Fragrance comparison

Cartago vs Secrets Black

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 3 ratings analysed

1 wins

Cartago

Max Deville · 1988

5.001 votes

Rank #21,543 White FloralRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

11%scent match

Clearly different

Secrets Black

Pierre Alexander

4.002 votes

Rank #57,619 Warm SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cartago takes 1 of 1 categories.

Cartago
Choose it for a white floral and rose character. Wins on fragranxe ranking.
Secrets Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and aromatic character.

Cartago1/1

Secrets Black0/1

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CartagoMax Deville

Secrets BlackPierre Alexander

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 33%Had 33%Want 33%

4.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

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

1 vote · too few to score

50%Love

0%Like

50%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity20

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral84%

rose77%

woody53%

fresh46%

powdery30%

warm spicy100%

aromatic83%

herbal65%

soft spicy48%

fresh30%

Scent match11%Clearly different · both fresh

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotMandarin OrangeLemonLavenderSage

Heart

RoseJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyIrisGeraniumCinnamonGingerCardamom

Base

LabdanumAmberPatchouliMusk

Top

Sage

Heart

Ginger

Base

Cardamom

InformationalShared notesSage, Ginger and Cardamom. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

No season votes yet

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,543

PerfumerNot listed

Launched1988

Reviews5

Overall rank#57,619

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerCartagoHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cartago reads as a soft floral amber with peach and lilac up top, a rosy white-floral heart, and a warm base of amber, patchouli, labdanum and musk. It feels more classic than modern, with a bouquet-like character and only mild sweetness. If you enjoy traditional floral perfumes with a warm, slightly powdery finish, t…

Reviews →

Secrets Black by Pierre Alexander is an Oriental Woody fragrance crafted for the modern man. Launched in 2016, this scent centers on an aromatic opening of sage, leading into a ginger heart. It rests on a base of warm cardamom, creating a spicy, herbal profile suitable for daily wear during transitional seasons like s…

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, Cartago or Secrets Black?

Cartago takes 1 of 1 categories. Cartago is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes; Secrets Black is rated 4.00/5 from 2 votes. Choose Cartago for a white floral and rose character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Choose Secrets Black for a warm spicy and aromatic character.

Do Cartago and Secrets Black smell similar?

Clearly different: a 11% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh accords. Common notes include Sage, Ginger and Cardamom.

Is Cartago or Secrets Black better for summer or winter?

Secrets Black suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cartago and Secrets Black?

Cartago has top notes of Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Lemon and Lavender, heart notes of Rose, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley and Iris, a base of Labdanum, Amber, Patchouli and Musk. Secrets Black has top notes of Sage, heart notes of Ginger, a base of Cardamom.