Fragrance comparison

Blue Black vs Histoire d'Eau

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 391 ratings analysed

2 wins

Blue Black

Marc Joseph

4.502 votes

Rank #55,268 CitrusLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

60%scent match

Closely related

Histoire d'Eau

Mauboussin

3.84389 votes

Rank #1,491 Fresh SpicyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Blue Black takes 2 of 4 categories.

Blue Black
Choose it for a citrus and leather character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.
Histoire d'Eau
Choose it for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Blue Black2/4

Histoire d'Eau1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Blue Black
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Blue Black
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Histoire d'Eau

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Blue BlackMarc Joseph

Histoire d'EauMauboussin

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 38%Had 8%Want 54%

3.84/ 5 · 389 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

44%Love

42%Like

3%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

358 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityBlue Black

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value92

¤ Price value70

Category winnerBlue BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

leather90%

aromatic80%

animalic70%

amber60%

fresh spicy50%

fresh spicy100%

warm spicy91%

aromatic83%

leather74%

citrus65%

amber56%

Scent match60%Closely related · both citrus, leather and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

LemonBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart2-3 hrs

MyrtleJasmineRose

Base6-8+ hrs

LeatherAmberCedarMusk

Top

Mandarin OrangeYlang-Ylang

Heart

NutmegCardamomPepper

Base

LeatherAmberMyrtleMusk

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Myrtle, Leather and Amber. Durations are only published for Blue Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall50

Winter100

Day92

Night100

Spring51

Summer31

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Casual 30%Work 28%Date 26%Party 16%

Men0

Unisex49

Women51

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#55,268

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,491

PerfumerChristine Nagel

Launched—

Reviews75

Category winnerHistoire d'EauHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Joseph Blue Black is a straightforward masculine scent that balances refreshing citrus with rugged leather. The opening delivers a sharp splash of lemon, bergamot, and mandarin orange that energizes your morning routine. As the initial sharpness calms, aromatic myrtle and subtle rose emerge to smooth out the edge…

Reviews →

Histoire d'Eau is a spicy amber with a warm mandarin opening, soft ylang-ylang, and a dry suede-like leather base. On skin it often feels more autumnal and resinous than the name suggests, with cardamom, pepper, musk, and an almost beeswax-like glow. It suits shoppers who enjoy vintage-leaning orientals, textured spic…

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, Blue Black or Histoire d'Eau?

Blue Black takes 2 of 4 categories. Blue Black is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes; Histoire d'Eau is rated 3.84/5 from 389 votes. Choose Blue Black for a citrus and leather character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Histoire d'Eau for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Blue Black or Histoire d'Eau?

Blue Black lasts longest (Blue Black 80/100, Histoire d'Eau 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Blue Black or Histoire d'Eau?

Projection is very close: Blue Black 67/100, Histoire d'Eau 67/100 for sillage.

Do Blue Black and Histoire d'Eau smell similar?

Closely related: a 60% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, leather and aromatic accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Myrtle, Leather and Amber.

Is Blue Black or Histoire d'Eau better for summer or winter?

Blue Black suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Blue Black and Histoire d'Eau?

Blue Black has top notes of Lemon, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Myrtle, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Leather, Amber, Cedar and Musk. Histoire d'Eau has top notes of Mandarin Orange and Ylang-Ylang, heart notes of Nutmeg, Cardamom and Pepper, a base of Leather, Amber, Myrtle and Musk.