Fragrance comparison

Black Vetiver vs Cubebe

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 133 ratings analysed

Black Vetiver

Phaedon

3.7886 votes

Rank #17,171 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

59%scent match

Closely related

5 wins

Cubebe

Saponificio Varesino

4.2447 votes

Rank #8,624 CitrusFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cubebe takes 5 of 5 categories.

Black Vetiver
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Cubebe
Choose it for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Black Vetiver0/5

Cubebe5/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black VetiverPhaedon

CubebeSaponificio Varesino

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.78/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 28%Had 17%Want 55%

4.24/ 5 · 47 votes

Have 61%Had 18%Want 21%

Category winnerCubebeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

23%Love

50%Like

8%Ok

19%Dislike

0%Hate

86 votes

50%Love

43%Like

7%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityCubebe

SillageCubebe

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value43

¤ Price value76

Category winnerCubebeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic83%

woody65%

earthy48%

fresh spicy30%

citrus100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

amber77%

aromatic69%

patchouli61%

Scent match59%Closely related · both citrus, aromatic and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

LemonVetiverPepper

No top / heart / base split published

Top

BergamotLemonFir

Heart

PepperNutmeg

Base

LabdanumPatchouliVetiverBenzoin

InformationalShared notesLemon, Vetiver and Pepper. 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

Summer53

Fall95

Winter26

Day100

Night38

Spring100

Summer80

Fall80

Winter60

Day100

Night55

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men58

Unisex42

Women0

Men83

Unisex17

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,171

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews12

Overall rank#8,624

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews15

Category winnerCubebeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Phaedon Black Vetiver opens with a crisp burst of tart lemon backed by cracked black pepper before settling into a clean, woody vetiver base. Despite the brooding name, it wears bright and breezy on skin, making it an easy daytime pick for warm spring mornings and humid office commutes. The smoky elements stay muted, …

Reviews →

Cubebe opens with a bright citrus lift, then quickly shows more character through pepper, nutmeg, and a dry woody base. It reads fresh first, but not watery or simple. This is the kind of scent that may suit someone who wants a summer-friendly fragrance with spice, structure, and a masculine edge. The overall feel is …

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 Vetiver or Cubebe?

Cubebe takes 5 of 5 categories. Black Vetiver is rated 3.78/5 from 86 votes; Cubebe is rated 4.24/5 from 47 votes. Choose Black Vetiver for a citrus and aromatic character. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Cubebe for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Vetiver or Cubebe?

Cubebe lasts longest (Cubebe 77/100, Black Vetiver 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Vetiver or Cubebe?

Cubebe projects furthest (Cubebe 67/100, Black Vetiver 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Vetiver and Cubebe smell similar?

Closely related: a 59% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Lemon, Vetiver and Pepper.

Is Black Vetiver or Cubebe better for summer or winter?

Black Vetiver suits daytime wear; Cubebe suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Vetiver and Cubebe?

Black Vetiver features Lemon, Vetiver and Pepper. Cubebe has top notes of Bergamot, Lemon and Fir, heart notes of Pepper and Nutmeg, a base of Labdanum, Patchouli, Vetiver and Benzoin.