Fragrance comparison

Carnival of Souls vs Black Smoky

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 147 ratings analysed

Carnival of Souls

Marissa Zappas

3.87125 votes

Rank #13,660 PowderyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

30%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Black Smoky

Areej

4.1822 votes

Rank #30,780 SmokyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Smoky takes 4 of 5 categories.

Carnival of Souls
Choose it for a powdery and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Black Smoky
Choose it for a smoky and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer.

Carnival of Souls1/5

Black Smoky4/5

Ratings & consensus: Black Smoky
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Black Smoky
Sillage & projection: Black Smoky
Value for money: Black Smoky
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Carnival of Souls

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Carnival of SoulsMarissa Zappas

Black SmokyAreej

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.87/ 5 · 125 votes

Have 14%Had 2%Want 83%

4.18/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 50%Had 0%Want 50%

Category winnerBlack SmokyRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

26%Like

27%Ok

6%Dislike

3%Hate

125 votes

73%Love

9%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

18%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage41

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityBlack Smoky

SillageBlack Smoky

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value48

¤ Price value95

Category winnerBlack SmokyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

yellow floral77%

violet69%

floral61%

smoky100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

amber77%

oud69%

coffee61%

Scent match30%Clearly different · both amber and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

MimosaVioletMilk CreamIncenseVanillaSaffronPatchouliMuskAmber

No top / heart / base split published

Top

cannabisGreen NotesSaffronDavanaThyme

Heart

CoffeeTobaccoVioletWoody NotesRaspberryCinnamonResins

Base

Guaiac WoodIncenseOudTonka BeanAnimal notesVanillaCedarAmber

InformationalShared notesViolet, Incense, Vanilla and Saffron. Durations are only published for Carnival of Souls, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring41

Summer29

Fall88

Winter100

Day100

Night64

Spring0

Summer100

Fall50

Winter50

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men10

Unisex43

Women48

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,660

PerfumerMarissa Zappas

Launched—

Reviews45

Overall rank#30,780

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerCarnival of SoulsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Carnival of Souls by Marissa Zappas presents a quiet, powdery floral landscape that pairs fluffy yellow mimosa with chilled milk cream and soft violet. An undercurrent of smoky incense and warm spicy saffron cuts through the sweetness, keeping the scent grounded rather than sugary. As it settles, an amber base enriche…

Reviews →

Black Smoky opens with an aggressive herbal strike of cannabis, green thyme, and dry saffron. Bitter roasted coffee and dry tobacco leaves emerge within twenty minutes, cutting through the initial green harshness while spicy cinnamon and sweet violet ground the dark heart. As the fragrance settles during cold winter …

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, Carnival of Souls or Black Smoky?

Black Smoky takes 4 of 5 categories. Carnival of Souls is rated 3.87/5 from 125 votes; Black Smoky is rated 4.18/5 from 22 votes. Choose Carnival of Souls for a powdery and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Black Smoky for a smoky and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer.

Which lasts longer, Carnival of Souls or Black Smoky?

Black Smoky lasts longest (Black Smoky 100/100, Carnival of Souls 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Carnival of Souls or Black Smoky?

Black Smoky projects furthest (Black Smoky 100/100, Carnival of Souls 41/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Carnival of Souls and Black Smoky smell similar?

Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Violet, Incense, Vanilla and Saffron.

Is Carnival of Souls or Black Smoky better for summer or winter?

Carnival of Souls suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Carnival of Souls and Black Smoky?

Carnival of Souls features Mimosa, Violet, Milk Cream, Incense and Vanilla. Black Smoky has top notes of cannabis, Green Notes, Saffron and Davana, heart notes of Coffee, Tobacco, Violet and Woody Notes, a base of Guaiac Wood, Incense, Oud and Tonka Bean.