Fragrance comparison

Black Oud vs Prison Blues

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 180 ratings analysed

Black Oud

By Kilian

3.70122 votes

Rank #6,764 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

58%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Prison Blues

IDEO Parfumeurs

4.1958 votes

Rank #35,269 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Prison Blues takes 4 of 7 categories.

Black Oud
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Prison Blues
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Black Oud3/7

Prison Blues4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black OudBy Kilian

Prison BluesIDEO Parfumeurs

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.70/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 82%Had 18%Want 0%

4.19/ 5 · 58 votes

Have 31%Had 6%Want 63%

Category winnerPrison BluesRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

65%Love

21%Like

4%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

106 votes

43%Love

45%Like

3%Ok

5%Dislike

3%Hate

58 votes

Category winnerPrison BluesMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityBlack Oud

SillageBlack Oud

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value58

Category winnerPrison BluesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

amber84%

oud77%

rose69%

smoky61%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

fresh spicy77%

patchouli69%

aromatic61%

Scent match58%Closely related · both woody, warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

RoseGeraniumCardamomPink Pepper

Heart

PapyrusPatchouliCedarMethyl Pamplemousse

Base

Agarwood (Oud)IncenseMossSandalwoodMuskLabdanum

Top30 to 45 minutes

CardamomBlack PepperRosebay Willowherb

Heart2 to 4 hours

IncenseCedarGeranium

Base6 to 8 hours

PatchouliAgarwood (Oud)LabdanumMusk

InformationalShared notesGeranium, Cardamom, Patchouli and Cedar. Durations are only published for Prison Blues, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring19

Summer12

Fall94

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Spring44

Summer12

Fall100

Winter76

Day74

Night100

Category winnerPrison BluesMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men47

Unisex53

Women0

Men53

Unisex40

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,764

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews14

Overall rank#35,269

PerfumerMarie Duchêne

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBlack OudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Oud by By Kilian is a potent, incense-heavy composition built around a core of animalic agarwood. Launched in 2014, this unisex fragrance balances dark, resinous woods with spicy accents of cardamom and pink pepper. It creates a bold, assertive presence, making it ideal for formal evening events or cold winter d…

Reviews →

Prison Blues by IDEO Parfumeurs delivers a dry, resinous blend built on spice and dark timber. It starts with a prickle of black pepper and cardamom, paired with the herbal crispness of rosebay willowherb. The scent quickly settles into a smoky core of cedar and incense, softened by a clean touch of geranium. At the b…

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 Oud or Prison Blues?

Prison Blues takes 4 of 7 categories. Black Oud is rated 3.70/5 from 122 votes; Prison Blues is rated 4.19/5 from 58 votes. Choose Black Oud for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Prison Blues for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Oud or Prison Blues?

Black Oud lasts longest (Black Oud 82/100, Prison Blues 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Oud or Prison Blues?

Black Oud projects furthest (Black Oud 76/100, Prison Blues 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Oud and Prison Blues smell similar?

Closely related: a 58% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Geranium, Cardamom, Patchouli and Cedar.

Is Black Oud or Prison Blues better for summer or winter?

For summer, Black Oud is the stronger pick. For winter, Black Oud is the stronger pick. Black Oud suits daytime wear; Prison Blues suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Oud and Prison Blues?

Black Oud has top notes of Rose, Geranium, Cardamom and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Papyrus, Patchouli, Cedar and Methyl Pamplemousse, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Incense, Moss and Sandalwood. Prison Blues has top notes of Cardamom, Black Pepper and Rosebay Willowherb, heart notes of Incense, Cedar and Geranium, a base of Patchouli, Agarwood (Oud), Labdanum and Musk.