Fragrance comparison

Black XS vs Man Gold

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 6,532 ratings analysed

5 wins

Black XS

Rabanne · 2005

3.785,961 votes

Rank #985 SweetWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

69%scent match

Closely related

Man Gold

Zara

3.76571 votes

Rank #5,427 Warm SpicyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black XS takes 5 of 7 categories.

Black XS
Choose it for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Man Gold
Choose it for a warm spicy and citrus character. Wins on community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.

Black XS5/7

Man Gold2/7

Ratings & consensus: Black XS
Community sentiment: Man Gold
Longevity: Black XS
Sillage & projection: Black XS
Value for money: Man Gold
Versatility: Black XS
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

Man GoldZara

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.78/ 5 · 5,961 votes

Have 40%Had 45%Want 16%

3.76/ 5 · 571 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

Category winnerBlack XSRating 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

29%Love

50%Like

11%Ok

8%Dislike

2%Hate

461 votes

Category winnerMan GoldMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityBlack XS

SillageBlack XS

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value82

Category winnerMan GoldBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

warm spicy98%

citrus82%

amber73%

aromatic69%

woody66%

warm spicy100%

citrus91%

sweet83%

aromatic74%

patchouli65%

cinnamon56%

Scent match69%Closely related · both warm spicy, sweet and citrus

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

Top

Lemon

Heart

PralineCinnamon

Base

Black CardamomPatchouli

InformationalShared notesLemon, Praline, Cinnamon and Black Cardamom. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring60

Summer35

Fall93

Winter100

Day47

Night100

Spring82

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBlack XSMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men80

Unisex19

Women1

Men86

Unisex13

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#985

PerfumerChristian Dussoulier

Launched2005

Reviews860

Overall rank#5,427

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews55

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 →

Man Gold by Zara offers a warm spicy and citrus profile that leans into sweet, gourmand territory. Launched in 2017, this woody aromatic scent features a zesty lemon opening followed by praline and cinnamon. It settles into a base of black cardamom and patchouli, making it a reliable choice for cooler weather dates an…

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 XS or Man Gold?

Black XS takes 5 of 7 categories. Black XS is rated 3.78/5 from 5,961 votes; Man Gold is rated 3.76/5 from 571 votes. Choose Black XS for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Man Gold for a warm spicy and citrus character. Wins on community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Black XS or Man Gold?

Black XS lasts longest (Black XS 69/100, Man Gold 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black XS or Man Gold?

Black XS projects furthest (Black XS 61/100, Man Gold 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black XS and Man Gold smell similar?

Closely related: a 69% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, sweet and citrus accords. Common notes include Lemon, Praline, Cinnamon and Black Cardamom.

Is Black XS or Man Gold better for summer or winter?

For summer, Black XS is the stronger pick. For winter, Black XS is the stronger pick. Black XS suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black XS and Man Gold?

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. Man Gold has top notes of Lemon, heart notes of Praline and Cinnamon, a base of Black Cardamom and Patchouli.