Fragrance comparison

Case Study #4 Black Wood vs MING4 冥

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 11 ratings analysed

1 wins

Case Study #4 Black Wood

RboW

3.8010 votes

Rank #44,269 Warm SpicyBalsamic

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

MING4 冥

Black Fades

5.001 votes

Rank #52,072 AmberHerbal

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Case Study #4 Black Wood takes 1 of 1 categories.

Case Study #4 Black Wood
Choose it for a warm spicy and balsamic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
MING4 冥
Choose it for a amber and herbal character. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Case Study #4 Black Wood1/1

MING4 冥0/1

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: Case Study #4 Black Wood

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Case Study #4 Black WoodRboW

MING4 冥Black Fades

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.80/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 30%Had 3%Want 68%

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 10%Had 0%Want 90%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

20%Love

50%Like

20%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value68

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

balsamic83%

amber65%

patchouli48%

fresh30%

amber100%

herbal92%

fresh spicy84%

woody77%

aromatic69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both amber and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PimentoBergamotLemon

Heart

MyrrhRoseCypressLabdanumCypriolClove

Base

AmbraromePatchouliFrankincenseSandalwoodCedarwoodLeatherVetiverMusk

Notes

ChrysanthemumFrankincensePatchouliCedarwoodBergamotAmberMyrrh

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Myrrh, Patchouli and Frankincense. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter57

Day75

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men63

Unisex38

Women0

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#44,269

PerfumerClaude Dir

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#52,072

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerCase Study #4 Black WoodHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Case Study #4 Black Wood by RboW is a sharp, aromatic spicy fragrance built around prominent labdanum, resinous myrrh, and crisp cypress. It excels in cool autumn weather, offering a dark and herbal profile that leans unisex. This complex scent provides an intriguing, woods-forward experience for those who appreciate …

Reviews →

MING4 冥 is an amber, incense-led oriental with a meditative feel rather than a loud one. Bergamot and chrysanthemum suggest a fresher, slightly herbal opening, while frankincense, myrrh, amber and patchouli point to a warm, woody dry-down that should suit readers who enjoy resinous, contemplative scents.

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, Case Study #4 Black Wood or MING4 冥?

Case Study #4 Black Wood takes 1 of 1 categories. Case Study #4 Black Wood is rated 3.80/5 from 10 votes; MING4 冥 is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Case Study #4 Black Wood for a warm spicy and balsamic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose MING4 冥 for a amber and herbal character. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Do Case Study #4 Black Wood and MING4 冥 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Myrrh, Patchouli and Frankincense.

Is Case Study #4 Black Wood or MING4 冥 better for summer or winter?

Case Study #4 Black Wood suits evening wear; MING4 冥 suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Case Study #4 Black Wood and MING4 冥?

Case Study #4 Black Wood has top notes of Pimento, Bergamot and Lemon, heart notes of Myrrh, Rose, Cypress and Labdanum, a base of Ambrarome, Patchouli, Frankincense and Sandalwood. MING4 冥 features Chrysanthemum, Frankincense, Patchouli, Cedarwood and Bergamot.