Fragrance comparison

Black Suede Ultimate vs California

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 5 ratings analysed

Black Suede Ultimate

Avon

3.605 votes

Rank #58,109 LavenderAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

California

Mykonos

—0 votes

Rank #64,235 AromaticLavender

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

California takes 2 of 4 categories.

Black Suede Ultimate
Choose it for a lavender and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.
California
Choose it for a aromatic and lavender character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection.

Black Suede Ultimate1/4

California2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black Suede UltimateAvon

CaliforniaMykonos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.60/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 43%Had 17%Want 39%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 0%Had 33%Want 67%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

60%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

20%Dislike

20%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage35

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityCalifornia

SillageCalifornia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

lavender100%

aromatic88%

citrus77%

vanilla65%

amber53%

sweet42%

aromatic100%

lavender88%

warm spicy77%

soft spicy65%

herbal53%

fresh spicy42%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both lavender and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Lavender

Heart

Lemon

Base

Tonka Bean

Top

LavenderCardamomLemon

Heart

CorianderNutmegLycheeGeranium

Base

Tonka BeanWhite MuskVetiver

InformationalShared notesLavender, Lemon and Tonka Bean. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day75

Night100

No season votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men80

Unisex20

Women0

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#58,109

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#64,235

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBlack Suede UltimateHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Avon Black Suede Ultimate strips back the heavy, powdery leather of the original 1980 release in favor of a clean, modern aromatic build. It opens with sharp lavender and bright lemon, giving the scent a crisp bar-soap cleanliness right out of the atomizer. As the initial sharpness relaxes, warm tonka bean settles und…

Reviews →

California by Mykonos opens with a clean mix of lavender, lemon and cardamom, then settles into soft spice, light fruit and a musky tonka-vetiver base. It reads as a fresh aromatic fougere with a smoother, slightly sweeter edge than a classic barbershop scent. Best for men who want an easy daily wear with herbal fresh…

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 lasts longer, Black Suede Ultimate or California?

California lasts longest (California 80/100, Black Suede Ultimate 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Suede Ultimate or California?

California projects furthest (California 75/100, Black Suede Ultimate 35/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Suede Ultimate and California smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share lavender and aromatic accords. Common notes include Lavender, Lemon and Tonka Bean.

Is Black Suede Ultimate or California better for summer or winter?

Black Suede Ultimate suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Suede Ultimate and California?

Black Suede Ultimate has top notes of Lavender, heart notes of Lemon, a base of Tonka Bean. California has top notes of Lavender, Cardamom and Lemon, heart notes of Coriander, Nutmeg, Lychee and Geranium, a base of Tonka Bean, White Musk and Vetiver.