Fragrance comparison

Black Soul Imperial vs Verve

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 628 ratings analysed

3 wins

Black Soul Imperial

Ted Lapidus

4.05615 votes

Rank #1,749 Warm SpicyCoffee

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Verve

Ajmal

3.3813 votes

Rank #56,458 WoodyAquatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Soul Imperial takes 3 of 4 categories.

Black Soul Imperial
Choose it for a warm spicy and coffee character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Verve
Choose it for a woody and aquatic character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Black Soul Imperial3/4

Verve1/4

Ratings & consensus: Black Soul Imperial
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Black Soul Imperial
Sillage & projection: Verve
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Black Soul Imperial

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black Soul ImperialTed Lapidus

VerveAjmal

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.05/ 5 · 615 votes

Have 74%Had 26%Want 0%

3.38/ 5 · 13 votes

Have 14%Had 19%Want 67%

Category winnerBlack Soul ImperialRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

40%Like

5%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

615 votes

15%Love

46%Like

0%Ok

38%Dislike

0%Hate

13 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage79

♥ Love / hate60

Category winners

LongevityBlack Soul Imperial

SillageVerve

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

coffee92%

leather84%

green77%

amber69%

woody61%

woody100%

aquatic83%

fresh65%

warm spicy48%

amber30%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CoffeeCitruses

Heart

SpicesMint

Base

LeatherWoodsy NotesAmber

Top

Water NotesCitruses

Heart

SpicesFloral Notes

Base

Woodsy NotesAmbergris

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Spices and Woodsy Notes. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring38

Summer12

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring25

Summer100

Fall25

Winter0

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men91

Unisex8

Women1

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,749

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews86

Overall rank#56,458

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerBlack Soul ImperialHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Soul Imperial by Ted Lapidus delivers a dark woody spicy profile for winter nights. It balances warm coffee, fresh mint, and amber on a heavy leather base. This intense fragrance offers a mature masculine character without the cloying sweetness of modern designer gourmands.

Reviews →

Ajmal Verve is a watery citrus and woods fragrance with a lightly spicy, floral middle. It opens clean and cooling, then settles into a woody, ambergris-tinged dry-down that can feel more serious than the fresh start suggests. It is an easy daytime style for warm weather, but go light on sprays, it can project more t…

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 Soul Imperial or Verve?

Black Soul Imperial takes 3 of 4 categories. Black Soul Imperial is rated 4.05/5 from 615 votes; Verve is rated 3.38/5 from 13 votes. Choose Black Soul Imperial for a warm spicy and coffee character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Verve for a woody and aquatic character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Soul Imperial or Verve?

Black Soul Imperial lasts longest (Black Soul Imperial 74/100, Verve 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Soul Imperial or Verve?

Verve projects furthest (Verve 79/100, Black Soul Imperial 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Soul Imperial and Verve smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Citruses, Spices and Woodsy Notes.

Is Black Soul Imperial or Verve better for summer or winter?

Verve suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Soul Imperial and Verve?

Black Soul Imperial has top notes of Coffee and Citruses, heart notes of Spices and Mint, a base of Leather, Woodsy Notes and Amber. Verve has top notes of Water Notes and Citruses, heart notes of Spices and Floral Notes, a base of Woodsy Notes and Ambergris.