Fragrance comparison

Black Rose vs Nanban

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 508 ratings analysed

4 wins

Black Rose

Illuminum

3.7344 votes

Rank #16,333 RoseFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

Nanban

Arquiste

4.00464 votes

Rank #27,943 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Rose takes 4 of 7 categories.

Black Rose
Choose it for a rose and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Nanban
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in winter.

Black Rose4/7

Nanban2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black RoseIlluminum

NanbanArquiste

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.73/ 5 · 44 votes

Have 35%Had 20%Want 45%

4.00/ 5 · 464 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

Category winnerNanbanRating 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

42%Love

33%Like

11%Ok

13%Dislike

2%Hate

464 votes

Category winnerNanbanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageBlack Rose

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value65

¤ Price value44

Category winnerBlack RoseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

rose100%

fresh spicy88%

warm spicy77%

woody65%

powdery53%

amber42%

warm spicy100%

amber91%

woody83%

balsamic74%

leather65%

fresh spicy56%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and fresh 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

SaffronBlack TeaBlack Pepper

Heart

MyrhhLeatherCoffeeChinese Osmanthus

Base

OlibanumCopaiba balmSandalwoodStyraxJuniper Berries

InformationalShared notesBlack Pepper, Saffron, Sandalwood and Olibanum. 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

Spring26

Summer14

Fall95

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBlack RoseMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men15

Unisex69

Women15

Men44

Unisex53

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,333

PerfumerMichael Boadi

Launched—

Reviews11

Overall rank#27,943

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux, Yann Vasnier

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBlack RoseHigher 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 →

Arquiste Nanban opens with bitter black tea and crackling black pepper before grounding into heavy myrrh and dark coffee. Smooth leather and olibanum wrap around the dry down, giving it a dense, smoky feel tailored for crisp autumn evenings and dark wool coats. It wears with heavy presence without feeling overly sweet…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Saffron AmberIlluminumRUNNER-UP vs

Septieme Sens (7e Sens)Sonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP vs

Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER

3 people compared this today

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Black Rose or Nanban?

Black Rose takes 4 of 7 categories. Black Rose is rated 3.73/5 from 44 votes; Nanban is rated 4.00/5 from 464 votes. Choose Black Rose for a rose and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Nanban for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Black Rose or Nanban?

They last about the same: Black Rose 73/100, Nanban 73/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Black Rose or Nanban?

Black Rose projects furthest (Black Rose 67/100, Nanban 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Rose and Nanban smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Black Pepper, Saffron, Sandalwood and Olibanum.

Is Black Rose or Nanban better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Black Rose and Nanban?

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. Nanban has top notes of Saffron, Black Tea and Black Pepper, heart notes of Myrhh, Leather, Coffee and Chinese Osmanthus, a base of Olibanum, Copaiba balm, Sandalwood and Styrax.