Black XS vs Nitro Blue
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
87%scent match
Very similar
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Nitro Blue takes 5 of 7 categories.
Black XSChoose it for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Nitro BlueChoose it for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, day or night wear.
Black XS1/7
Nitro Blue5/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Nitro Blue
- Community sentiment
- Nitro Blue
- Longevity
- Nitro Blue
- Sillage & projection
- Tie
- Value for money
- Nitro Blue
- Versatility
- Nitro Blue
- 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 XSRabanneNitro BlueDumontWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.78/ 5 · 5,961 votes
Have 40%Had 45%Want 16%
4.15/ 5 · 146 votes
Have 45%Had 6%Want 49%
Category winnerNitro BlueRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate48%Love
23%Like
3%Ok
18%Dislike
8%Hate
Share of community votes
47%Love
33%Like
12%Ok
3%Dislike
5%Hate
146 votes
Category winnerNitro BlueMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityNitro Blue
SillageTie
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerNitro BlueBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothsweet100%
warm spicy98%
citrus82%
amber73%
aromatic69%
woody66%
sweet100%
warm spicy92%
amber84%
woody77%
aromatic69%
citrus61%
Scent match87%Very similar · both sweet, warm spicy and amber
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
LemonSage
Heart
PralineCinnamonTolu BalsamBlack Cardamom
Base
PatchouliBrazilian RosewoodBlack Amber
Top30 to 45 minutes
Orange BlossomCinnamonSageLemonBasil
Heart3 to 4 hours
PralineTolu BalsamWoody NotesBlack Cardamom
Base5 to 8 hours
Sweet NotesBlack AmberPatchouliBrazilian Rosewood
InformationalShared notesLemon, Sage, Praline and Cinnamon. Durations are only published for Nitro Blue, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring60
Summer35
Fall93
Winter100
Day47
Night100
Spring93
Summer58
Fall99
Winter100
Day97
Night100
Category winnerNitro BlueMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#985
PerfumerChristian Dussoulier
Launched2005
Reviews860
Overall rank#7,042
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews27
Category winnerBlack XSHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotBlack 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 →Nitro Blue by Dumont is a warm, oriental woody fragrance for men that surprises anyone expecting a typical marine freshie. Despite its blue title, the composition opens with bright lemon, orange blossom, herbal basil, sage, and a kick of cinnamon. The heart turns distinctly edible and resinous as sweet praline and tol…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Black XS or Nitro Blue?
Nitro Blue takes 5 of 7 categories. Black XS is rated 3.78/5 from 5,961 votes; Nitro Blue is rated 4.15/5 from 146 votes. Choose Black XS for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Nitro Blue for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, day or night wear.
Which lasts longer, Black XS or Nitro Blue?
Nitro Blue lasts longest (Nitro Blue 73/100, Black XS 69/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Black XS or Nitro Blue?
Projection is very close: Black XS 61/100, Nitro Blue 61/100 for sillage.
Do Black XS and Nitro Blue smell similar?
Very similar: a 87% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Lemon, Sage, Praline and Cinnamon.
Is Black XS or Nitro Blue better for summer or winter?
For summer, Nitro Blue is the stronger pick. For winter, Black XS is the stronger pick. Black XS suits evening wear; Nitro Blue suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Black XS and Nitro Blue?
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. Nitro Blue has top notes of Orange Blossom, Cinnamon, Sage and Lemon, heart notes of Praline, Tolu Balsam, Woody Notes and Black Cardamom, a base of Sweet Notes, Black Amber, Patchouli and Brazilian Rosewood.
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