Fragrance comparison

Black Orchid vs Orchid Water

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 31,520 ratings analysed

4 wins

Black Orchid

Tom Ford · 2006

3.8531,503 votes

Rank #469 Warm SpicyEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

75%scent match

Very similar

Orchid Water

Oakcha

3.8217 votes

Rank #55,612 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Orchid takes 4 of 5 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.
Orchid Water
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Black Orchid4/5

Orchid Water1/5

Ratings & consensus: Black Orchid
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Black Orchid
Sillage & projection: Black Orchid
Value for money: Orchid Water
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

Orchid WaterOakcha

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.85/ 5 · 31,503 votes

Have 55%Had 17%Want 28%

3.82/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 44%Had 8%Want 48%

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

47%Love

24%Like

12%Ok

0%Dislike

18%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityBlack Orchid

SillageBlack Orchid

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value81

Category winnerOrchid WaterBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

earthy85%

woody84%

sweet76%

amber67%

patchouli64%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

citrus84%

sweet77%

white floral69%

amber61%

Scent match75%Very similar · both warm spicy, woody 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

Top

GardeniaTruffleYlang YlangBlack CurrantBergamotMandarin OrangeAmalfi LemonJasmine

Heart

OrchidSpicesFruity NotesLotus

Base

IncenseMexican chocolateVetiverPatchouliVanillaSandalwoodAmberWhite Musk

InformationalShared notesTruffle, Gardenia, Black Currant and Jasmine. 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

Spring29

Summer14

Fall57

Winter100

Day10

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex56

Women32

Men11

Unisex22

Women67

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#469

PerfumerDavid Apel

Launched2006

Reviews1,594

Overall rank#55,612

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 →

Orchid Water by Oakcha is a rich, moody scent built around earthy truffle, dark Mexican chocolate, and sweet ylang ylang petals. It opens with an unexpected burst of citrus and black currant before settling into a deep, velvety heart of creamy gardenia, spiced orchid, and earthy patchouli. As it warms up on your 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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Black Orchid or Orchid Water?

Black Orchid takes 4 of 5 categories. Black Orchid is rated 3.85/5 from 31,503 votes; Orchid Water is rated 3.82/5 from 17 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 Orchid Water for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Orchid or Orchid Water?

Black Orchid lasts longest (Black Orchid 83/100, Orchid Water 74/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Orchid or Orchid Water?

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

Do Black Orchid and Orchid Water smell similar?

Very similar: a 75% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and sweet accords. Common notes include Truffle, Gardenia, Black Currant and Jasmine.

Is Black Orchid or Orchid Water better for summer or winter?

Black Orchid suits evening wear; Orchid Water suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Orchid and Orchid Water?

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. Orchid Water has top notes of Gardenia, Truffle, Ylang Ylang and Black Currant, heart notes of Orchid, Spices, Fruity Notes and Lotus, a base of Incense, Mexican chocolate, Vetiver and Patchouli.