Fragrance comparison

Black Smoke vs Element

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 5 ratings analysed

2 wins

Black Smoke

Ahmed Mahsoub KARIZMA

5.002 votes

Rank #46,545 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

52%scent match

Some overlap

Element

Cranford

5.003 votes

Rank #42,785 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Smoke takes 2 of 4 categories.

Black Smoke
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Element
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Black Smoke2/4

Element1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black SmokeAhmed Mahsoub KARIZMA

ElementCranford

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 17%Had 0%Want 83%

5.00/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 50%Had 0%Want 50%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityBlack Smoke

SillageBlack Smoke

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

fresh spicy77%

cinnamon69%

coffee61%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

musky77%

tobacco69%

patchouli61%

Scent match52%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CinnamonCloveNutmegApple

Heart

PatchouliIncenseCoffeeJasmine

Base

Cambodian OudVanillaCedarTobaccoAmber

Top20-30 mins

CardamomNutmegAngelicaCoffee

Heart3-5 hrs

CedarPatchouliTobaccoIncense

Base8-10+ hrs

CaramelBalsamic Notes

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Patchouli, Incense and Coffee. Durations are only published for Element, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Spring67

Summer67

Fall67

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men75

Unisex25

Women0

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#46,545

PerfumerAhmed Mahsoub

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#42,785

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerElementHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Smoke leans rich, spicy, and dark from the start. Cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg give it heat, while coffee, incense, tobacco, and oud pull it into deeper territory with a warm ambered finish. This is a bold unisex scent that may read slightly masculine on skin. It looks best suited to cool weather, evening wear, a…

Reviews →

Element by Cranford opens with a rich burst of freshly ground coffee and warm cardamom, balanced by the herbal bitterness of angelica and grated nutmeg. As the initial spice settles, the fragrance reveals a darker core of dry cedarwood, sweet pipe tobacco, and smoky incense wrapped around earthy patchouli. The dry-dow…

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 Smoke or Element?

Black Smoke takes 2 of 4 categories. Black Smoke is rated 5.00/5 from 2 votes; Element is rated 5.00/5 from 3 votes. Choose Black Smoke for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Element for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Smoke or Element?

Black Smoke lasts longest (Black Smoke 100/100, Element 87/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Smoke or Element?

Black Smoke projects furthest (Black Smoke 100/100, Element 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Smoke and Element smell similar?

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and amber accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Patchouli, Incense and Coffee.

Is Black Smoke or Element better for summer or winter?

Black Smoke suits evening wear; Element suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Smoke and Element?

Black Smoke has top notes of Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg and Apple, heart notes of Patchouli, Incense, Coffee and Jasmine, a base of Cambodian Oud, Vanilla, Cedar and Tobacco. Element has top notes of Cardamom, Nutmeg, Angelica and Coffee, heart notes of Cedar, Patchouli, Tobacco and Incense, a base of Caramel and Balsamic Notes.