Fragrance comparison

Black Orchid vs Rouge Royal Elite

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 31,579 ratings analysed

Black Orchid

Tom Ford · 2006

3.8531,503 votes

Rank #465 Warm SpicyEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Rouge Royal Elite

Princesse Marina De Bourbon

4.1276 votes

Rank #18,711 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Rouge Royal Elite takes 4 of 7 categories.

Black Orchid
Choose it for a warm spicy and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Rouge Royal Elite
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Black Orchid3/7

Rouge Royal Elite4/7

Ratings & consensus: Rouge Royal Elite
Community sentiment: Rouge Royal Elite
Longevity: Black Orchid
Sillage & projection: Black Orchid
Value for money: Rouge Royal Elite
Versatility: Rouge Royal Elite
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

Rouge Royal ElitePrincesse Marina De Bourbon

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.85/ 5 · 31,503 votes

Have 55%Had 17%Want 28%

4.12/ 5 · 76 votes

Have 29%Had 21%Want 50%

Category winnerRouge Royal EliteRating 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

46%Like

1%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

76 votes

Category winnerRouge Royal EliteMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityBlack Orchid

SillageBlack Orchid

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value68

Category winnerRouge Royal EliteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

earthy85%

woody84%

sweet76%

amber67%

patchouli64%

fruity100%

sweet83%

woody65%

vanilla48%

amber30%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both sweet, 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

Top20 to 30 minutes

StrawberryRaspberryBlack Currant

Heart2 to 3 hours

Ylang-YlangJasmineRose

Base4 to 6 hours

VanilleAmberSandalwoodVetiverPatchouli

InformationalShared notesBlack Currant, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Rouge Royal Elite, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring25

Summer15

Fall83

Winter100

Day29

Night100

Spring63

Summer33

Fall100

Winter33

Day100

Night100

Category winnerRouge Royal EliteMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex56

Women32

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#465

PerfumerDavid Apel

Launched2006

Reviews1,594

Overall rank#18,711

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

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 →

Rouge Royal Elite by Princesse Marina De Bourbon is a fruity, woody fragrance built around rich garden berries and deep floral tones. The opening presents a vivid splash of strawberry, raspberry, and tart black currant. Rather than a sugary candy scent, the fruit carries a crisp, vegetal greenness reminiscent of fresh…

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 Rouge Royal Elite?

Rouge Royal Elite takes 4 of 7 categories. Black Orchid is rated 3.85/5 from 31,503 votes; Rouge Royal Elite is rated 4.12/5 from 76 votes. Choose Black Orchid for a warm spicy and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Rouge Royal Elite for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Orchid or Rouge Royal Elite?

Black Orchid lasts longest (Black Orchid 83/100, Rouge Royal Elite 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Orchid or Rouge Royal Elite?

Black Orchid projects furthest (Black Orchid 75/100, Rouge Royal Elite 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Orchid and Rouge Royal Elite smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, woody and amber accords. Common notes include Black Currant, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and Patchouli.

Is Black Orchid or Rouge Royal Elite better for summer or winter?

For summer, Rouge Royal Elite is the stronger pick. For winter, Black Orchid is the stronger pick. Black Orchid suits evening wear; Rouge Royal Elite suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Orchid and Rouge Royal Elite?

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. Rouge Royal Elite has top notes of Strawberry, Raspberry and Black Currant, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Vanille, Amber, Sandalwood and Vetiver.