Fragrance comparison

Black XS vs Polvere di Stelle

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 5,970 ratings analysed

3 wins

Black XS

Rabanne · 2005

3.785,961 votes

Rank #938 SweetWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Polvere di Stelle

Olfattiva

3.569 votes

Rank #60,026 Warm SpicyCinnamon

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black XS takes 3 of 4 categories.

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

Black XS3/4

Polvere di Stelle1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Black XS
Sillage & projection: Black XS
Value for money: Polvere di Stelle
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

Polvere di StelleOlfattiva

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.78/ 5 · 5,961 votes

Have 40%Had 45%Want 16%

3.56/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 46%Had 6%Want 49%

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

11%Love

56%Like

11%Ok

22%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityBlack XS

SillageBlack XS

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value92

Category winnerPolvere di StelleBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

warm spicy98%

citrus82%

amber73%

aromatic69%

woody66%

warm spicy100%

cinnamon90%

citrus80%

patchouli70%

woody60%

earthy50%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both warm spicy, citrus and woody

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

PatchouliCinnamon

Base

—

InformationalShared notesLemon, Cinnamon and Patchouli. 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

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men80

Unisex19

Women1

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#938

PerfumerChristian Dussoulier

Launched2005

Reviews860

Overall rank#60,026

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

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 →

Polvere di Stelle opens with a sharp, clear splash of natural Lemon that feels like peeling fresh citrus in the morning. This bright, zesty introduction does not linger long, quickly yielding to a rustic, woody core where dry Cinnamon and earthy Patchouli take over. It feels more like an artisanal aromatherapy blend 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 Polvere di Stelle?

Black XS takes 3 of 4 categories. Black XS is rated 3.78/5 from 5,961 votes; Polvere di Stelle is rated 3.56/5 from 9 votes. Choose Black XS for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Polvere di Stelle for a warm spicy and cinnamon character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Black XS or Polvere di Stelle?

They last about the same: Black XS 69/100, Polvere di Stelle 67/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Black XS or Polvere di Stelle?

Black XS projects furthest (Black XS 61/100, Polvere di Stelle 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black XS and Polvere di Stelle smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, citrus and woody accords. Common notes include Lemon, Cinnamon and Patchouli.

Is Black XS or Polvere di Stelle better for summer or winter?

Black XS suits evening wear; Polvere di Stelle suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black XS and Polvere di Stelle?

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. Polvere di Stelle has top notes of Lemon, heart notes of Patchouli and Cinnamon.