Fragrance comparison

Bleu vs Hot! Fragrances Black

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 18 ratings analysed

4 wins

Bleu

Botanique

5.002 votes

Rank #40,451 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

Hot! Fragrances Black

Ulric de Varens · 2008

3.9416 votes

Rank #45,256 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bleu takes 4 of 4 categories.

Bleu
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, evening wear.
Hot! Fragrances Black
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Bleu4/4

Hot! Fragrances Black0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BleuBotanique

Hot! Fragrances BlackUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

3.94/ 5 · 16 votes

Have 39%Had 36%Want 25%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

25%Love

56%Like

6%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityBleu

SillageBleu

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value50

Category winnerBleuBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

citrus92%

fresh spicy84%

aromatic77%

warm spicy69%

green61%

citrus100%

woody83%

aromatic65%

amber48%

leather30%

Scent match56%Closely related · both citrus, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LemonGrapefruitMandarin OrangeMintWater Notes

Heart

NutmegGingerPepperJasmine

Base

VetiverCedarSandalwoodAmberPatchouli

Top15-30 mins

LemonMandarin OrangeGrapefruit

Heart2-3 hrs

Teak WoodVetiver

Base3-5 hrs

LeatherAmber

InformationalShared notesLemon, Grapefruit, Mandarin Orange and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Hot! Fragrances Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day–

Night100

Spring67

Summer67

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night44

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Casual 42%Work 33%Date 15%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#40,451

PerfumerArmando Alonzo

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#45,256

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2008

Reviews1

Category winnerBleuHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Bleu by Botanique kicks off with a sharp splash of lemon, tart grapefruit, and cool mint over watery accents. The opening feels clean and crisp, cutting through hot humid weather without smelling harsh or synthetic. As the initial citrus settles, prickly ginger and warm nutmeg add a subtle spice prickle to the middle …

Reviews →

Hot! Fragrances Black by Ulric de Varens delivers a crisp citrus punch that quickly settles into dry wood and subtle warmth. Spray it on. Tart lemon, bitter grapefruit, and sweet mandarin orange hit your nose with instant brightness. It wakes you up immediately. Within twenty minutes, the sharp citrus edge fades into …

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, Bleu or Hot! Fragrances Black?

Bleu takes 4 of 4 categories. Bleu is rated 5.00/5 from 2 votes; Hot! Fragrances Black is rated 3.94/5 from 16 votes. Choose Bleu for a woody and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, evening wear. Choose Hot! Fragrances Black for a citrus and woody character. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Bleu or Hot! Fragrances Black?

Bleu lasts longest (Bleu 80/100, Hot! Fragrances Black 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bleu or Hot! Fragrances Black?

Bleu projects furthest (Bleu 75/100, Hot! Fragrances Black 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bleu and Hot! Fragrances Black smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Lemon, Grapefruit, Mandarin Orange and Vetiver.

Is Bleu or Hot! Fragrances Black better for summer or winter?

Bleu suits evening wear; Hot! Fragrances Black suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bleu and Hot! Fragrances Black?

Bleu has top notes of Lemon, Grapefruit, Mandarin Orange and Mint, heart notes of Nutmeg, Ginger, Pepper and Jasmine, a base of Vetiver, Cedar, Sandalwood and Amber. Hot! Fragrances Black has top notes of Lemon, Mandarin Orange and Grapefruit, heart notes of Teak Wood and Vetiver, a base of Leather and Amber.