Fragrance comparison

Blue Black vs London

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 290 ratings analysed

3 wins

Blue Black

Marc Joseph

4.502 votes

Rank #55,268 CitrusLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

London

Playboy

3.86288 votes

Rank #5,562 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Blue Black takes 3 of 4 categories.

Blue Black
Choose it for a citrus and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.
London
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Blue Black3/4

London1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Blue BlackMarc Joseph

LondonPlayboy

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 38%Had 8%Want 54%

3.86/ 5 · 288 votes

Have 48%Had 35%Want 17%

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

20%Love

57%Like

10%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

288 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityBlue Black

SillageBlue Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value92

¤ Price value82

Category winnerBlue BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

leather90%

aromatic80%

animalic70%

amber60%

fresh spicy50%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

citrus84%

cinnamon77%

sweet69%

amber61%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both citrus and amber

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 OrangeGalbanumGrapefruit

Heart

CinnamonAniseSaffronOpoponaxGreen NotesMyrtle

Base

CognacTonka BeanVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Myrtle and Cedar. 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

Spring77

Summer0

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%

Men95

Unisex4

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#55,268

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#5,562

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews54

Category winnerLondonHigher 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 →

London by Playboy opens with a bright flash of mandarin orange and zesty grapefruit, quickly cut by a bitter green galbanum. As the initial citrus dissipates, warm cinnamon and sweet star anise take over the heart, blended with a subtle green myrtle and resins. The drydown reveals a surprisingly warm mix of cognac, to…

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 London?

Blue Black takes 3 of 4 categories. Blue Black is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes; London is rated 3.86/5 from 288 votes. Choose Blue Black for a citrus and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose London for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Blue Black or London?

Blue Black lasts longest (Blue Black 80/100, London 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Blue Black or London?

Blue Black projects furthest (Blue Black 67/100, London 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Blue Black and London smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and amber accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Myrtle and Cedar.

Is Blue Black or London better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Blue Black and London?

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. London has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Galbanum and Grapefruit, heart notes of Cinnamon, Anise, Saffron and Opoponax, a base of Cognac, Tonka Bean and Virginia Cedar.