Black Russian vs Black XS
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
73%scent match
Closely related
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Black XS takes 3 of 4 categories.
Black RussianChoose it for a sweet and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Black XSChoose it for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Black Russian1/4
Black XS3/4
- Ratings & consensus
- Not scored
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- Black XS
- Sillage & projection
- Black XS
- Value for money
- Black Russian
- Versatility
- Not scored
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Black XS
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
Black RussianApple ParfumsBlack XSRabanneWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.00/ 5 · 5 votes
Have 54%Had 15%Want 31%
3.78/ 5 · 5,961 votes
Have 40%Had 45%Want 16%
Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate0%Love
40%Like
20%Ok
40%Dislike
0%Hate
5 votes · too few to score
48%Love
23%Like
3%Ok
18%Dislike
8%Hate
Share of community votes
Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityBlack XS
SillageBlack XS
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerBlack RussianBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothsweet100%
amber92%
citrus84%
warm spicy77%
aromatic69%
powdery61%
sweet100%
warm spicy98%
citrus82%
amber73%
aromatic69%
woody66%
Scent match73%Closely related · both sweet, warm spicy and citrus
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
LemonSageBergamot
Heart
PralineTolu BalsamCardamom
Base
SandalwoodPatchouliBlack Amber
Top
LemonSage
Heart
PralineCinnamonTolu BalsamBlack Cardamom
Base
PatchouliBrazilian RosewoodBlack Amber
InformationalShared notesLemon, Sage, Praline and Tolu Balsam. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring100
Summer0
Fall100
Winter100
Day100
Night100
Spring60
Summer35
Fall93
Winter100
Day47
Night100
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#70,805
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews0
Overall rank#982
PerfumerChristian Dussoulier
Launched2005
Reviews860
Category winnerBlack XSHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotBlack Russian by Apple Parfums starts with a quick blast of fresh lemon, bergamot, and herbal sage. That initial citrus sharpness vanishes fast on skin, giving way to a warm heart of sweet praline, cardamom, and balsamic tolu balsam. As the fragrance settles during evening wear, black amber, sandalwood, and patchouli …
Reviews →Black XS by Rabanne is a Oriental Woody fragrance for men. Black XS was launched in 2005. Black XS was created by Olivier Cresp, Rosendo Mateu and Christian Dussoulier. Top notes are Lemon and Sage; middle notes are Praline, Cinnamon, Tolu Balsam and Black Cardamom; base notes are Patchouli, Brazilian Rosewood and Bla…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Black Russian or Black XS?
Black XS takes 3 of 4 categories. Black Russian is rated 3.00/5 from 5 votes; Black XS is rated 3.78/5 from 5,961 votes. Choose Black Russian for a sweet and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Black XS for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Which lasts longer, Black Russian or Black XS?
Black XS lasts longest (Black XS 69/100, Black Russian 33/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Black Russian or Black XS?
Black XS projects furthest (Black XS 61/100, Black Russian 55/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Black Russian and Black XS smell similar?
Closely related: a 73% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, warm spicy and citrus accords. Common notes include Lemon, Sage, Praline and Tolu Balsam.
Is Black Russian or Black XS better for summer or winter?
Black Russian suits day or night wear; Black XS suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Black Russian and Black XS?
Black Russian has top notes of Lemon, Sage and Bergamot, heart notes of Praline, Tolu Balsam and Cardamom, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli and Black Amber. Black XS has top notes of Lemon and Sage, heart notes of Praline, Cinnamon, Tolu Balsam and Black Cardamom, a base of Patchouli, Brazilian Rosewood and Black Amber.
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