Fragrance comparison

Black Orchid vs Splash Lemon 2009

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 31,560 ratings analysed

4 wins

Black Orchid

Tom Ford · 2006

3.8531,503 votes

Rank #450 Warm SpicyEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

7%scent match

Clearly different

Splash Lemon 2009

Marc Jacobs

4.1157 votes

Rank #20,225 CitrusAquatic

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 longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Splash Lemon 2009
Choose it for a citrus and aquatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Black Orchid4/7

Splash Lemon 20093/7

Ratings & consensus: Splash Lemon 2009
Community sentiment: Splash Lemon 2009
Longevity: Black Orchid
Sillage & projection: Black Orchid
Value for money: Splash Lemon 2009
Versatility: Black Orchid
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

Splash Lemon 2009Marc Jacobs

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.85/ 5 · 31,503 votes

Have 55%Had 17%Want 28%

4.11/ 5 · 57 votes

Have 31%Had 18%Want 51%

Category winnerSplash Lemon 2009Rating 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

25%Love

67%Like

4%Ok

5%Dislike

0%Hate

57 votes

Category winnerSplash Lemon 2009Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity44

〰 Sillage48

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityBlack Orchid

SillageBlack Orchid

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value50

Category winnerSplash Lemon 2009Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

warm spicy100%

earthy85%

woody84%

sweet76%

amber67%

patchouli64%

citrus100%

aquatic83%

fresh65%

aromatic48%

musky30%

Scent match7%Clearly different

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

Amalfi LemonMandarin OrangeHoneysuckle

Heart2-3 hrs

Water NotesMuskVetiver

Base4-6 hrs

Amber

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Amalfi Lemon, Amber and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Splash Lemon 2009, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring25

Summer15

Fall83

Winter100

Day29

Night100

Spring63

Summer100

Fall0

Winter4

Day100

Night21

Category winnerBlack OrchidMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex56

Women32

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

Casual 53%Work 32%Date 9%Party 6%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#450

PerfumerDavid Apel

Launched2006

Reviews1,594

Overall rank#20,225

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

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 →

Marc Jacobs Splash Lemon 2009 opens with a bright splash of Amalfi lemon peel and sunlit mandarin orange. You get an immediate burst of natural citrus zest without aggressive chemical bite. As the initial splash airs out, cooling water notes and sweet honeysuckle soften the tart fruit into a breezy pool of clean sprin…

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 Splash Lemon 2009?

Black Orchid takes 4 of 7 categories. Black Orchid is rated 3.85/5 from 31,503 votes; Splash Lemon 2009 is rated 4.11/5 from 57 votes. Choose Black Orchid for a warm spicy and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Splash Lemon 2009 for a citrus and aquatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Orchid or Splash Lemon 2009?

Black Orchid lasts longest (Black Orchid 83/100, Splash Lemon 2009 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Orchid or Splash Lemon 2009?

Black Orchid projects furthest (Black Orchid 75/100, Splash Lemon 2009 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Orchid and Splash Lemon 2009 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 7% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Amalfi Lemon, Amber and Vetiver.

Is Black Orchid or Splash Lemon 2009 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Splash Lemon 2009 is the stronger pick. For winter, Black Orchid is the stronger pick. Black Orchid suits evening wear; Splash Lemon 2009 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Orchid and Splash Lemon 2009?

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. Splash Lemon 2009 has top notes of Amalfi Lemon, Mandarin Orange and Honeysuckle, heart notes of Water Notes, Musk and Vetiver, a base of Amber.