Fragrance comparison

Black Rose vs Musk Barrel

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 108 ratings analysed

Black Rose

Illuminum

3.7344 votes

Rank #16,333 RoseFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Musk Barrel

Regalien

3.6064 votes

Rank #7,862 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Musk Barrel takes 5 of 7 categories.

Black Rose
Choose it for a rose and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Musk Barrel
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Black Rose2/7

Musk Barrel5/7

Ratings & consensus: Black Rose
Community sentiment: Musk Barrel
Longevity: Musk Barrel
Sillage & projection: Musk Barrel
Value for money: Black Rose
Versatility: Musk Barrel
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Musk Barrel

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black RoseIlluminum

Musk BarrelRegalien

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.73/ 5 · 44 votes

Have 35%Had 20%Want 45%

3.60/ 5 · 64 votes

Have 35%Had 9%Want 55%

Category winnerBlack RoseRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

30%Love

39%Like

7%Ok

25%Dislike

0%Hate

44 votes

49%Love

24%Like

5%Ok

16%Dislike

5%Hate

37 votes

Category winnerMusk BarrelMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityMusk Barrel

SillageMusk Barrel

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value65

¤ Price value47

Category winnerBlack RoseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

rose100%

fresh spicy88%

warm spicy77%

woody65%

powdery53%

amber42%

woody100%

fresh spicy91%

warm spicy83%

powdery74%

musky65%

white floral56%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both fresh spicy, woody and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Rose OilBlack PepperCumin

Heart

Moroccan RoseSaffronTaif Rose

Base

SandalwoodOlibanum

Top

Black PepperCuminSaffron

Heart

HoneysuckleJasmine

Base

MuskSandalwoodAtlas CedarAmberPatchouli

InformationalShared notesBlack Pepper, Cumin, Saffron and Sandalwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring59

Summer12

Fall100

Winter88

Day71

Night100

Spring65

Summer20

Fall100

Winter75

Day40

Night100

Category winnerMusk BarrelMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men15

Unisex69

Women15

Men71

Unisex24

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,333

PerfumerMichael Boadi

Launched—

Reviews11

Overall rank#7,862

PerfumerCara Sylvain

Launched—

Reviews53

Category winnerMusk BarrelHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Rose by Illuminum is a spicy, woody rose that can wear very differently depending on skin. Some people get a dark, peppery rose with cumin and saffron, others mostly smell clean sandalwood and black pepper, with the rose fading into the background. It tends to suit cooler weather and night wear, especially if yo…

Reviews →

Musk Barrel by Regalien is a Oriental Woody fragrance for men. Musk Barrel was launched in 2018. The nose behind this fragrance is Cara Sylvain. Top notes are Black Pepper, Cumin and Saffron; middle notes are Honeysuckle and Jasmine; base notes are Musk, Sandalwood, Atlas Cedar, Amber and Patchouli. It opens with Blac…

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 Rose or Musk Barrel?

Musk Barrel takes 5 of 7 categories. Black Rose is rated 3.73/5 from 44 votes; Musk Barrel is rated 3.60/5 from 64 votes. Choose Black Rose for a rose and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Musk Barrel for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Rose or Musk Barrel?

Musk Barrel lasts longest (Musk Barrel 81/100, Black Rose 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Rose or Musk Barrel?

Musk Barrel projects furthest (Musk Barrel 73/100, Black Rose 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Rose and Musk Barrel smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Black Pepper, Cumin, Saffron and Sandalwood.

Is Black Rose or Musk Barrel better for summer or winter?

For summer, Musk Barrel is the stronger pick. For winter, Black Rose is the stronger pick. Black Rose suits evening wear; Musk Barrel suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Rose and Musk Barrel?

Black Rose has top notes of Rose Oil, Black Pepper and Cumin, heart notes of Moroccan Rose, Saffron and Taif Rose, a base of Sandalwood and Olibanum. Musk Barrel has top notes of Black Pepper, Cumin and Saffron, heart notes of Honeysuckle and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Sandalwood, Atlas Cedar and Amber.