Fragrance comparison

Black Secret vs Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 67 ratings analysed

4 wins

Black Secret

Al Majed Oud

4.3554 votes

Rank #10,309 VanillaAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla

Mar e Sol

4.1513 votes

Rank #21,461 VanillaCaramel

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Secret takes 4 of 5 categories.

Black Secret
Choose it for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla
Choose it for a vanilla and caramel character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Black Secret4/5

Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla1/5

Ratings & consensus: Black Secret
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Black Secret
Sillage & projection: Black Secret
Value for money: Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Black Secret

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black SecretAl Majed Oud

Caramel Macadamia & VanillaMar e Sol

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.35/ 5 · 54 votes

Have 68%Had 12%Want 20%

4.15/ 5 · 13 votes

Have 70%Had 10%Want 20%

Category winnerBlack SecretRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

39%Like

9%Ok

0%Dislike

2%Hate

54 votes

54%Love

15%Like

23%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

13 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity44

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityBlack Secret

SillageBlack Secret

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value77

¤ Price value79

Category winnerCaramel Macadamia & VanillaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

powdery77%

caramel69%

white floral61%

vanilla100%

caramel86%

nutty72%

sweet58%

powdery44%

balsamic30%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both vanilla, caramel and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LemonPepper

Heart

CarnationCaramelGardenia

Base

VanillaAmberSandalwood

Top15-30 mins

Caramel

Heart1-2 hrs

Macadamia

Base3-4 hrs

Vanilla

InformationalShared notesCaramel and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring72

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring20

Summer40

Fall80

Winter100

Day100

Night57

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men27

Unisex54

Women19

Men0

Unisex27

Women73

Casual 44%Date 25%Work 17%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,309

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#21,461

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerBlack SecretHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Secret opens with a sharp, bright hit of lemon and pepper, then quickly turns into a sweet floral gourmand. Expect creamy gardenia and carnation over caramel-like sugar, settling into vanilla, amber and soft sandalwood. It often reads unisex on paper, but many noses find it noticeably feminine and “sexy”. A good…

Reviews →

Mar e Sol Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla delivers an immediate rush of hot caramel poured over roasted nuts. Pure bakery bliss. The macadamia heart brings a rich, savory nutty depth that prevents the sugar from turning into flat syrup. It feels deliciously warm. As the mist settles, cozy vanilla takes over with a soft, p…

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 Secret or Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla?

Black Secret takes 4 of 5 categories. Black Secret is rated 4.35/5 from 54 votes; Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla is rated 4.15/5 from 13 votes. Choose Black Secret for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla for a vanilla and caramel character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Secret or Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla?

Black Secret lasts longest (Black Secret 69/100, Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Secret or Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla?

Black Secret projects furthest (Black Secret 58/100, Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Secret and Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla, caramel and powdery accords. Common notes include Caramel and Vanilla.

Is Black Secret or Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla better for summer or winter?

Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Secret and Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla?

Black Secret has top notes of Lemon and Pepper, heart notes of Carnation, Caramel and Gardenia, a base of Vanilla, Amber and Sandalwood. Caramel Macadamia & Vanilla has top notes of Caramel, heart notes of Macadamia, a base of Vanilla.