Fragrance comparison

Black Suede Essential vs The Secret Night

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 174 ratings analysed

Black Suede Essential

Avon

3.76110 votes

Rank #32,421 LavenderCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

The Secret Night

Antonio Banderas

4.0364 votes

Rank #23,536 AromaticAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The Secret Night takes 5 of 7 categories.

Black Suede Essential
Choose it for a lavender and citrus character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
The Secret Night
Choose it for a aromatic and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Black Suede Essential2/7

The Secret Night5/7

Ratings & consensus: The Secret Night
Community sentiment: The Secret Night
Longevity: The Secret Night
Sillage & projection: The Secret Night
Value for money: Black Suede Essential
Versatility: Black Suede Essential
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Secret Night

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black Suede EssentialAvon

The Secret NightAntonio Banderas

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.76/ 5 · 110 votes

Have 56%Had 27%Want 17%

4.03/ 5 · 64 votes

Have 37%Had 17%Want 46%

Category winnerThe Secret NightRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

17%Love

57%Like

10%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

110 votes

30%Love

50%Like

14%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

64 votes

Category winnerThe Secret NightMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity47

〰 Sillage42

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityThe Secret Night

SillageThe Secret Night

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value76

¤ Price value72

Category winnerBlack Suede EssentialBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

lavender100%

citrus90%

leather80%

aromatic70%

musky60%

fresh spicy50%

aromatic100%

amber92%

citrus84%

marine77%

vanilla69%

lavender61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both citrus, aromatic and lavender

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Mandarin Orange

Heart

Wild Lavender

Base

Suede

Top

BergamotMandarin OrangeViolet LeafGalbanum

Heart

Sea NotesLavenderFennelHoneysuckle

Base

Tonka BeanSuedeAmber

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange and Suede. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring75

Summer73

Fall100

Winter58

Day92

Night100

Spring70

Summer37

Fall100

Winter93

Day60

Night100

Category winnerBlack Suede EssentialMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men81

Unisex19

Women0

Men96

Unisex0

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#32,421

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#23,536

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerThe Secret NightHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Avon Black Suede Essential opens with a sharp burst of mandarin orange before settling into aromatic wild lavender and a soft suede base. The scent feels clean and simple, keeping a light citrus sparkle over a calm herbal core. As the top notes fade, the suede accord creates a quiet leather texture that stays close to…

Reviews →

The Secret Night opens with bright citrus and green violet leaf, then settles into an aromatic marine heart with lavender, fennel and a soft salty breeze. As it dries down, the scent turns smoother and warmer, with tonka, suede and amber giving it a mildly sweet, evening-friendly finish. It suits men who want an affor…

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 Suede Essential or The Secret Night?

The Secret Night takes 5 of 7 categories. Black Suede Essential is rated 3.76/5 from 110 votes; The Secret Night is rated 4.03/5 from 64 votes. Choose Black Suede Essential for a lavender and citrus character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose The Secret Night for a aromatic and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Suede Essential or The Secret Night?

The Secret Night lasts longest (The Secret Night 64/100, Black Suede Essential 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Suede Essential or The Secret Night?

The Secret Night projects furthest (The Secret Night 57/100, Black Suede Essential 42/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Suede Essential and The Secret Night smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and lavender accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange and Suede.

Is Black Suede Essential or The Secret Night better for summer or winter?

For summer, Black Suede Essential is the stronger pick. For winter, The Secret Night is the stronger pick. Black Suede Essential suits evening wear; The Secret Night suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Suede Essential and The Secret Night?

Black Suede Essential has top notes of Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Wild Lavender, a base of Suede. The Secret Night has top notes of Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Violet Leaf and Galbanum, heart notes of Sea Notes, Lavender, Fennel and Honeysuckle, a base of Tonka Bean, Suede and Amber.