 from 107 votes. Choose Black Orchid for a warm spicy and earthy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Malibu Night for a woody and floral character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in summer, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Orchid or Malibu Night?

Black Orchid lasts longest (Black Orchid 83/100, Malibu Night 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Orchid or Malibu Night?

Black Orchid projects furthest (Black Orchid 75/100, Malibu Night 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Orchid and Malibu Night smell similar?

Some overlap: a 50% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and sweet accords. Common notes include Orchid, Lotus, Mexican chocolate and Patchouli.

Is Black Orchid or Malibu Night better for summer or winter?

For summer, Malibu Night is the stronger pick. For winter, Black Orchid is the stronger pick. Black Orchid suits evening wear; Malibu Night suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Orchid and Malibu Night?

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. Malibu Night features Patchouli, Orchid, Mexican chocolate, Pomegranate and Champaca.