Fragrance comparison

Black XS vs Johan B. Black

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 5,968 ratings analysed

Black XS

Rabanne · 2005

3.785,961 votes

Rank #938 SweetWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

68%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Johan B. Black

Johan B

4.437 votes

Rank #29,516 Warm SpicySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Johan B. Black takes 3 of 4 categories.

Black XS
Choose it for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Johan B. Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Black XS1/4

Johan B. Black3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Johan B. Black
Sillage & projection: Johan B. Black
Value for money: Johan B. Black
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Black XS

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black XSRabanne

Johan B. BlackJohan B

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.78/ 5 · 5,961 votes

Have 40%Had 45%Want 16%

4.43/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 53%Had 18%Want 29%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

48%Love

23%Like

3%Ok

18%Dislike

8%Hate

Share of community votes

43%Love

57%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevityJohan B. Black

SillageJohan B. Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value75

Category winnerJohan B. BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

warm spicy98%

citrus82%

amber73%

aromatic69%

woody66%

warm spicy100%

sweet92%

aromatic84%

amber77%

balsamic69%

woody61%

Scent match68%Closely related · both warm spicy, sweet and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LemonSage

Heart

PralineCinnamonTolu BalsamBlack Cardamom

Base

PatchouliBrazilian RosewoodBlack Amber

Top20-30 mins

LemonSageMarigold

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonCandied AlmondCardamomSugarTolu Balsam

Base6-8+ hrs

Brazilian RosewoodAmberPatchouli

InformationalShared notesLemon, Sage, Cinnamon and Tolu Balsam. Durations are only published for Johan B. Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring60

Summer35

Fall93

Winter100

Day47

Night100

Spring67

Summer67

Fall100

Winter100

Day45

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men80

Unisex19

Women1

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Date 35%Party 28%Casual 23%Work 15%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#938

PerfumerChristian Dussoulier

Launched2005

Reviews860

Overall rank#29,516

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerBlack XSHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black XS by Rabanne is a Oriental Woody fragrance for men. Black XS was launched in 2005. Black XS was created by Olivier Cresp, Rosendo Mateu and Christian Dussoulier. Top notes are Lemon and Sage; middle notes are Praline, Cinnamon, Tolu Balsam and Black Cardamom; base notes are Patchouli, Brazilian Rosewood and Bla…

Reviews →

Johan B. Black kicks off with a bright shock of tart lemon and aromatic clary sage before diving into a thick, confectionary heart. Do not expect a watery citrus cologne. Within ten minutes, the zesty top yields to a warm swirl of cinnamon, brown sugar, and toasted candied almond. Tolu balsam and golden amber anchor 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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Black XS or Johan B. Black?

Johan B. Black takes 3 of 4 categories. Black XS is rated 3.78/5 from 5,961 votes; Johan B. Black is rated 4.43/5 from 7 votes. Choose Black XS for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Johan B. Black for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Black XS or Johan B. Black?

Johan B. Black lasts longest (Johan B. Black 78/100, Black XS 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black XS or Johan B. Black?

Johan B. Black projects furthest (Johan B. Black 64/100, Black XS 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black XS and Johan B. Black smell similar?

Closely related: a 68% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, sweet and aromatic accords. Common notes include Lemon, Sage, Cinnamon and Tolu Balsam.

Is Black XS or Johan B. Black better for summer or winter?

Black XS suits evening wear; Johan B. Black suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black XS and Johan B. Black?

Black XS has top notes of Lemon and Sage, heart notes of Praline, Cinnamon, Tolu Balsam and Black Cardamom, a base of Patchouli, Brazilian Rosewood and Black Amber. Johan B. Black has top notes of Lemon, Sage and Marigold, heart notes of Cinnamon, Candied Almond, Cardamom and Sugar, a base of Brazilian Rosewood, Amber and Patchouli.